Vol. 478 No. 3
127 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, he has taken with the EU Commission and the Council of Agriculture Ministers to seek payment of extensification premia on sheep; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11021/97]
In the context of a review of the EU sheepmeat quota regime in 1996, I proposed to the EU Commission that the opportunity should be availed of to examine the wider aspects of the sheepmeat regime. As part of my submission to the Commission I raised the question of the payment of an extensification premium on sheep. The Commission replied that sheep production was deemed to be an extensive farming system and that such a premium would be extremely costly. However, under the REPS programme there are very generous levels of aid available to producers who may have to reduce their flock size for environmental reasons.
I am continuing to pursue this issue. However, it should be recognised that the matter is being considered against a background of record prices prevailing for most of the year for sheepmeat and concern about the cost of the sheepmeat regime.
