Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

64. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to provide a sheep payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21262/16]

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

The sheep sector generally makes an important contribution to the agrifood economy generating an output value of €320 million and exporting in excess of €230 million in 2015. Furthermore the sector also makes a vital contribution to the economy supporting 34,000 farm families directly in addition to providing several thousand jobs indirectly in rural areas also.

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. The inclusion of this provision in the programme for Government reflects a commitment by the Government to ensuring the continued viability of the sheep sector in Ireland.

My Department has engaged in extensive consultation with farm organisations and 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.

In light of these consultations and discussions my officials are currently working on the details of the scheme with a view to making a formal submission to the European Commission shortly. The Scheme itself is being developed in the context of Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulation which provides for animal welfare measures and as such all actions or undertakings will have to show a clear connection to improving animal welfare conditions for those flocks within the scheme.

It is clear that any such scheme must meet certain specific criteria laid down by the Rural Development Regulation and the options available to my Department in the context of the design of the scheme must reflect that. This scheme will have to meet the 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 and must demonstrate a clear benefit to animal welfare. Actions within those schemes must be verifiable and controllable.

I intend to ensure that the scheme will be made available to as many sheep farmers as possible and that it will provide for participation by both hill and lowland flock owners.