John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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296. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if ‘force majeure’ will be accepted in respect of the submission of late sheep census from a farmer in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54262/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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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). As part of the eligibility requirements applicants are required to submit a Sheep Census return within the specified time-frame for each year during the lifetime of the scheme with Breeding Ewes declared on it.

Following administrative checks by my Department's Sheep Section, it was established that the herd number provided had not submitted a Sheep Census return for any of the years since joining the Sheep Improvement Scheme in January 2023.

Applicants who do not submit a Sheep Census return declaring Breeding Ewes in a scheme year are deemed ineligible for that year of the scheme as per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. Accordingly the farmer was removed from the Sheep Improvement Scheme and a letter to that effect issued to the farmer on 8th July 2025. To date no request for review regarding the applicant’s removal from the Sheep Improvement Scheme has been received by the Sheep Scheme section of my Department. If the farmer concerned wishes to seek a review of the decision to remove them from the Sheep Improvement Scheme, they may do so by submitting a request for a review in writing, enclosing any current relevant evidence or supporting documentation they consider relevant to the matter. Review requests can be sent to Sheep Improvement Scheme, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Government Offices, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, R32 RPA6.