Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I am not quite sure from where the proposal initiated in 2003. I am not sure if it was proposed by an individual member state or by the Commission. I believe - I am open to correction on this and will check this for the Deputy - it was a Commission proposal initiated by the then Commissioner for Health and Public Safety. The analysis undertaken by my Department indicates that the additional cost to the average farmer with a flock of 100 sheep is estimated to be approximately €30 to €40 on an annual basis. Deputy Sherlock referred to the cost of tagging. We expect that the first year of tagging will probably be expensive on the basis that we will be adopting a standards based approach rather than a specified tender supplier. A number of people will have an opportunity, once they meet the standards, to supply this particular product. It is estimated that the cost will reduce rather than increase each year. This is based on the belief that EID will apply to more than 18% of the national flock.

We appreciate that the sheep sector is hard pressed. The only additional funding available to us under the national reserve in 2009 was the €7 million derived from what is commonly known as unused funds. I devoted this entire sum to an upland sheep payment. This year, an €80 million per annum scheme will be introduced for the sheep sector. The additional funding that will be provided to assist the sheep sector will be many multiples of the additional cost imposed on the sector through Europe insisting that EID is implemented.

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