Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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182. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers participating in the sheep improvement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55570/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector and builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), which has now come to an end.

The first year of this 5-year scheme will run from the 1st February 2023 to the 31st of December 2023. With effect from Year 2 of the scheme, the scheme year will run from the 1st of January to the 31st of December annually.

The scheme closed to applicants on 9th January 2023. The number of farmers currently participating in year 1 of the scheme is 18,523. Advance payments commenced to all eligible applicants from 20th November 2023. Payments will continue to issue as applicants meet scheme requirements.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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183. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 432 of 5 December 2023, if he will provide a county-by-county breakdown of the advance payments issued under the sheep improvement scheme, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55571/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Sheep Improvement Scheme is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector and builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS), which has now come to an end.

The Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) complements some of the elements provided for in the Sheep Welfare Scheme, by providing increased support, while also building on other actions beneficial to sheep health and welfare, including the targeted application of genomic technologies in the sheep sector.

The number of farmers that have been paid the advance payment for the SIS nationally is 16,847. Payments will continue to issue as applicants meet the scheme requirements. Balancing payments are planned to issue in May 2024. Below is the numbers of farmers and amounts paid the SIS advance payment per county.