Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1138. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided to the BVD eradication scheme in each of the years 2012 to 2017. [54474/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The National Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Eradication Programme is an industry- led programme delivered by Animal Health Ireland (AHI). A BVD Implementation Group (BVD IG) was formed in 2011 to take forward the planning and delivery of this programme. This group is comprised of Animal Health Ireland personnel, Veterinary Ireland nominees, farmer representatives and representatives of my Department.

My Department provides financial supports to farmers for the early removal of PI (persistently infected) calves within agreed timeframes under the national (BVD) Eradication Programme. The programme commenced with a voluntary year in 2012 and became compulsory on 1 January 2013. The total amount paid to farmers from 2012 to date amounted to €698,112, payments are generally made in respect of animals born and disposed of in the previous year. Payments issued in 2016 were in respect of animals born in both 2014 and 2015. The breakdown of payments by calendar year is as follows:

BVD Financial Supports 2012 - €11,400.00

BVD Financial Supports 2013 - €32,097.00

BVD Financial Supports 2014 - €84,047.00

BVD Financial Supports 2015 - €500.00

BVD Financial Supports 2016 - €344,888.00

BVD Financial Supports 2017 - €225,180.00

In addition, during the initial voluntary phase of the BVD Eradication Programme my Department also provided a direct payment to animal collectors towards the cost of disposal of P.I. calves at €15 per animal which amounted to €65,988.00.