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 previous Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS).

My Department issued the first advance payments at a rate of 85% under the Sheep Improvement Scheme in November 2023. A further advance payment payrun issued in December 2023.

An additional advance payment payrun was processed last week to include 114 applicants that have recently been processed and cleared for payment and this payment should reach applicants bank accounts this week. Payments will continue to issue as applicants meet the scheme requirements. The number of farmers that have been paid an advance payment for the Sheep Improvement Scheme currently stands at 16,938.

Balancing payments are due to commence in late May 2024.

There are a total of 1,433 participants who have yet to receive an advance payment. However some of these will never generate a payment for a variety of reasons i.e. no sheep census submitted, no BISS submitted etc. Processing of these files including appeals of same is continuing.