IFA wants new entrants to Sheep Welfare Scheme ‘accommodated’
IFA's National Sheep Committee chairman, Sean Dennehy, says the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine must rectify the 'anomaly' that currently exists within the Sheep Welfare Scheme. File Picture.
IFA has asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to ensure that new entrants to the Sheep Welfare Scheme are “accommodated” after issues emerged in relation to their on-farm sheep numbers.
The organisation’s National Sheep Committee chairman, Sean Dennehy said the issue “must be resolved”.
He also pointed to the Scheme’s objective, which he added, “is to accurately reflect the levels of activity on farms”.
“New entrants in particular are not having their sheep numbers recognised,” he added.
“The Scheme conditions, which require new entrants to apply effectively within a year of starting, creates an anomalous situation that unfairly penalises them.
“This can and must be addressed in the terms and conditions of the Scheme for 2021.
Mr Dennehy went on to say that it took time for any new entrant to build their production base - a scenario that was “no different for sheep farmers”.
“The requirement for new entrants to join the Scheme effectively within a year has resulted in these farmers having very low reference numbers,” he continued.
“This anomaly has resulted in some farmers choosing not to enter the scheme because their reference numbers would be so low.
“The change to reference year now provides the opportunity to address both these situations for new entrants for 2021 and new entrants who began sheep farming in 2020 must be provided with a rolling reference number for the period the flock is being established.
“New entrants who entered the Scheme since 2016, and who were still in the process of building their flock numbers in 2017, must be provided with a later reference year that reflects the full level of activity on their farms.
“New entrants who opted not to join the Scheme since 2016 must now be provided with the opportunity to join the 2021 scheme in recognition of the prohibitive impact of the reference period methodology for farmers entering the sector.”
