Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a compensation programme in respect of losses incurred by farmers under the BVD eradication programme; his plans to re-introduce the €100 welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3442/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have received a request to provide funding in respect of the compulsory phase of the BVD programme. This request must be placed in the context of the economic benefits accruing to farmers arising from the eradication of this disease and, particularly, the short payback time involved as well as the budgetary resources available to my Department. It has been estimated that the overall benefit for the eradication of this disease is beneficial to farmers. I should also emphasise that it is important that my Department concentrates its scarce resources in continuing to support Animal Health Ireland in its ongoing work in establishing control programmes for non-regulated diseases of livestock in Ireland.