Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the farm payment schemes. The green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, is the one we have been talking about for the past 12 months. Quite a number of farmers are still waiting to get their payments. I am also looking at the sheep welfare scheme which was successful to an extent. Are there any plans to broaden that out and make any increase? The sheep sector has a lot of potential but it needs support. I am conscious that one of the only ways that it can get that at the moment, at least until some work is done on markets to try to increase prices, is to put some more money into that scheme. I know that may include additional actions on behalf of the farmer and that is something that has been talked about for some time. Are there any plans to increase that scheme and make something more of it?

There has also been a lot of talk for some time in respect of the whole issue around suckler cows, where that is going and the beef data genomics scheme and trying to broaden that out to include some kind of suckler welfare scheme into it. Everyone talks about the €200 cow target. I would like some assurance that there is at least some consideration in respect of that. While the beef data genomics scheme has been successful to some extent, many farmers still find it very complex and difficult to manage. While it has had some successes, there are still issues. The big one that farmers are looking for is some kind of support around husbandry in respect of the suckler cow and getting something in place which would increase those payments.