Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To follow on from Deputy Cahill's final point where he raised the issue of why there is €20 million assigned for the sheep welfare scheme this year and €17 million next year, I note that the number of herd owners participating in the animal welfare scheme for sheep was 33,000 last year but only 23,000 this year. Deputy Cahill asked why it did not add up. There is a €3 million increase in the budget for a scheme that is not paying a different rate this year compared to last year. The metrics show that 10,000 fewer are expected to participate in it this year, which is baffling. There is a drop in the sheep number as well, from 2.5 million to 2 million.

With regard to the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, when that was announced by the Minister's predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, he committed to €1.45 billion going towards GLAS over its duration. It was very specifically for GLAS. He also indicated that it would be within the current rural development programme period. The figure of those within GLAS and the average spend would indicate that the spend will be €1 billion. Where is the Minister with the €1.45 billion that was committed with GLAS? How close does the Minister expect to get to it? I cannot see the Minister getting anymore than €1 billion. The maths do not add up. I would like the Minister to address that in detail. If he is not spending that €450 million extra on GLAS, he might indicate what else he has spent it on in the meantime. I certainly do not see it.

I endorse the point made by Deputy Cahill on the plight of the suckler sector and the need for additional contributions to try to make sure that there is a margin for beef and suckler farmers. It is simply not there and it is not sustainable. With regard to the current beef data and genomics programme, we have to find a way to provide additional funds towards that to try to keep an increased payment within this current Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, programme. We now have the wider task to which the Dáil has agreed, namely, to seek to achieve something along the lines of €200 in the next CAP. I have one final point on the beef data and genomics programme. Would the Minister consider reopening that? Initially, it was indicated that up to 35,000 farmers could apply for it. We currently have 25,000, 10,000 fewer than was indicated could be accommodated. Will the Minister address that, please?