The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConaloge has indicated that the payment rate of €12 per breeding ewe in the oncoming Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) will not be changed.
The minister was speaking in response to a parliamentary question from Laois Offaly TD Carol Nolan, who asked if he would consider raising the payment rate to €30/ewe.
Minister McConalogue did not explicitly rule out such a change but stated:
“The [SIS] programme has an annual budget of €20 million and is designed, in consultation with sector stakeholders, to facilitate young farmers and new entrants to sheep farming.”
The minister also referred to other supports in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that will support sheep farmers, such as the inclusion of the sheep sector in the list of organisations eligible for early-stage producer support.
The agriculture minister said:
“Administrative support of up to €33,000 provides for collective bargaining on output prices, thereby strengthening their position in the supply chain.
“I continue to monitor market developments for all farming sectors and all potential avenues and funding mechanisms will be explored to meet the strategic objectives for the sheep sector for 2023 and beyond as set out in our Food Vision 2030 strategy.”
Deputy Nolan said that she has engaged with farming organisations on the issue and stated that the sheep sector needs more support following the lack of it offered to “low-income sheep farmers” in Budget 2023. She said:
“I am deeply disappointed that Minister McConalogue failed to give any consideration to increasing the payment for breeding ewes.
“Particularly as there was a very clear consensus among the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) and the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) that the rate should increase to at least €30.”
The deputy urged the agriculture minister to revisit the case being put forward, which she said “reflects the level of support needed by the sector if it is to survive in the years ahead”.
“In his reply to me, the minister referred to the fact that the scheme is designed, in consultation with sector stakeholders. If he really believes that, then he must re-engage and reassess his decision not to increase the rate of payment,” she concluded.