Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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277. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the beef genomics scheme will be initiated; in view of the importance of a thriving suckler cow herd, if he will consider increasing the subsidy per cow to €200 as an incentive and viability measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14437/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I place great importance on the Irish suckler herd and its place in the agri-food industry, which in turn is of vital importance to Ireland’s economy. My Department and the agencies under its remit continue to provide an array of financial and infrastructural supports to un derpin production in the suckler sector, including through the new Beef Data and Genomics Programme.

The Government has made a provision of €52m for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) which forms part of Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme and will have a budget of some €300m over a period of 6 years. The proposed BDGP will deliver an accelerated improvement in the environmental sustainability of the herd through the application of genomic technology and will bring about long-term strategic improvements to the sector by fundamentally improving the genetic quality of the beef herd. It will also position Ireland at the global forefront in the application of genomics technology and cement our reputation as one of the most important and renowned export focussed beef producing nations in the world.

Subject to the approval of the Rural Development Programme by the EU Commission, farmers will be paid for work carried out in a range of areas related to data recording and animal breeding policies. The actions currently being considered for the Programme include recording a range of data relating to performance criteria and animal events, taking tissue (DNA) samples from selected animals and sending onwards for laboratory testing, completing an on-farm Carbon Navigator, and selecting high quality replacement bulls and heifers over the six years of the BDGP contract.

All Rural Development Plans are subject to European Commission approval, following a detailed period of analysis, scrutiny and discussion. I can assure the Deputy that the scheme will be rolled out very shortly, with application forms issuing to all eligible farmers. This scheme is not a subsidy, but rather a developmental scheme under the Rural Development Programme. It is not permissible to arbitrarily increase the payment or, under EU or WTO rule, to provide financial incentives to encourage production, as suggested by the Deputy.