Mayo TD welcomes opening of €15m support scheme for sheep sector
The new National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) has opened for applications today, Mayo TD Alan Dillon has announced.
Welcoming that news, Deputy Dillon said: “The scheme will operate this year with a budget of €15 million. Participants in the NSWS will be required to complete two actions to receive the full payment of €8 per ewe.”
The scheme consists of four possible measures, equally applicable to upland and lowland flocks, and grouped into two categories as follows: Category A – shearing or body condition scoring of ewes; Category B – clostridial vaccination of ewes (or lambs if ewes are already vaccinated), or plunge dipping of ewes.
Farmers joining the NSWS must indicate at application stage which options they intend to carry out by selecting one from each category. The maximum number of breeding ewes eligible for payment under the scheme will be determined by reference to the numbers declared for each participating flock in the sheep census returns from 2020 to 2023. Completed actions must be recorded on the Scheme Action Record Sheets which will be provided by the department to participants.
Deputy Dillon added: “A priority for government in Budget 2024 was to provide an additional payment for sheep farmers. Combined funding for the sheep sector through both CAP and national schemes will now result in a payment equivalent to €20 per ewe in 2024. This represents a doubling of the sheep payment from 2022 and is the highest payment ever provided.
“The scheme complements the multi-annual Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan until 2027. The SIS supports farmers carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare on their sheep enterprises with a budget allocation of €100m. Last year, approximately 17,000 farmers received advance payments for participating in the first year of the SIS.”
Scheme applications, which must be submitted before 11.59 p.m. on May 21, can be made by a farmer or an approved FAS advisor acting on their behalf using the online facility at www.agfood.ie.