Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Would the Minister accept that in the same regions there is really low participation in this scheme but really high participation in, for example, the sheep welfare scheme? It is the same farmers but different schemes, one of which has more reasonable conditions for smaller operators.

As I said, part of the Bord Bia scheme is that it is the last 90 days that counts. The Minister is forcing them into a scheme that is not, as it is currently constituted, relevant to most of these farmers because they do not hold them for the last 90 days. I suggest that a condition of the scheme could be that farmers would sell them as store cattle in order that the finishing would be done to the Bord Bia standard. That way, the Minister could have it both ways. He would have much greater participation from the 8% compared with the more than 60% from the bigger herds, although they are not that big. If a farmer has 21 or more animals, he or she will do well. Even for those who have between 11 and 20 cows, the figure jumps to 39%. It is still low but is a lot higher than 8%. As I said, the Minister is leaving out more than half the herds. Of course, those who own them need the money too. As happens with so many schemes now, somebody overprescribed this scheme in the context of small operators.

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