Two months ago, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, ICBF, board changed and rearranged the star rating of suckler cow beef breeds, downgrading four and five star Charolais, Limousin, Simmental and Belgian Blue breeds, which Irish farmers have bred to perfection over the past 40 years and, in the same way, promoting Dexter and other dairy breeds to four and five stars. The same cow and bull that had a four or a five star rated calf last year will only have a two or a three star rated calf next year. That is the silly change that has been made. The bulls being elevated to the top of the replacement index will have a major negative impact on both the carcass weight and the weaning weight that farmers can produce. This, in turn, affects farm viability and the quality aesthetics of Irish beef farmers. These changes are a failure resulting from non-communication and a failure of governance. Who recommended the changes? Who was consulted on the changes? Who verified the efficacy of the changes? Who approved the changes? Was the board aware of the severity of the changes before it made them? I am calling for the disbandment of this board-----

Go raibh maith agat, Deputy.

-----for the serious way it has impacted on beef farmers. I ask the Taoiseach to intervene in this because this is going to have a serious effect on suckler beef farmers going forward.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The work of the ICBF is massively important and is something I very strongly support through the suckler calf scheme and the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, and through, for example, the recent investment we made last year which will see our national herd become the first herd in the world to be fully genotyped. All of that data will be held by the ICBF on behalf of farmers. The board of the ICBF is made up of stakeholders, including farm representatives. The star rating is based on emerging data that continues to be collected with the objective of making sure that farming is as profitable as it can be and that the animals that are being bred create the maximum income for farm families. Alongside that, I support them through the SCEP and the suckler calf schemes, which combined deliver €200 per cow. That was a commitment I made before the last election. I am also adjusting that SCEP to ensure animals that might see a reduction in their star rating keep it for the duration of the programme so that there is no penalty on farmers in terms of being able to meet the star thresholds throughout the duration of the programme. I am aware of the issue that is there and we are working collectively to make sure farmers are supported in the process.

Who approved this?

No, Deputy. That is the answer.

Does the Minister know what the Government is doing to farmers? Are they aware of what they are doing at all? My God, it is terrible.

Gabh mo leithscéal.