Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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1116. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer who recently took up suckling would be eligible for payment under the SCEP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17303/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) is to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd.

New Entrants to suckler farming are eligible to apply for SCEP and a new entrant is defined in the Terms and Conditions of the SCEP as someone that has "commenced suckler farming since 2021, i.e. calved and registered an eligible calf for the first time since 1^stJanuary 2021".

New entrants are required to declare their programme and yearly reference number at application stage - the programme reference number is the number of eligible suckler cows that will produce an eligible calf on the holding between 1^stJuly 2022 and 30^thJune 2023. This number will be verified by the Department.The programme reference number is divided by 1.5 in order to calculate the Maximum Payable Area (MPA).

Therefore, anyone that has recently taken up suckling and calves down eligible cows and produces eligible calves before 30th June 2023 is eligible to apply for SCEP.