Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My comments are mainly related to SCEP. There has been a lot of talk about bull breeders losing in this situation. It is not all about the vendor. The biggest investment in a suckler herd can be the stock, pedigree bull. Many farmers invested in bulls last March and April. They are now scratching their heads, and it is not just the sellers. In fairness to sellers, they are probably losing more but there are many suckler farmers who cannot afford to take a hit. Farmers are taking a hit collectively.

How long was this change in the melting pot? It was launched on 21 November. How much work went into it and how long did it go on? The Minister launched the SCEP on 20 March. Surely to god something the ICBF was ready to launch in November was nearly cooked by March. The ICBF has a member of the Department on its board. I presume it is in constant contact with the board. Could there not have been some correlation with the terms and conditions of the SCEP to coincide with this launch, rather than moving the goalposts eight months into it?

Deputy Flaherty mentioned legality. I have a feeling that this might not stand up legally. The ICBF is the scorecard for SCEP. If I have two cows at home, one born in 2018 and one born in 2019, with the same father and mother and husbandry, and I keep one - she is a 4-star - I will be paid SCEP for her. If I sell the other one to Senator Lombard or whoever else, he cannot get SCEP for her. She does not qualify. There must be legal complications in that regard? It is the same animal. When we applied for the scheme, it was a 4-star. Now, it is moved back to a 3-star, mid-scheme. If I keep my cow, I will be paid for five years. If I sell her to someone else, he will not get a penny. That is the scheme but the ICBF is the scorecard for the scheme.