Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The new programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the rural development programme, with a budget of €25 million to be provided in budget 2017. This scheme, in addition to the existing supports available to sheep farmers under the basic payment scheme, the green low-carbon argi-environment scheme, GLAS, the areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme and the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, will make a vital contribution to ensuring the continuing viability of the sheep sector in Ireland. This commitment is a clear acknowledgement of the contribution the sheepmeat sector makes to the agrifood economy, generating an output value of €320 million in 2015 and supporting 34,000 farm families directly, as well as providing several thousand jobs indirectly in rural areas.

As regards the specifics of the scheme design and operation, my Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations. In addition, two weeks ago they met officials of the European Commission to discuss the proposed new scheme in the context of the specific requirements of the rural development programme. Any such scheme must comply with the rural development regulation. My officials are working on the final details of the scheme in the light of these consultations. The scheme is being proposed as an animal welfare scheme under Article 33 of the rural development regulation. All eligible actions will have to be linked with improving animal welfare conditions for applicant flocks and payments will be calibrated to compensate farmers for costs incurred or income forgone as a result of such actions. Eligible actions must be verifiable and controllable and must go beyond the normal standards of husbandry practice.

My objective is to ensure the scheme is administratively simple, both for applicants and my Department, complies with EU regulations, makes a real contribution to the development of the sector and is available to the maximum possible number of participants, including both lowland and hill sheep farmers.

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