Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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579. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the national beef welfare scheme 2024 will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29499/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that a new support scheme for the suckler sector will open on schedule in early August. I secured an additional €20m in the budget for 2024 for this scheme and when taken together with the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), this will once again deliver on my commitment to deliver €200 per cow to suckler farmers.

The focus of the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS) will be on practical measures to enhance animal health on suckler farms. The scheme will consist of two measures aimed at improving on-farm efficiency: specifically, a mandatory meal feeding action and an optional vaccination action.

The 2024 BWS will support farmers in meal feeding suckler calves before and after weaning, and in vaccinating against clostridial diseases and calf pneumonia. While the meal feeding action is mandatory for scheme participants, farmers must indicate that they are selecting the optional vaccination action at application stage if they wish to be considered for payment under this action. Farmers can then decide during the implementation phase, where appropriate in consultation with their veterinarian, which disease they wish to target depending on the health status of their herds.

This scheme is worth €20 million in additional income to suckler farmers. When coupled with the SCEP, participants in the BWS will be eligible for €200 per cow/calf pair.