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

There is no confirmed underspend this year. I will have a Supplementary Estimate to provide for additional expenditure in the Department as opposed to an underspend in the Department. We will discuss the reasons for the Supplementary Estimate when it is presented to the House. I do not envisage €53 million will be spent on the beef data and genomics programme this year not because we do not want to spend this sum, but based on the number of applications submitted to the Department, the rate of approval and so forth. Expenditure on the programme will be considerable, however, and while I do not wish to provide a precise figure, it will be in the region of €45 million.

Following consultations with farming organisations and Members, my priority was to ensure a beef genomics scheme was up and running and a significant chunk of money was paid to suckler beef farmers before the end of the year. We are on track to achieve these objectives. I assure the Deputy that, over time, we will get as many farmers as possible into the scheme and spend the full budgetary allocation over the lifetime of the rural development programme.

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