Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

According to the most up-to-date figures available from my Department's animal identification and movement system, the total number of herds that have ten or less beef-breed female cows on their holding is 38,171 and this represents 52% of all herds with female beef-breed cows. Of course, these figures refer to farmers with significantly varying demographic profiles and include thousands of farmers with enterprises on their farms other than suckler farming. In many cases, suckler farming will not be the main farm enterprise practised on the holding.

There is a cohort of farmers within these figures who, for various reasons, do not engage with schemes for the suckler herd where additional defined action is required on their part, such as was the case under the suckler cow welfare scheme and for the pilot beef genomics scheme last year. The reasons include the part-time nature of many of these farmers who keep less than ten cows, or the fact that suckler farming is not their main farm enterprise.

Therefore, when looking at the profile of applicants under the Beef Data and Genomics Programme, BDGP, or similar schemes, the relevant comparator is the profile of participants in previous schemes, such as the suckler cow welfare scheme and the 2014 beef genomics scheme. In that regard, I am satisfied that the profile of applicants under the new beef data and genomics scheme compares favourably with previous schemes for the suckler sector operated by my Department over the last decade or so.

Some 7,851 herds with ten suckler cows or less have applied for the beef data and genomics programme. This equates to 27% of the total number of applications received for the scheme, which is broadly proportionate to the level of participation in last year's suckler welfare scheme and the beef genomics scheme last year.

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What we have examined is whether there is any change in patterns in the type of suckler farmer applying to participate in schemes and the answer is that there has not. Approximately one third of the applicants have ten cows or fewer. Another one third have between ten and 20, while the commercial suckler cow farmers have more breeding cows. It is more or less the same proportionate breakdown we would have had under the suckler cow welfare scheme which was launched by the previous Government and that we have had under the beef genomics scheme to date. There has been no real change.

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