Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his development programme for the lamb sector over the next five years; the degree to which this relates to progress over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22268/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The sheep sector is a valuable part of the overall agri-food sector and its future depends on its ability to meet the needs of the market. In order to do this successfully, the sector must focus on competitiveness, innovation and the demands of the consumer.

Last month I launched a three-year, €54 million grassland sheep scheme, the funding for which, comes from unused Single Payment funds. I am confident that this scheme will provide a much-needed boost to sheep farmers' incomes, which should encourage them to stay in the sector. As the scheme focuses on flocks with breeding ewes, it should also provide a significant incentive to farmers to maintain their production levels, which is vital for the future of a viable sheep industry in Ireland. The sector should also benefit under the Rural Development Programme, where an indicative figure of €8 million has been allocated for sheep fencing and mobile handling facilities, to help sheep farmers in reducing labour input.

In addition to this extra funding, last year I assigned €7 million from the 2009 Single Farm Payment National Reserve to 13,000 hill sheep farmers, under the Uplands Sheep Payment Scheme. Bord Bia will also spend up to €1 million this year on the promotion of sheep and lamb at home and abroad and Teagasc has allocated almost €1.5 million for sheep research for 2010.

All of these supports complement the work being undertaken by my Department, its state agencies and the industry, on foot of the recommendations of the Sheep Industry Development Strategy Group, which was set up in 2005, with a view to preparing an agreed industry development strategy covering the short to medium term of 2006 to 2010. Its report, the so-called "Malone Report" provides a clear blueprint for the development of a more profitable sheep sector in Ireland. While the responsibility for implementing most of the group's recommendations fall on the industry itself, a number are within the remit of my Department and the state agencies under its aegis, who have made significant progress in implementing them. Among the initiatives taken were: The establishment of 'Sheep Ireland' to take over the Department's current breed improvement programme and develop a new one. An interim Sheep Board, comprising representatives of farming organisations and breeders will oversee this process, with the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) providing the technical and professional service required. The establishment of the Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme in 2007. This Scheme is operated by Bord Bia and now has over 8,000 participants. Bord Bia has also intensified its efforts to promote lamb on the home and export markets. Together with its UK and French counterparts, it is part of a generic promotion campaign on the important French market.

Teagasc has developed a comprehensive plan to restructure its sheep support services, including a Better Farm Programme for sheep, which aims to establish focal points for the on-farm implementation, development and evaluation of technology that is relevant to the sheep sector. This approach provides an opportunity to engage with sheep farmers on the use of the latest management practices and to identify research and development needs. In addition, the support being provided for processing facilities under the beef and sheepmeat capital investment fund underlines the Government's commitment to the sector. The future development of the sheep sector will also be addressed in the forthcoming 2020 Strategy, which I plan to publish later this year.