Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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726. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 610 of 5 July 2016, and the variables used to calculate such figures, the detail of the approximate additional annual increase in funding needed for the scheme in question to attain compensation set at a maximum level of €200 for the first ten animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22200/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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An analysis of the numbers of reference cows held by scheme participants indicates that 223,942 cows out of the total of 534,064 are currently paid at the higher rate under the scheme. This is because these cows are on farms with 10 or less reference cows or are the first 10 cows on farms with more than 10 reference animals.

As these animals are currently paid at the rate equivalent to €90 per animal, it would cost an additional €25.6m per annum to bring this payment up to €200. It should be noted however that any increase in payments would also require additional scheme participants to undertake additional actions, as BDGP payments are made on a cost incurred/income foregone basis as per the rules of the EU Rural Development Programme. Any such increase would also require the approval of the EU Commission and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.