Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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306. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there was no new support measures provided to suckler beef farmers in Budget 2022. [51451/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to have secured over €1.8 billion of funding for the Department in Budget 2022 for the overall sector. This is in addition to almost €1.2 billion in EU funded direct payments received annually to support farm incomes and reward good agricultural and environmental practices.

Farmers can have confidence that this budget protects farm family income and supports action to improve safety and sustainability on farms. I have succeeded in maintaining all of the crucial farm schemes and the budget provision will also allow us to provide additional funding for a number of policy priorities.

More than €100 million will be provided in targeted supports for the beef and sheep sectors including BDGP, BEEP-S, Sheep Welfare Scheme and Dairy Calf Programme.

Other relevant measures include:

- €4m for the establishment of the Office of the Food Ombudsman

- €80m for on farm investments through TAMS including specific supports for solar energy installation

- A tax package that protects the stamp duty relief for young, trained farmers, and stock relief.

- An additional €2m to support farm safety initiatives

Within the 2022 provision some €872 million allows key Rural Development Programme and forestry supports to remain available through the transitional period between the two CAP programmes. This provides the budget to extend, or rollover, existing RDP schemes from 2021 including the ANC at €250m and also the BDGP and Sheep Welfare Scheme which I have already referenced. These schemes are vital income supports for farmers and provide a measurable public good.

I have worked closely with my colleague Minister McGrath to finalise a financial package for the new CAP that will support the agri -food sector and rural communities in the period from 2023 to 2027

In a time of transition, farmers can have confidence that this budget protects farm family income and supports action to improve safety and sustainability on farms.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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307. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there was no new support measures provided to sheep farmers in Budget 2022. [51452/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to have delivered over €1.8 billion of funding in Budget 2022 for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the overall sector. This is in addition to almost €1.2 billion in EU-funded direct payments received annually to support farm incomes and reward good agricultural and environmental practices

More than €100 million of this will be in targeted supports for the beef and sheep sectors including BDGP, BEEP-S, Sheep Welfare Scheme and Dairy Calf Programme

Other relevant measures include:

- €4m for the establishment of the Office of the Food Ombudsman

- €80m for on farm investments through TAMS including specific supports for solar energy installation

- A tax package that protects the stamp duty relief for young, trained farmers, and stock relief.

- An additional €2m to support farm safety initiatives

Specifically, in relation to the Sheep sector, the Sheep Welfare Scheme was introduced in December 2016 as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, having been agreed with the European Commission. In the four years of the scheme to date, €66.9 million has been paid to 18,268 farmers.

Currently, I am working closely with my colleague Minister McGrath to finalise a financial package for the new CAP that will support the Agri -food sector and rural communities, including the sheep sector, in the period from 2023 to 2028. I hope to make a further announcement with regard to this shortly.

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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308. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there was no new support measures provided to farmers with land in areas of natural constraint in Budget 2022. [51453/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In a time of transition, farmers can have confidence that Budget 2022 protects farm families, farm profitability as well as safety and sustainability on farms,  This is the second year of transition between the old CAP and the new. My key priority has been to provide confidence to farmers and their families that their payments would be protected during the transition period.  We have succeeded in maintaining all of the  crucial farm schemes and the  budget provision will also allow us to provide additional funding for a number of policy priorities 

Budget 2022 provides a gross Vote of €1.858 billion for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Within the 2022 provision, some €872 million allows key Rural Development Programme and forestry supports to remain available through the transitional period between the two CAP programmes.  This provides the budget to extend, or rollover, existing RDP schemes from 2021, including the ANC Scheme (€250m).  

These schemes are vital income supports for farmers and provide a measurable public good. The current co-financing rate will remain for RDP measures during the CAP transition period.