Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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499. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the latest information at hand on updating the sheep census; the number of flock owners that have provided data; the estimate for outstanding owner data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29288/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The most recent sheep census carried out by my Department was conducted in December 2015. The report of that census shows that 40,099 registered flock owners provided data by completing and returning their 2015 census form and that 4,354 registered flock owners did not return a census form.  Of the 40,099 flock owners who submitted a census, 35,254 had sheep in December 2015.  The total number of sheep declared in the census was 3,760,425 which comprised 2,503,011 breeding ewes, 84,931 rams and 1,172,483 other sheep.