Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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27. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider devising a new compensatory scheme for suckler beef farmers who have tuberculosis reactors in their herd. [60767/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the work of the TB Forum, a dedicated Financial Working Group comprising representatives from my Department and the farming organisations has been set up to review the current financial model of the TB programme, which includes compensation schemes and includes all types of bovine herds.

Recommendations from the Finance Working Group will be submitted to the TB Forum for consideration. We await the outcome of these discussions which are currently under way.

The comprehensive financial supports currently available to farmers who experience a TB breakdown include

The On Farm Market Valuation Scheme which compensates eligible herd-owners up to the market value an individual animal would have attained on the open market - this is the main compensation provision. The valuations are carried out by independent valuers informed by "Summary Market Prices" which reflect the most up to date market values for various categories.

In addition, there are further supplementary schemes that eligible herdowners can avail of -

Income Supplement is payable in cases where disease breakdown results in the removal of more than10% of animals in a herd in the relevant restriction period. Dairy herds become eligible where at least10% of the dairy cows are removed as reactors.

Hardship Grants are awarded to eligible herds to alleviate the additional feed costs incurred by farmers whose holdings are restricted on foot of a herd retest during the period 1 November to 30 April and where animals are retained and fed during periods of restriction.

Depopulation Grants may be paid to eligible herdowners whose herds are depopulated (totally or partially). Grants are paid for each animal removed in the depopulation measure and for those removed as reactors since the holding was restricted, on condition that the Herdowner agrees to the depopulation at the time specified by the Department.