Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding new compensation measure for the removal of BVD persistently infected animals. [27694/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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While good progress is being made by farmers in removing persistently infected (PI) animals under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, I am concerned with a number of PI animals being retained on a relatively small number of farms. Therefore to further assist and encourage farmers in removing PI animals, I have introduced new funding measures providing for a payment of €120 in respect of the first and subsequent PI calves born in beef herds in 2014. I have also introduced for the first time a support of €75 towards the removal of the second and subsequent PI calves born in dairy herds in 2014. Payment is contingent on disposal of the PI animals in a timely fashion and provided disposal is done through the knackery system.