Dáil debates

Thursday, 26 November 2009

3:00 pm

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

This scheme was introduced in 2008 and the payments issued in 2008 and 2009 were the first under this new stream of income. Funding for the 2009 scheme will be paid early in 2010. We do not know yet what our Estimates will be for 2010 or the indicative budget for 2011. Therefore, I am not in a position to say whether we will have resources for the scheme beyond this year's commitment. That is all for consideration in the budgetary Estimates process. I value the scheme and it has been very important for building on data available through the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, ICBF, which is also substantially funded by the Department and by industry. It has done exceptionally good work and I fully appreciate the value of the scheme. However, I am not in a position to say what provision can be made for it in the future. The Government will meet the commitments which arose in 2009.

When the scheme was introduced the level of participation was not known. The figure I quoted for the percentage of suckler herds involved in the scheme is extremely high. The initial payment was more than drawn down. The future of the scheme and the level of funding will be finalised in the context of the budget.

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