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Tuesday, 12 May 2026

Written Answers Nos. 873-892

Animal Sales

Ceisteanna (873)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

873. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views regarding the restricted sales of cattle under the new TB Action Plan (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34290/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The aim of the Bovine TB Action Plan, which launched last September, is to reset the TB programme by putting in place measures necessary to tackle the current disease situation.

There has been encouraging progress in recent months in reducing bTB levels. This reduction in bTB nationally is due to the combined efforts of all stakeholders in supporting farmers in reducing the risk of bTB in their herds. I am confident that the changes I have introduced will help drive down disease levels further.

Cull cows can continue to be sold through marts. In respect of all beef breed cows, where they have been tested in the last 6 months and the seller herd has also been tested in the last 6 months, or alternatively they are within a 30 day test, they can be purchased by any farmer. A dairy breed cow that does not have a 30 day pre-movement test but has been  tested in the last 6 months and the seller herd has also been tested in the last 6 months can be purchased by a drystock (i.e. non breeding) farm but can only be sold or moved onwards by the buyer direct to slaughter.

In respect of cows where they have not been tested in the last 6 months and the seller herd has also not been tested in the last 6 months, but are within a 12 month test, can continue to be sold through marts but may only be purchased by a Controlled Finishing Unit (CFU).

These changes strike a balance between targeting the cohort of animals that have the highest disease risk and ensuring a competitive market place continues for these animals.

The online sale of cattle from bTB restricted herds to Controlled Finishing Units (CFUs) is where the cattle are recorded on farm and the sale is held online via the mart to CFUs only; in the event of an agreed sale the animal moves directly from farm to CFU. This type of sales is for farmers who are affected by a bTB restriction. This policy will provide competition in the market for cull cows from restricted herds where there is currently no facility to market these cows in a public sale and to allow a better price to be achieved by the farmer. These animals continue to be allowed move direct to slaughter if the farmer chooses.

My Department continues to keep the policy regarding the movement of animals and bTB risk mitigation under review.

Employment Rights

Ceisteanna (874)

Barry Ward

Ceist:

874. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any mechanism in place within his Department that allows for civil servants to transfer on secondment to an equivalent role within the European Union, without negatively impacting their pension and other employment rights; his views on the merits of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34415/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department supports the Government initiatives to increase Irish representation in the European Union's institutions and agencies to ensure Ireland maintains its influence within the EU’s institutions for years to come.

From time to time, my Department considers assigning staff to Seconded National Expert (SNE) positions. EU institutions and agencies recruit SNEs whenever they need staff with the unique skills that SNEs offer: technical, security, legal, financial expertise, among many others.  Secondments are typically one to four years in duration.

In selecting SNE posts, my Department must strike a balance between filling these posts and the need to retain key expertise within the Department for ongoing responsibilities. The roles of any SNEs that are approved to be filled are linked to priorities, such as the Common Agriculture Policy, and ensure policy coherence between EU environmental objectives and funding of agriculture and forestry.

My Department also avails of the bi-annual National Experts in Professional Training Scheme (NEPTS) which provides the opportunity to work in the European Commission for limited periods of three to five months. The skills and experiences acquired by Irish officials during their traineeship benefit my Department and facilitate greater understanding of the functioning of European institutions. Participation in this programme is in line with Government’s overall EU engagement strategy.

Officers who avail of these seconded positions remain employed by their parent department for the duration of their postings. Consequently, they retain their employment rights such as pay and pension entitlements, and are not negatively impacted by these arrangements.

Departmental Communications

Ceisteanna (875)

Roderic O'Gorman

Ceist:

875. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the details of meetings he, or a Minister of State, has had with representatives of Fingal County Council in the past three years at which the issue of parking at Howth Harbour was discussed. [34572/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department owns, operates, and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs) under statute at Killybegs, Howth, Castletownbere, Ros an Mhíl, Dingle and Dunmore East. My Department does not operate a paid parking scheme within the boundary of Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.

Neither Minister Heydon or I attended any meetings with Fingal County Council on the matter of parking at Howth Harbour. I am aware that senior officials from my Department have discussed this matter with Fingal County Council in general terms in recent years and have kept me informed of developments. I understand that Fingal County Council are currently running a consultation on paid parking in the area and my Department will be making a submission. The car park on Howth Road under the remit of my Department will not be included in the paid parking scheme.

Wildlife Conservation

Ceisteanna (876, 877, 878, 879, 880, 881)

Barry Ward

Ceist:

876. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any engagement he has had with an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34673/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Ward

Ceist:

877. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any State funding to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34674/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Ward

Ceist:

878. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the existing level of support to an organisation (details supplied) is sufficient; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34675/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Ward

Ceist:

879. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any work ongoing within his Department that seeks to support an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34676/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Ward

Ceist:

880. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the merits of progressing the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34677/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Barry Ward

Ceist:

881. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding any assessment carried out by his Department of the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021 with a view to progressing the substantive aims of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34678/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 876, 877, 878, 879, 880 and 881 together.

The Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021, which seeks to ban the importation of non-native honey bees, is a Private Members Bill and is currently before Dáil Éireann, Second Stage.

Following advice from the Office of the Attorney General, my Department procured independent scientific evidence and in October 2023, a 12 month contract was signed with the National University of Ireland, Galway for the provision of research services on the native Irish honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera).

The research work concluded in December 2024, and the research report was subsequently evaluated by an external expert. Following the completion of the evaluation, the research service provider was afforded the opportunity to respond to the evaluator’s comments and these comments were received in September 2025. My Department is currently finalising the overall response to the report and this is expected to conclude shortly.

My Department is very supportive of beekeepers and beekeeping associations including the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS). The Annual Grants to Irish National Beekeepers Federations which is Exchequer funded provides an annual grant to the four Irish National Beekeepers Federations which includes NIHBS. In 2025, the four national beekeeping federations received a total of €25,500 through this measure for initiatives, including the conservation of the native Irish honey bee.

The NIHBS also received funding in 2021 and 2024 under my Department's Conservation of Plant and Animal Genetic Resources Scheme for projects related to the conservation of the native Irish honey bee and their application under the 2026 Scheme has been approved.

My Department also supports Irish beekeeping through the provision of grant aid for capital investments by individual beekeepers in specialised beekeeping related equipment and structures.

In addition, €121,000 was paid out under the National Apiculture Programme (NAP) in 2025 to support beekeeping through an approved applied research project.

Question No. 877 answered with Question No. 876.
Question No. 878 answered with Question No. 876.
Question No. 879 answered with Question No. 876.
Question No. 880 answered with Question No. 876.
Question No. 881 answered with Question No. 876.

Departmental Projects

Ceisteanna (882)

John Paul O'Shea

Ceist:

882. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of all capital projects including fishery harbour, forestry, agri-food and other infrastructure projects delivered under the remit of his Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time and within budget in Cork North West in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34739/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I wish to inform the Deputy that there have been no capital projects, delivered under the remit of my Department in Cork North West, in the past five years.

As regards the 13 State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.

Wildlife Conservation

Ceisteanna (883)

Ruth Coppinger

Ceist:

883. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the Native Irish Honeybee Bill 2021; to provide a timeline for the Bill to be voted on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34752/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Protection of the Native Irish Honey Bee Bill 2021, which seeks to ban the importation of non-native honey bees, is a Private Members Bill and is currently before Dáil Éireann, Second Stage.

As this is a Private Member's Bill, the timeline for its progress does not rest with Government.

Departmental Correspondence

Ceisteanna (884)

John McGuinness

Ceist:

884. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the reason applications (details supplied) were not successful; if the outcome can be reversed as the applicant has invested heavily in the preparatory works for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34755/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person named submitted an application under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) 3 in Tranche 10.

The person named did not reach the required mark under the ranking and selection for this tranche and will automatically be included for assessment in the next tranche. The assessment of those applications will be considered later this month and the applicant will be notified of the outcome.

TAMS 3 is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. Given that we are now over halfway through the current CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), it is prudent that we are mindful of the budget available for the remaining TAMS tranches.

In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CSP, it has been necessary to limit the number of approved applications in recent tranches by applying ranking and selection. Ranking and Selection (RASS) must be carried out on all eligible applications at a specific time to allow the assessment of all eligible applications received during the tranche period against the available tranche budget. This will be kept under ongoing review for the remainder of the CSP period.

Animal Culls

Ceisteanna (885)

Roderic O'Gorman

Ceist:

885. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline any scientific evidence his Department is in receipt of that suggests badgers contribute to the spread of bovine TB, noting that publicly available research (details supplied), does not appear to support this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34813/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a challenging disease to control and eradicate due to several factors. Ireland's bovine TB Eradication Programme operates in line with best national and international scientific research and advice. A large body of peer-reviewed research has been conducted into the spread of TB in Ireland and the risks underlying its transmission. This research has found that the principal causes of TB introduction and spread include:

• Movement of cattle with undetected infection.

• Residual infection in cattle previously exposed to TB.

• Spread across farm boundaries.

• Indirect spread through other biosecurity breaches, and/or

• Spread from infected badgers to cattle.

The relative contribution of each of these factors will vary from farm to farm. There is a wide variety of measures needed to reduce the levels of bovine TB which include reducing the risk of introducing infection to a herd from purchased or moved in cattle, reduce the risk of introduction to cattle from wildlife through measures such as fencing off badger setts and removing high risk animals such as those that have tested inconclusive previously or have been present at a breakdown previously over time, and curtailing the movement of high risk animals from high risk herds as set out in the TB action plan.

Ireland’s current TB Eradication Programme necessarily incorporates a wildlife strategy which includes the removal of badgers from areas where there has been a TB outbreak. Such a requirement arises as tuberculosis is present both in cattle and in badgers and both species share the same environment, and the same strains of TB. The current policy was introduced in response to research conducted over many years by my Department.

Supported by scientific research, the current bovine TB eradication strategy includes a combination of badger culling and vaccination depending on the circumstances.  Badger vaccination is a key part of the Irish TB Eradication Programme. This follows over 15 years of research work using BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis infection in badgers, and scientific trials carried out between 2013 and 2017 that show that vaccination is no less effective than culling. 

The evidence to support badger vaccination within the TB eradication scheme is being added to on an ongoing basis as additional research is published in peer reviewed scientific journals.  My Department collaborated with University College Dublin and the University of Waginengen to validate the efficacy of vaccination in the field and to model where higher risks exist at a local farm level which will support better targeting of TB controls in future years.  

My Department provides advice to farmers on how to reduce the risk of TB from wildlife which can be accessed at: [www.bovinetb.ie]

The Scientific Working Group of the TB Forum, which consists of scientific experts in the field, were asked to consider the sources of bovine TB in Ireland, including the role of badgers. Their detailed scientific report is available at the following link: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/sources-of-transmission-of-tb-for-cattle.pdf. Among their conclusions is the statement "There is strong evidence that badger-to-cattle transmission pathways contributes to TB in Ireland".

The main scientific veterinary publications underpinning this policy are listed below.

• Efficacy of badger culling

Badgers were first identified as being susceptible to infection with Mycobacterium bovis (M.bovis), the bacterium that causes bovine tuberculosis (bTB), during the 1970s.  My Department funded research which concluded that badgers were likely to have been involved in the recycling of bTB in cattle and concluded that eradication of bTB from the national herd would not be feasible until TB in badgers was addressed and controlled.

Eves, J.A., 1993. The East Offaly Badger Research project: an interim report. The Badger. In: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, pp. 166–173.

Eves, J.A., 1999. Impact of badger removal on bovine tuberculosis in east County Offaly. Ir. Vet. J. 52, 199–203 

O’Mairtin, D., Williams, D.H., Griffin, J.M., Dolan, L.A., Eves, J.A., 1998. The effect of a badger removal programme on the incidence of tuberculosis in an Irish cattle population. Prev. Vet. Med. 34, 47–56.  

O’Mairtin, D., Williams, D.H., Dolan, L., Eves, J.A., Collins, J.D., 1998. The influence of selected herd factors and a badger-intervention tuberculosis-control programme on the risk of a herd-level trade restriction to a bovine population in Ireland. Prev. Vet. Med. 35, 79–90. 

Griffin et al Griffin, J.M., More, S.J., Clegg, T.A., Collins, J.D., O’Boyle, I., Williams, D.H., Kelly, G.E., Costello, E., Sleeman, D.P., O’Shea, F., Duggan, M., Murphy, J., Lavin, D.P.T., 2005. Tuberculosis in cattle: the results of the four-area project. Irish Veterinary Journal 58, 629-636.   

Griffin, J.M., Williams, D.H., Kelly, G.E., Clegg, T.A., O’Boyle, I., Collins, J.D., More, S.J., 2005. The impact of badger removal on the control of tuberculosis in cattle herds in Ireland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 67, 237-266.  

• Efficacy of badger vaccination

A field trial over 755 Km2 in Co. Kilkenny using the BCG vaccine and a blind placebo demonstrated that badger vaccination, with an efficacy of 60%, could lower the R value (reproductive ratio) of badger to badger TB spread from 1.22 to 0.5 

Gormley, E., Ní Bhuachalla, D., O’Keeffe, J., Murphy, D., Aldwell, F.E., Fitzsimons, T., Stanley, P., Tratalos, J.A., McGrath, G., Fogarty, N., Kenny, K., More, S.J., Messam, L.McV., Corner, L.A.L., 2017. Oral vaccination of free-living badgers (Meles meles) with bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine confers protection against tuberculosis. 

Aznar, I., Frankena, K., More, S.J., O’Keeffe, J., McGrath, G., de Jong, M.C.M., 2018. Quantification of Mycobacterium bovis transmission in a badger vaccine field trial. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 149, 29-37

• Vaccination as a replacement for culling 

The Non-Inferiority Trial was established in seven areas of the country over seven years, finishing in 2017.  With the efficacy of BCG vaccination in reducing the spread of Mycobacterium Bovis between badgers proven in the Kilkenny trial, this trial sought to examine if vaccinating badgers would keep spread to cattle suppressed.  A large part of a county was subject to badger vaccination and was compared to culling badgers (in response to TB breakdowns) in another similarly sized part of the county.  While TB increased in some of the trial areas, the overall result of the trial was that badger vaccination was not inferior to badger culling in terms of spread to cattle.

Martin, S.W., O’Keeffe, J., Byrne, A.W., Rosen, L.E., White, P.W., McGrath, G., 2020. Is moving from targeted culling to BCG-vaccination of badgers (Meles meles) associated with an unacceptable increased incidence of cattle herd tuberculosis in the Republic of Ireland? A practical non-inferiority wildlife intervention study in the Republic of Ireland (2011-2017). Preventive Veterinary Medicine 179.

Animal Culls

Ceisteanna (886)

Roderic O'Gorman

Ceist:

886. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that over 80% of badgers destroyed as part of the TB eradication scheme tested negative for TB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34814/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The information requested by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy when it is available.

Animal Culls

Ceisteanna (887)

Roderic O'Gorman

Ceist:

887. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined whether the practice of badger culling is at variance with the species’ protections under the Wildlife Act 1976; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34815/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Badgers are susceptible to the bovine TB organism, causing disease in badgers, passing disease throughout badger populations and between badgers and cattle. The role of badgers in the epidemiology of tuberculosis in the bovine herd is now incontrovertible.

Ensuring a healthy badger population through the removal of badgers in areas of high levels of TB as well as the vaccination of badgers in areas where it is appropriate to do so, is necessary both for the control of bovine TB and the health of the badger population and rural ecosystem.

Badgers are protected by national legislation and are listed within the Berne Convention. The legislation stipulates that local populations cannot be exterminated and that badger habitats (setts) cannot be destroyed.  The capture of badgers is done only under licence, issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage. 

Animal Culls

Ceisteanna (888)

Roderic O'Gorman

Ceist:

888. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department imposes any restrictions on the culling of badgers during the breeding season from January to March; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34816/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Ireland’s bTB Eradication Programme incorporates a wildlife strategy which includes the removal of badgers from areas where there has been a TB outbreak. The current bovine TB eradication strategy includes a combination of badger culling and vaccination throughout the year.

The current policy is to vaccinate badgers to prevent disease outbreaks and to cull badgers where necessary in response to outbreaks in areas where epidemiological investigations have demonstrated the link between badgers and TB breakdowns on cattle farms. Areas where badger culling may previously have taken place are being incorporated into the badger vaccination programme on an ongoing basis but only when any underlying disease spread to cattle from wildlife has been suppressed. 

During the badger breeding season from 1st February to 31st March each year, culling is not carried out at any main setts in areas newly added to the licenced badger capture areas.

Teagasc Activities

Ceisteanna (889)

Paul Lawless

Ceist:

889. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1417 of 4 November 2025, and the subsequent direct response issued by Teagasc confirming that errors in the reporting of the lambing difficulty score scale occurred in two Teagasc led peer reviewed publications and were corrected by erratum or corrigendum, if he will confirm whether either his Department or Teagasc has examined whether the same or similar error has occurred in any other Teagasc research papers, technical publications, advisory articles, or conference proceedings on sheep breeding, either before or after the identification of these errors; if such a review has been carried out, to list the publications and events examined, the outcome of that review, and any further errata or corrections issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34880/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I am advised that my Department has not conducted a review of the matters raised by the Deputy. As these are operational matters for Teagasc to consider, the question has been referred to the body for consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.

Teagasc Activities

Ceisteanna (890)

Paul Lawless

Ceist:

890. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will request Teagasc, and where appropriate the Central Statistics Office, to provide the annual average number of lambs weaned per ewe in the national mid season lowland sheep flock for each year from 2000 to the most recent year available, as reported in Teagasc National Farm Survey sheep reports or equivalent publications; the total number of lowland breeding ewes in the national flock for each year from 2000 to the most recent year available, distinguishing, where possible, between lowland and hill ewes; the monthly number of lambs slaughtered in Ireland, separately identified from adult sheep where data allow, or alternatively a seasonal or quarterly breakdown, for each year from 2008 to the most recent year available, as recorded in the CSO livestock slaughtering series, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34881/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The question is addressed under three headings by reference to various datasets which are publicly available and accessible online for downloading and further analysis.

Lambs per lowland ewe

Data regarding the annual average number of lambs weaned per ewe in the national mid-season lowland sheep flock can be sourced from the Teagasc NFS Farm Enterprise Dashboards (dated October 2025) – relevant figures on weaning rates from 2012 onwards can be be found under flock size distribution for lowland sheep on slide number 61 out of 85: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNGU2Mjk5NWYtZGFhZi00ZWFkLWExMWQtZWUyNWMzYTIzMWM3IiwidCI6IjQ1MmE2ZjYyLTgyNDktNGQwZi05MjA3LTZiMzNiNmNkZmQ2NCIsImMiOjl9&pageName=3fe32e13abbfc66053cb.

Hill versus lowland ewes

Central Statistics Office (CSO) data does not distinguish between hill and lowland sheep or ewes. The CSO publishes two enumerations annually, in June and December.

For mid-year data, refer to the following resources: https://data.cso.ie/table/AAA09, https://data.cso.ie/table/AAA07, and https://data.cso.ie/table/AAA01.

For end-year data, the relevant datasets are: https://data.cso.ie/table/AAA06 and https://data.cso.ie/table/AAA02.

Note that the tabulated historic data is discontinuous due to changes in data collection methodology, There are three distinct datasets for June data from 2000, and two datasets for the December enumeration.

The only official publication that separately categorises lowland and mountain sheep breeds is the Sheep and Goat Census results conducted and compiled by my department. The census reports can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/collections/national-sheep-and-goat-census-reports/.

These census reports capture annual data on lowland breeding ewes in the national flock, with reports available for the two decades from 2005.

Sheep slaughter data

Monthly data on sheep slaughter are available from both the CSO and Eurostat. CSO data identifies sheep kill by head and volume.

The CSO monthly dataset is available here: https://data.cso.ie/table/ADM01.

Additionally, my department publishes data on sheep slaughter in its weekly Meat Market Reports. These reports identify four categories of ovine throughput:

• lambs / hoggets;

• spring lambs;

• ewes and rams; and

• light lambs.

Note that the Meat Market Report data pertains only to approved export premises, whereas CSO / Eurostat data also includes local abattoirs. Meat Market Reports can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/collections/meat-market-reports/.

Agriculture Industry

Ceisteanna (891)

Paul Lawless

Ceist:

891. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide, in respect of the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), the total amount of Exchequer and CAP funding the organisation has received since its inception, for each year from 2008 to the most recent year available; the amount of funding paid to ICBF, disaggregated by source and type, including annual operating grants, capital or infrastructure grants under the Cattle/Sheep Breeding Infrastructure Programme or its predecessors, and project specific or research and development grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34882/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I wish to inform the Deputy that the exchequer and CAP funding, provided to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) by my Department from 2008 to 2024 inclusive, is available in the ICBF annual reports: www.icbf.com/annual-reports/.

The report for 2025 will be published shortly.

Agriculture Industry

Ceisteanna (892)

Paul Lawless

Ceist:

892. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide in respect of Sheep Ireland, the total amount of Exchequer and CAP funding the organisation has received since its inception; for each year from 2008 to the most recent year available; the amount of funding paid to Sheep Ireland, disaggregated by source and type, including annual operating grants, capital or infrastructure grants under the Cattle/Sheep Breeding Infrastructure Programme or its predecessors, and project specific or research and development grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34883/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Sheep Ireland was established in 2008 to put in place a new breeding infrastructure for the Irish Sheep industry. In this regard Sheep Ireland carries out genetic evaluations and implements a breeding programme (functions previously carried out by my Department) with the ultimate aim of increasing the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the National flock. A Block Grant is paid to the organisation. My Department also provides funding for a range of projects in sheep breeding (Infrastructures Grant) deemed essential to delivery of sheep breeding programmes.

Key functions of Sheep Ireland are:

• Establishing and further developing a sheep breeding programme and providing genetic evaluations for sheep in Ireland.

• Building, operating and maintaining the Sheep Ireland database.

• Designing, establishing and supporting the sheep breeding programmes.

-

Infrastructures Programme

Grant Assistance

2008

N/A

N/A

2009

€669,173

€200,000

2010

€616,427

€200,000

2011

€500,000

€200,000

2012

€350,000

€290,000

2013

€410,000

€190,000

2014

€350,000

€190,000

2015

€410,000

€190,000

2016

€350,000

€190,000

2017

€365,000

€190,000

2018

€350,000

€190,000

2019

€350,000

€200,000

2020

€350,000

€200,000

2021

€350,000

€200,000

2022

€350,000

€200,000

2023

€350,000

€200,000

2024

€430,000

€200,000

2025

€350,000

€200,000

Roinn