Total funding of €20 million was provided in the Department’s Vote this year for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes which provide support for investment in the Poultry, Sow, Dairy and Sheep sectors. To date in 2012, €12.84 million has been paid out under the schemes and I expect that total expenditure will reach €15.1 million by the end of the year. Some of the expected savings have already been transferred to other on-farm investment schemes operated by my Department, particularly the Farm Improvement Scheme where expenditure will exceed the original allocation by €2.7 million by the end of the year. Expenditure is demand led in that successful applicants generally have two years under the schemes to complete the approved investment works and it is not always possible to determine the calendar year in which the expenditure will arise and to forecast expenditure accurately.