Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider allowing all sheep farmers on offshore islands to join the sheep technology adoption programme scheme irrespective of the amount of breeding stock they have, due to the marginal and exposed location of the farm. [14743/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The sheep sector is a key part of the Agrifood sector, especially in marginal land areas and there is huge scope to improve farm incomes through focusing on issues such as grassland management, financial management, breeding, health and welfare and environmental efficiency.

The Sheep Technology Adoption Programme (STAP) is intended to provide participants with the knowledge and the skills necessary to improve on-farm technical efficiency in a number of key areas.

I am aware of the difficulties faced by sheep farmers on offshore islands. However funding for the STAP is capped at €3 million for 2013. The Programme was conceived to cater for approximately 3,000 participants with a maximum annual payment of €1,000 per participant. As approximately 4,900 applications have been received for 2013 under the STAP, based on the qualifying criteria applicable for established producers, the Programme is currently oversubscribed. Therefore it is not possible this year to make provision for the inclusion of sheep farmers from offshore Islands who have less than the requisite breeding stock.