Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2024
839. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of participants, the total number of eligible suckler cows for which payments are made and the average herd size under the suckler carbon efficiency programme in each of the years 2023 and 2024. [44456/24]
View answerThe Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd.
Payments in SCEP are calculated on the number of eligible forage hectares submitted by an active participant on their Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application, subject to their maximum payable area (MPA). A participants MPA is derived from their yearly reference number divided by 1.5. For example, a farmer with a yearly reference number of 21 would have an MPA of 14 hectares (21 /1.5).
The total MPA on which payments were made in respect of Scheme Year 1 (01 July 2022 to 30 June 2023) was circa 236,102 eligible forage hectares which equates to supports being provided to some 354,153 suckler cows to 16,997 SCEP participants, with an average herd size of 21 cows.
Payments for scheme year 2 (01 July 2023 to 30 June 2024) will commence in December 2024.
