280. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of adjusting payments under the new beef data and genomics programme by paying €200 on the first ten calves and €100 on all calves thereafter and using the current number of farmers participating in the programme as the base. [46303/15]

The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) has been approved as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme. Its legal basis is Article 28 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. This Article provides for agri-environment and climate change measures and requires that commitments under this measure be undertaken for a minimum period of five years. The BDGP will run for 6 years.

As the payment is financed under the RDP it is not possible to make payments on a per animal basis. Payment is instead made on a per hectare basis calculated on costs incurred and income foregone. All costs associated with these measures have been calculated to ensure applicants are compensated adequately.