Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will be making payments under the recently announced grassland sheep scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21863/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The new Grassland Sheep Scheme, which has a total budget of €54 million, will operate for three years: 2010, 2011 and 2012. This funding, which comes from the unused Single Payment funds, will provide a very important and timely boost to support incomes in the sheep sector over the next three years. The Scheme has been kept administratively simple, which will facilitate the Department in making payments very shortly after the commencement date of 1 December 2010, the earliest date for making payments under this Scheme in accordance with the provisions of the relevant EU Regulations. Farmers will find participating in the Scheme relatively easy, the three requirements being to:

maintain ewes;

complete the Sheep Census return; and

submit the SPS application form by the closing date of 17 May 2010.