Development of the Irish sheep sector is a priority of mine as minister and of this Government. It is a vital component in our agri-food sector, which is reflected in the range of supports in place for its development.

Many of you will be availing of this range of supports to sheep farmers, which includes BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS, all of which make a vital contribution to ensuring the continuing viability of the sheep sector in Ireland. The design of these schemes takes into account the challenges faced by all sheep farmers, including those who farm in hill areas.

I am committed to doing more though, and the new Programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme, worth €25m, to be provided in Budget 2017.

Work is ongoing on the design of this scheme in the context of the specific requirements of the Rural Development Programme and a formal submission will soon be made to the European Commission in this regard, with a view to introducing the scheme in early 2017. I hope to be able to make further announcements on this scheme in the autumn. It will be a scheme which recognises the importance of quality breeding and husbandry in the national flock and which also drives real improvements in the sector. This investment by the Government is a real vote of confidence in the future of the Irish sheep sector.

The decision this week by the US authorities that they are proposing to lift the rule prohibiting imports of EU sheepmeat is also very welcome. While it is still early in the process, it potentially provides an opportunity for Ireland to penetrate a sector of the US lamb market, which can reward top-quality, sustainably produced sheepmeat and add the US to the list of third-country markets buying Irish product.

The onus now is on the Irish sheepmeat sector to prove its credentials in areas such as traceability and secure market access as soon as the decision is formalised.

Development

The opening of this sought-after market would provide further evidence of the ongoing work to grow and develop the sheepmeat industry in accordance with the Food Wise 2025 strategy. This will help to boost the existing €230m of exports to a wide range of EU and third-country markets.

Along with the current proposal for a €25m sheep scheme, as well as the various other supports and market developments, the future looks very much improved for the Irish sheep sector.

Read the full focus section on sheep breeding here