Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1326. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37932/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted an application to join the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) 2015-2020 on 18 May 2015.

The BDGP was approved as part of Ireland's Rural Development Programme under article 28 of EU Regulation 1305/2013. Under that approval, and the Terms and Conditions governing the BDGP, the reference year was set as 2014. However, in certain limited circumstances, where 2014 was not a typical year e.g. animal disease, participants could request to use 2015 as an alternative reference year.

Having examined the number of suckler cows in the herd between 2011 and 2014, the number of suckler cows did not exceed 4 and so while the number of cows in the herd may have increased recently there is no basis on which the reference year can be changed.