Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria being considered for the design of a new scheme for sheep farmers under the rural development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21289/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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.

This commitment is a clear acknowledgement of the contribution the sheepmeat sector makes to the Irish Agri Food economy generating an output value of €320 million in 2015 and supporting 34,000 farm families directly as well as providing several thousand jobs indirectly in rural areas.

As regards the specifics of the scheme design and operation, my Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations. In addition they met two weeks ago 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. The Scheme is being proposed as an animal welfare scheme based on Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulation. All actions will have to show a clear connection to improving animal welfare conditions for flocks within the scheme.

Schemes under the Rural Development Regulations are required to compensate farmers for actions undertaken on the basis of costs incurred or income foregone. Actions must be verifiable and controllable. They must also must go beyond the normal standards of husbandry practice before they can be considered as an eligible cost incurred by a farmer.

It is my clear intention that this scheme be designed to maximise the number of participants in the scheme and is attractive to all sheep farmers including both lowland and hill farmers.