Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will address the problem of ewe hoggets who are in lamb being granted the €10 grant per ewe which he announced; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the ewe hogget market is important to the sheep industry and that farmers with such animals should be grant aided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29098/10]

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 commencement 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 it by the deadline set by my Department; and

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

I can confirm that all breeding ewes over twelve months of age, including ewe hoggets at the time of the December 2009 Census and returned as breeding ewes in the Census Form will be eligible for use in the calculation of the area of grassland benefitting from payment. Any female hoggets that were not eligible for inclusion as breeding ewes in the December 2009 Census will be eligible for inclusion in the 2011 Scheme provided that they are included in the December 2010 Census Form.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the 2009 cow welfare scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29099/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named has 25 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. It is a condition of this Scheme that for herds of more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named submitted an explanation regarding this issue but his comments did not warrant any deviation from the rules governing the Scheme. He was informed of this decision in a letter from the Unit dated 2nd June 2010. However, the person named has the right to appeal this decision as outlined in the above letter.