Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

I will outline the requirement. On 30 June 2019, one must have at least one stock bull that has been genotyped at four or five stars on a holding. If a bull is genotyped at four or five stars then he is genotyped at four or five stars.

Let me answer the question about payments. This is not an income support scheme. We are trying to do something that we believe to be in the best interests of the herd and of farmers generally. It is not in the interests of large or small farmers to carry animals that are deficient, and I think everybody would accept my view. The average payment for a herd of 20 cows would be €1,750. We expect the cost of genotyping to be around €350. I say this to put some perspective on costs, because there is a misunderstanding about the matter.

On the question of genotyping, part of the reason for the 60% testing requirement is that there will be more four- and five-star animals available. The concerns people have about the availability of four- and five-star animals would be exacerbated if we had a smaller testing requirement. Such a percentage will help to make more of these animals available.

In terms of spreading the benefits to the herd generally, even if there is testing of the core 30,000 herds, better animals will be produced which will filter down through the system. All of that would benefit everybody in the sector, not just participating herds.

On the question about genotyping in terms of the availability of four- and five-star heifers, we understand there will not be any difficulty with the availability of four- and five-star heifers. We understand that there are enough four- and five-star heifers in the system and the number will increase as the scheme goes on. The Minister has said that we will engage with farm bodies. We will engage, through the scheme, on its operation and we will see how it is working. There will be a mid-term review. Under the rural development programme there would be such a review anyway. We will examine any of the difficulties that emerge in the operation of the scheme and build this into any mid-term review.

It is not the case that there is an unwillingness to move. The difficulty is that the scheme has been approved by the Commission on the basis of a regulatory framework which has a certain rigidity in it, to the extent that we cannot move. For example, the six-year requirement is stipulated by the legislation.