Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the conditions of the pigmeat compensation scheme to ensure small scale producers are eligible for payment as the existing criteria are too restrictive and deny small scale farmers of a payment; if he is aware that these small scale producers need this payment to remain viable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14234/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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These payments are the final tranche under the package agreed at EU level in September of last year, which allocated €0.5m for the pig sector for Ireland. The Government subsequently matched this funding to provide an overall aid package of €1m.

Eligible beneficiaries for the scheme were defined as current pig herd owners who produced a minimum of 200 pigs in 2015. The minimum level of supply and the requirement to have supplied in 2015 ensures that the payment goes to existing pig farmers only and ensures that the payment is directed to those farmers most affected by the price volatility, thus meeting the requirements of the EU Regulations providing the funding.

In addition, my Department is considering the allocation of some funding under this package to the Irish Pig Society to further their work in representing smaller scale producers.