Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised)

4:00 pm

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The beef data and genomics programme, BDGP, relates to animal welfare under programme A, which is why I asked if it would be dealt with there. Currently, 24,500 farmers are signed up under the programme. The Minister indicated that €52 million is available for the programme in 2017. We have had a debate, and will probably debate it again, on the need for additional supports for the suckler cow herd and, in particular, whether there is capacity to increase payments under the BDGP towards €200. There was a commitment at the outset to open it to a capacity of 35,000 farmers. Is €52 million sufficient funding for that to happen this year and to accommodate the additional 10,500 farmers? Perhaps the Minister will comment on that.