Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

592. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered a provision to enable farmers on mountain type land to apply for a top-up due to the higher cost in delivering measures in a hill type situation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19388/16]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

593. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the approximate cost if hill ewes were eligible for a top up in the amounts of €2.50, €3, €3.50, €4, €4.50 and €5 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19389/16]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

594. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all sheep farmers will have equal access to the same measures under any new scheme that is envisaged to be rolled out in 2017 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19390/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 592 to 594, inclusive, together.

The new programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme with a budget of €25 million to be provided in Budget 2017. A submission will soon be made to the European Commission in this regard. Any such scheme must meet certain specific criteria laid down by Rural Development Regulation. This scheme, in addition to the existing supports available to sheep farmers under the BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS, will make a vital contribution to ensuring the continuing viability of the sheep sector in Ireland.

As regards the specifics of the scheme design and operation, my Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations. In addition they met last week with officials of the European Commission to discuss the proposed new scheme in the context of the specific requirements of the Rural Development Programme.

My officials are currently working on the details of the scheme in light of both the consultation with the farming organisations as well as the discussions with the European Commission. It is clear that any scheme must meet the exacting requirements of the Rural Development Regulations in terms of only compensating farmers for any actions undertaken on the basis of costs incurred or income foregone. Furthermore, in any scheme where farmers must undertake actions, those actions must go beyond the normal standards of husbandry practice before they can be considered as an eligible cost incurred by a farmer.

The cost of providing top ups to hill ewes as referred to by the Deputy could only be calculated when the number of hill ewes submitted as part of farmers’ applications would be known. However I wish to stress that whilst any scheme must be acceptable to the European Commission in the context of the requirements of the Rural Development Programme I am also anxious that such a scheme takes into account the different production systems in the Irish sheep flock and recognises the different challenges facing both lowland flocks and hill flocks. It is my intention that this scheme’s design will maximise the number of participants and deliver tangible benefits to the sheep sector in terms of its impact to on- farm practices.