Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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245. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider basing the number of ewes on which payment can be claimed under the sheep welfare scheme 2017-2019 on the actual number of ewes held by farmers each year for the sheep census of the previous year up to a maximum of a hundred ewes or the number of ewes held in 2014, in order to assist small flock owners expand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2377/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Sheep Welfare Scheme was introduced under the Rural Development Program to contribute to the continued development of animal and health welfare in the sheep sector. The scheme requires farmers to go beyond the relevant mandatory measures to enhance the standards of animal welfare in the Irish Sheep flock. 

This new scheme is designed in keeping with Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1305/2013 in particular and with the range of European Regulations underpinning the provision of support for Rural Development.  

In order to administer the scheme the number of breeding ewes returned on Sheep Census for the years 2014/2015 will form a Reference Number for payment for the duration of the scheme and this number will not increase.  Applicants under the scheme will be paid on the number of breeding ewes returned on their sheep census for the relevant scheme year but payment will not go beyond their established reference number. The only exception to this will be where applicants are also GLAS participants and are required to increase their breeding ewes in line with GLAS obligations under the Commonage Management Plans. 

As part of the negotiation of the scheme with the EU Commission, this approach to the establishment of the reference number was a clear prerequisite for agreeing the scheme in line with World Trade Organisation regulations.  As the Scheme rolls out, farmers will be afforded the opportunity to appeal the reference number advised to them by my Department.