IFA Meets Department of Agriculture on New Sheep Scheme

IFA National Sheep Committee Chairman John Lynskey has met with the Department of Agriculture on the plans for the new sheep support scheme. 

John Lynskey said that following an intensive campaign in the lead up to the General Election, IFA had secured €25m additional funding for a new targeted sheep support scheme from the Rural Development budget.

John Lynskey said it is essential that the scheme is simple and effective in supporting the sheep sector. He said the payment, which should amount to approximately €10 per ewe must be available to all sheep farmers with breeding ewes and involve minimal expense, costs or bureaucracy on farmers.

In the Rural Development Programme, schemes have to meet various criteria under the regulations and John Lynskey said one of the options being looked at is welfare, where a payment can be made on a per animal basis. He said IFA is strongly in favour of targeting the payment on a per ewe basis.

John Lynskey said it is essential that the new sheep payment is simple, effective, with minimal costs on farmers and has a positive impact for the sheep sector.