Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018
501. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the reducing number of lambs in scanned ewes resulting in a drop in sheep farmers' incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4451/18]
View answerThe Sheep sector makes a very important contribution to the Irish agri-food sector with the value of exports increasing by 12% to €274 million in 2017 from 2016. It is also encouraging to see the continued growth in the national flock over the last number of years with results of the 2016 Census showing the national flock at its highest level since 2005.
In recognising the both the impact the sheep sector has on the wider rural economy and also the continued need for ongoing development supports to the sector in January 2017 I opened the Sheep Welfare Scheme for applications, which provided funding of some €25 million for sheep farmers with breeding flocks.
The scheme provides for additional funds along with the existing supports available to sheep farmers under the BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS schemes, and is making an important contribution to ensuring the continuing viability and health and welfare, of the sheep sector in Ireland. The scheme provides support of €10 per ewe to farmers for undertaking actions which make a positive contribution to flock welfare.
In designing the scheme, I was aware of the different challenges facing sheep farmers in which different areas of sheep farming are carried out in Ireland including the differences faced by hill and lowland flocks. I believe that this scheme provides a lasting benefit to sheep farming and makes an important contribution to the profitability and general health and welfare of the national flock through providing supports for a range of actions including scanning which will allow farmers to manage their flocks in late pregnancy in accordance with litter size. Sheep farmers throughout Ireland are scanning flocks at this time of year and whilst anecdotal reports of variable scanning results have been reported, a better picture will emerge when all flocks including hill flocks that carry out scanning have completed scanning for their 2018 lamb crop.
