Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Department officials for being present and I thank Mr. Gleeson for his presentation. The launch of this scheme has created much debate across the country and members have attended a number of meetings on it. With €300 million available for farmers under this scheme, or €52 million in each year of the scheme, it should have been a very positive story. The first mistake made was the inclusion of what was written in red on the top of the application form to which many people reacted. A number of issues have arisen and I hope we will be able to get clarification on them.

The six-year period is a major problem, as has been mentioned over and over again. Would it be possible to have a rolling reference year? This issue has been raised by the farming organisations. It has been raised with members in their constituency clinics and by people they met at the meetings that have been held. Many farmers would have had difficulties in 2013 and, as a result, they would not have had their cows in calf and, therefore, calving was down in 2014. I have met farmers who had cows in their herd that would not have calved until early 2015 because of 2013 being a bad year. Those farmers could prove that the cows were in their herds right through that period. There may be some aspect to be considered in that area.A rolling reference year would work or account could be taken of herds and if cows were among herds during that period.

A review of the star ratings has been promised. I agree wholeheartedly that we must try to produce animals of a three-star, four-star or five-star rating. That is the way forward. We want to ensure the beef sector is profitable and that is the way to proceed, but we may be trying to do it too quickly. Four or five years might be too short a period to achieve it. It may take a little longer.

It is important to get the information out to farmers. The Department will be sending out a pack to farmers. Farmers would have compiled much information dating back eight or nine years on foot of various schemes in which they have participated. Considerable information would have been gathered. It would be important to let farmers know as soon as possible the status of their herds in terms of the star rating. It is vitally important to improve the herd. We have encouraged people to join the scheme. Beef has been a very low-income business. The point was made, and this was the subject of a recent article in the IrishFarmers' Journal, that if we had a better quality herd more money could be made by farmers having fewer animals. Farmers could reduce their herds and produce much better quality animals and as a result they would have more income from fewer animals. Those are a number of points on the scheme.