Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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608. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Cork who has received approval under TAMS for a milking machine can defer an investment as the person may qualify for additional grant aid under the recently announced rural development programme in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3594/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Farmers who have received approval to proceed with investment works under the TAMS Dairy Equipment Scheme (which closed for applications on 31 December 2013) may apply for extensions to the deadline for completion of work set out in their letters of approval.

There is no guarantee that a farmer who was approved for grant aid under the previous TAMS will qualify under the new scheme.

Decisions regarding the farm sectors for which investment aid will be available under the new Rural Development Programme will be made following the consultation process with stakeholders which is currently underway. Following this process, formal proposals will be submitted to the European Commission.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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609. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a payment for participation in the sheep discussion group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3596/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order qualify for payment under the 2013 Sheep Technology Adoption Programme participants were required to attend four Programme meetings and satisfactory complete two Tasks, chosen by the applicants, from a menu of nine Tasks. One of the two Tasks chosen by the persons named was Task 1. The Terms and Conditions of the 2013 STAP, (a copy of which was provided to the persons named with their letter of acceptance into the Programme, dated 22 April 2013) provided as follows in respect of this Task:

Increase the genetic merit of the flock by using a ram of superior genetic merit.

Participants must use a performance recorded €uroStar ram bred by a Lamb Plus breeder as certified by Sheep Ireland. Participants will be required to produce evidence to Sheep Ireland of purchase in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 of a pedigree ram that has been performance recorded by Sheep Ireland. The ram must be 3, 4 or 5 Star on either production, Maternal or Lambing sub index. The ram must be used to mate ewes in either year 1 or 2 of the programme. The minimum requirement is one €uroStar recorded ram satisfying the above criteria per participating flock. Hill farmers with a majority of ewes that consist of Blackface Mountain, Cheviot, or a cross of these breeds do not have to pick this task as a compulsory task. Further details on the requirements for this task are available on www.sheep.ie.

This task will be verified by Sheep Ireland.

Following validation, prior to payments being made, it was found that the person named had not successfully completed this task. On this basis the person named was deemed to be ineligible for payment under the 2013 Sheep Technology Adoption Programme.