Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 348: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the anger and frustration felt by many pedigree sheep breeders concerning the method by which she introduced a compensation for scrapie monitored rams; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that many breeders sold rams as a consequence of such testing procedures but were subsequently deemed eligible for compensation due to the fact that the animals were tested before 1 September 2005; if she will make retrospective compensation available to the breeders who, at great cost to themselves, were involved in scrapie monitoring over a number of years but who believed that rams disposed of at any time in 2005 would be eligible for such compensation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28195/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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On 17 August 2005, I announced a number of enhancements to the voluntary national genotype programme, NGP, aimed at encouraging greater participation in the programme and, in particular, to encourage the genotyping of rams in advance of the introduction of a compulsory breeding programme. These enhancements were introduced following discussions between officials of my Department and representatives of the pedigree and non-pedigree breeders.

It was always intended, and it was made clear before their introduction, that the enhancements to the NGP would apply only in respect of those flocks/sheep that were genotyped between 1 September 2005 and 18 November 2005. There was never any question that rams which were tested before 1 September 2005 would be eligible for the flat rate of compensation that will be paid in respect of those categories of rams that are tested after that date and that are considered susceptible or highly susceptible to scrapie. Consequently, I do not intend to make the compensation payments retrospective.

Since the enhancements came into effect on 1 September, there has been a significant increase in the number of NGP applications being submitted to my Department with over 200 applications, involving the genotyping of nearly 4,000 sheep, having been made to date.