Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider granting a special derogation to sheep farmers on the offshore island of Arranmorein County Donegal regarding the eligibility requirement of a stocking level of 30 breeding ewes for the STAP scheme in cases where the farmer concerned cannot reach this level of stock density due to the marginal and exposed nature of the land on which they farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15982/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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.