Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the assistance available from her Department to assist the increase in numbers of native rare breeds of cattle and sheep. [27094/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is very aware of the need to conserve native rare breeds of cattle and sheep and actively participates in conservation programmes at National, EU and International levels. Conservation of rare breeds of farm animals is crucial in achieving sustainability of livestock production.

My Department supports on-farm conservation of genetics resources in a number of ways.

The REPS 4 Scheme contains a voluntary Supplementary Measure which rewards farmers who keep native cattle and sheep breeds (Cattle — Kerry, Irish Moiled, Dexter; Sheep — Galway). A payment of €234 per livestock unit is paid to farmers under the scheme.

My Department also operates the Kerry Cattle Preservation Grant Scheme, whereby a grant of €76 is paid per live eligible calf. The objective of the scheme is to encourage the maintenance and development of Kerry Cattle in Ireland.

National conservation of endangered genetic resources is also supported in other ways. Approximately €200,000 of Exchequer funding has been allocated to projects that assist with the conservation of Kerry cattle and Galway sheep. Examples of this work includes the collection of semen from Kerry bulls and Galway rams, the development of websites for the Galway and Kerry Cattle breed societies (to provide information and increase awareness of the breeds), and the development of a long-term conservation strategy for Kerry Cattle and Galway Sheep. More recently, funding has been provided for the collection of semen from Irish Moiled bulls.

Ireland has also availed of funding from two EU Programmes to assist with the conservation of genetic resources — the 1994 and 2004 programmes. Under the most recent programme my Department secured approximately €20,000 to assist in the development of a national inventory of animal genetic resources. This web-based database contains important population and breed data on all of Ireland's domestic animal genetic resources, including native cattle and sheep breeds.

Internationally my Department also participates in conservation activities for animal genetic resources, particularly through the Food and Agriculture Organisation. In September 2007 Ireland, along with 109 countries, adopted a Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources, the first internationally agreed framework to halt the erosion of livestock diversity and support the sustainable use, development and conservation of animal genetic resources. Development of national conservation policies to preserve our native animal breeds will take full cognisance of the policies in this Global Plan.