Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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2159. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to expedite the overdue compensation payments for a person (details supplied) for loss of livestock due to TB infection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41333/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am informed that the herdowner's local Regional Veterinary Office is waiting for a number of items of paperwork - the ER64 Cleansing and Disinfection Form, a receipt for disinfectant, the original factory docket and the factory permit. Staff from the Regional Veterinary Office spoke with the herdowner on 17 July to confirm what is outstanding. Once the required documentation is received compensation payments will be processed.

There are a range of financial supports my Department provides that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on the farm.

The On Farm Market Valuation Scheme is the principal compensation measure available to herd-owners whose herds are affected by a bovine TB breakdown in their herd. The Scheme aims to compensate farmers up to the open market value of an animal as if they were not affected by disease, subject to ceilings. An independent Valuer is chosen by the farmer to value their reactors.

The Income Supplement Scheme is a targeted scheme which assists farmers who lose 9.5% or more of their herd to disease due to a single TB breakdown. Income supplement is only payable in cases where the 9.5% threshold is met in one continuous restriction period and where full depopulation is not deemed an appropriate measure.

The Hardship Grant is a targeted scheme aimed at assisting eligible herd-owners who retain and feed animals during prolonged periods of restriction as a result of a TB breakdown and that have more animals than the same period in the previous year. The scheme runs each year for herds restricted between November 1st and April 30th.

Depopulation Grant is paid for each animal removed in the depopulation measure and for those herds that are partial or fully depopulated on foot of a veterinary decision made on analysis of the overall TB disease situation within a herd.