Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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108. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a calf weaning scheme for sucklers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32497/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme was set up in 2008 to promote the highest standards of welfare and the quality of the dedicated beef suckler herd. The measures in this Scheme were designed to enhance animal welfare and husbandry standards as well as improve genetics through on-farm recording and evaluation of animal performance. Over 50% of Irish cattle are derived from the beef suckler herds, which combine the high yielding continental breeds with traditional breeds to adapt to Ireland’s predominately grass-grazed production systems.

This Scheme has since been superseded by the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP). The BDGP represents a €52 million investment in suckler farming this year and over €300 million over the next 6 years under Ireland’s Rural Development Plan (RDP). The scheme aims to improve the genetic merit of Irish beef cattle, which will in turn lead to increased returns for beef producers and improve the environmental sustainability of the beef herd. The scheme also aims to reverse the decline in the maternal index seen in recent years in the Irish beef herd.

It will also confirm Ireland’s position as a global leader in the application of genomics technology and cement our reputation as one of the most important and renowned export-focused beef producing nations in the world.

The importance of this sector of the agrifood industry cannot be understated. As the Deputy is aware, Ireland exports 90% of the beef it produces and suckler farming is one of the most important indigenous industries. Food and drink exports are at the forefront of our economic recovery, and in 2014 beef to the value of €2.27 billion was exported from the state, making this one of our most important indigenous export industries.