Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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597. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the strategy his Department has to support and promote goat farming; the supports available for goat farming enterprises; his plans for greater funding to support this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33086/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Goat farming serves a small niche market for dairy and meat products. My Department makes available a range of supports to goat farming.

Support is available for organic goat farming under the Organic Farming Scheme under the RDP which is an area based payment. We also have a 100% exchequer funded investment scheme for organic processors which would also include goat farming enterprises.

Goat farming enterprises are also supported under the Organic Capital Investment Scheme which comes under the umbrella of TAMS II.

Support is additionally available under the Animal Welfare Scheme of TAMS II for goat housing and under the Dairy Equipment Scheme of TAMS II for milking equipment  for goats.

Furthermore goats are eligible for stocking density purposes under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.

My Department also provides funding to Teagasc who provide dedicated advice to goat producers throughout Ireland on a range of technical and management matters.

Funding to support the goat sector like all farming sectors is reviewed on an ongoing basis.