Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Carthy and Clarke for tabling the question.

With sheep meat, it is good to see weekly prices since the start of 2021 are running consistently higher than the same period in both 2019 and 2020, with prices in early May at €7.45 per kg, a 38% increase on the same week in 2020. The year-to-date national average price is almost 30% up on the same period in 2020. The outlook for Irish and EU lamb prices for the remainder of 2021 is positive, with global sheep meat prices projected to remain good. It is a tremendous source of relief for sheep farmers across the country to see prices where they would like them to be always in order to ensure a good return for the work they put in.

With regard to opportunities in the wool sector, following the allocation of the significant amount of €100,000 in the budget for the review of the potential demand in international markets for wool-based products, such as insulation and fertilisers, I initiated a consultation to determine the terms of reference for such a review. Details of the proposed terms of reference to implement this review were published on the Department's website on 11 March 2021 and include the identification of market opportunities domestically and internationally for wool-based products; the carrying out of economic feasibility and cost-benefit analysis on proposed market opportunities; the determination of mechanisms that could be used to support industry initiatives; and the identification of potential research projects applicable to supporting the identified market opportunities. Interested parties were invited to submit comments on the proposed terms of reference or submissions on the potential market opportunities for wool products on the domestic and international markets. The closing date for submissions was 2 April 2021 and we received 38 submissions.

The sheep welfare scheme is an EU-funded animal welfare scheme targeted at breeding ewes. It was introduced in December 2016 by way of an amendment to Ireland's rural development plan. The scheme was designed to be renewable every year over four years, with the final year of the scheme commencing in February 2020. Existing sheep farmers who wished to join the scheme were required to apply to participate in the scheme in year one. There is a facility for new entrants to sheep farming, as defined in the terms and conditions of the scheme, to apply to participate in the scheme in subsequent years.

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