Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the Aylward Report, he has plans to introduce a sheep welfare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4955/09]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a package for the sheep sector will be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 149 together.

Additional support to the sheep sector is being considered in light of the outcome of the recent CAP Health Check. One of my primary objectives in the Health check negotiations was to get access to unspent funds within the EU's agriculture budget for use by Member States with a wide range of discretion. This was achieved in the final deal and, as a result, Ireland will receive additional funds amounting to approximately €7m in 2009 (from the national reserve) and €29m in subsequent years.

I am currently considering how these funds can best be used to develop Irish agriculture within the terms laid down in the EU regulations. As part of this process I asked for and received submissions from four farm organisations. The proposals made include a top-up to the SFP for sheep farmers, a hogget ewe premium, a sheep maintenance payment for all ewes, and a dairy income support scheme linked to milk quota volume.

Some of these proposals are linked to suggestions for the use of €120m additional modulation funds, also arising from the Health Check, on which a separate consultation process is underway, and to which different EU rules apply. The closing date for these submissions is 16 February, and therefore it is not yet possible to indicate the range of proposals in this case.

All submissions received will be examined carefully, and will be a useful input to the decisions on these matters, which I expect to announce in the near future.