Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 December 2021
219. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the livestock schemes proposed in the CAP Strategic Plan that will require Bord Bia Quality Assurance membership; the ones that will not; the justification for inclusion and not inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59284/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMembership of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef Quality Assurance Scheme is an eligibility condition of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme and the Dairy Beef Calf Welfare Scheme as part of Ireland's draft CAP strategic plan. The full details of the draft CAP strategic plan are available on the Department's website.
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme is an environmental scheme and a core metric underpinning it is the measurement and tracking of the carbon footprint for each participant farm. The sustainability survey in the SBLAS audit provides a carbon footprint using an established model.
It is imperative that the scheme includes strong and measurable environmental actions which will further drive the environmental efficiency of suckler beef farming, as well as contributing to the sector's efficiency and competitiveness and supporting farm incomes.
In the case of the Dairy Beef Calf Welfare scheme, the inclusion of the QAS eligibility requirement strengthens the welfare credentials of the scheme. Ireland’s draft SWOT Analysis and the Commission’s recommendations for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan both identify the need to improve the welfare of male dairy calves, while also noting that actions are needed to improve the viability of male calves from the dairy herd in locally based production systems.
QAS membership is not an eligibility requirement for the proposed Sheep Improvement Scheme because it is not considered integral to the aims of the scheme.
The Deputy will be aware that the costs associated with SBLAS audits are funded directly by my Department rather than by the participating beef and sheep farmers.
