Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of approved applicants who have withdrawn from the 2015 suckler cow scheme; if he will review the restrictive nature of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38550/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Beef Data and Genomics Programme was negotiated and agreed with the European Commission earlier in the year as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Plan. I have recently announced flexibilities in relation to withdrawal from the scheme where land is leased or sold and also in relation to animals qualifying towards the female replacement requirements. Any further substantive changes to the terms of the BDGP would require a complete renegotiation with the Commission . Furthermore any reduction in the number of commitments would result in a corresponding reduction in payment as the payment is calculated on the basis of costs incurred or income foregone by the participants in complying with the Programme. There are 27,378 active participants in the 2015 Beef Data and Genomics Programme and approximately 2,400 applicants have withdrawn.