Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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496. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the payments made by his Department for the beef data genomic scheme nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42276/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Beef Data & Genomics Programme (BDGP) was introduced in 2015 to build on and expand breeding data gathered under the Beef Data Programme (2013 & 2014) and Beef Genomics Scheme (2014). BDGP is approved under article 28 of Regulation 1305/2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The Programme runs for 6 years from 2015 - 2020.

The objectives of the BDGP are:

- To help lower the intensity of Greenhouse Gas emissions by improving the quality and efficiency of the national beef herd.

- To improve the genetic merit of the national beef herd through the collection of data and genotypes of selected animals which will allow for the application of genomic selection in the beef herd.

Payments under The Beef Data and Genomics Programme for the Programme years 2015 & 2016 have commenced in December 2015 and December 2016 respectively with payments continuing to issue as applicants become compliant.

The BDGP re-launched earlier this year running from 2017 - 2022 with payments for both tranches scheduled to commence in December 2017.

The information requested by the Deputy is outlined below: