As contract staff come near the end of their term, the head of Teagasc said the body is facing a challenge to ensure all Green Cert students are catered for.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for Level 5 and Level 6 students in Ballyhaise College, Cavan, last week, Professor Gerry Boyle said work remains to be done to ensure all students are looked after.

“Contract staff are coming to an end [and] we are now faced with a mighty challenge to clear the backlog,” Professor Boyle said.

In a normal year, Teagasc has to deal with 500 students looking to do the course. This rose to 1,500 in 2014, with the demand more than doubling last year.

The number fell slightly this year, but is still higher than in other years. It is being driven by the need to have a Level 6 agricultural qualification to qualify for the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme as part of the new CAP.

To deal with the higher volume of student applications, Teagasc had to seek special dispensation from the Government to take on contract staff. Some 70 new temporary posts were created, but Professor Boyle said many of those contracts are now coming to an end.