Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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386. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional annual increase in Exchequer funding needed for the sheep welfare scheme to attain compensation at amounts per ewe per number of applications received (details supplied) based on current participation rates and scheme criteria, in tabular form. [51235/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The total number of ewes applied for on eligible applications received under the Sheep Welfare Scheme is 1,941,870.

It is not possible to simply increase the rate per ewe because all the actions under the scheme are based on costings which have been agreed with the EU Commission. Thus any increase in the  rate would have to be based on changes or additions to the current actions under the scheme. Any change here may well lead to a change in the number of applications and/or the number of ewes in the scheme.

In addition, any change to a scheme funded under the Rural Development Programme requires a formal amendment to the Programme with the approval of the EU Commission.  

Bearing all of the above in mind, the information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table.