Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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479. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the operation of the sheep welfare scheme; the amount spent in 2017; the projected spend in 2018; and the amount of the scheme funded by the EU. [7163/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In December 2016 I introduced The Sheep Welfare Scheme to contribute to  the continuing viability and sustainability of the sheep sector in Ireland. The Scheme is funded through the Rural Development Programme (RDP)  2014 - 2020 and  it complements the range of other RDP supports available to sheep farmers under schemes such as GLAS, TAMS, Knowledge Transfer and the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme. The EU cofunding element is set out in the RDP at a rate of 53%.

Advance payments in the amount of €16 million under Year 1 of the Sheep Welfare Scheme issued in 2017. This is the total amount of expenditure under the Scheme in the calendar year 2017. Balancing payments in respect of Year 1 of the Scheme will issue in 2018. In 2018, the advance payment for Year 2 of the Scheme is also scheduled for payment. This will give rise to a total expenditure of approximately €19m in the calendar year 2018.