Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Dec 2023

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. I want to raise the issue of the Blanchardstown west school area, which includes Littlepace, Castaheany, Ongar and Hansfield. Within that is an area that we hope will be developed with up to 1,200 units in the next few years. Blanchardstown west has been a fast-growing area and the strategic development zone, SDZ, which the Minister of State will be familiar with from his time on Fingal County Council, has probably seen among the highest delivery of houses in the country, with approximately 3,000 units being built since 2014. It is an area that has changed much over the past ten years. It will change again with more development on the way. It is very important that we monitor how school places are matching that development.

At present, there are three post-primary schools: Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School, which has capacity for 180 first-year students this year; Pobal Setanta, which is an education and training board, ETB, school that has capacity for 210 first-year students and every year has a waiting list; and a new school, Ériu Community College, which the Department established four years ago. Its total capacity is 800 pupils. Two classes have consistently been coming into Ériu each year.

I want to touch base with the Department on school places in the area. Obviously, at any given time, there will be schools that are more popular than other schools in terms of parental choice. One of the issues with Ériu Community College is that, after four years, it has not been given a permanent site and we do not know where that school is going to end up in the future. That is affecting a third of admissions. When it boils down to people making the decision about whether to send a child to Ériu, a third of parents and students are deciding that not knowing is a reason for them to choose a school elsewhere. Four years is just too long. The catchment area is Blanchardstown west, but it also includes Blanchardstown village. As a result, the school could potentially end up anywhere in the Blanchardstown village and Blanchardstown west area, which is a big consideration for parents when they are making their decision. This is very important. Dublin 15 is interconnected and school places in Blanchardstown affect school places in Carpenterstown and Castleknock.

I also want to ask the Minister of State about Coolmine Community School, which is in Blanchardstown west. There has been a lot of investment in Dublin 15 in recent years, in particular in Pelletstown and Edmund Rice. It is very important that we do not overlook Coolmine Community School - my mother taught there, and I know it is a great school - but I am not seeing the same level of investment that I see in other schools in the area.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter. On behalf of the Minister for Education, I will outline the plans for additional post-primary school places in Blanchardstown west. For school planning purposes, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a geographical information system to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including child benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity, is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department's projections of school place requirements.

It is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not always be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors: duplication of applications, where pupils have applied for a place in a number of schools in the area; school of choice, where pupils cannot get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town or area; the fact some towns or areas have single-sex schools and while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils; and external draw, where pupils are coming from outside the local area.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to, and where the school has places available, the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary.

This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. This may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice, however, the Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all students in the area seeking school places.

Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department makes an assessment of the existing capacity in that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additional provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through utilising existing unused capacity in a school or schools; extending the capacity of a school or schools; or providing a new school or schools.

The Department's projections for post-primary school place requirements in Blanchardstown west are set to peak in the coming years. In anticipation of this demographic growth, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in Blanchardstown west under the national development plan. The most significant project as regards planned additional capacity is a new 1,000-pupil school building for Éiru Community College, which will also provide four classrooms for pupils with special educational needs. The site identification and assessment exercise for Éiru Community College is ongoing. Potential site options have been identified, including publicly-owned property. Nevertheless, the Department is working closely with school authorities, patrons and post-primary management bodies regarding school place needs in the area for the year 2024-25 and future years. This is with a view to identifying any shortfall in places and any required solution beyond those that are already in train. Accordingly, I wish to advise the Senator that the Department of Education is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional post-primary school places in a number of school planning areas. I can assure the Senator that the Department of Education will continue to engage with the relevant schools and patrons in respect of the post-primary school enrolment position and that this is focused on ensuring that the start of the 2024-25 school year operates as smoothly as possible for all schools and their students.

This is the same response I have been getting for three years. The only difference is that Éiru Community College is now a 1,000-pupil school, which is great, instead of an 800-pupil school. We now have fourth year students who started in the Blanchardstown community centre in 2020 and are now sharing a site in Hansfield with Hansfield Educate Together Secondary School. The question everyone wants and needs to know the answer to is where the permanent site be for Éiru Community College will be. This will impact on all the things the Minister of State outlined, such as duplication of applications, parental and student choice and pressures on other schools in the area for the parents and students who want to know where the home of this school will be. It impacts on decisions, as brilliant as the school is, about admissions. It needs to be balanced out.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to outline the position to the House on post-primary school places in Blanchardstown west. There are currently a number of active projects at post-primary level in the Blanchardstown west school planning area, which will increase local capacity. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040 may be viewed on the Department's website and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may be viewed on the website. I do not have the answer about where the site is for the Senator today. I expect that when that information becomes available, it will be spread widely. I note the Senator's point about investment in Coolmine Community College and I will take it back to the Minister.

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I thank him for taking this important Commencement matter I have tabled. It relates to St. Anne's Secondary School in Tipperary town. I have two questions for the Minister of State. One relates to an application for additional space, essentially for an extension or new building for the students and the school. It is important. They have a lot of space in the area to build on. I was in the school recently with the principal, John Cullinane. The principal, staff and board of management do great work, but the school is not fit for purpose. It needs to be a modern facility for the girls in the school. I would appreciate an update on the application that has been made.

My more immediate request is for an update on the school meals programme, which the Minister of State and the Department of Social Protection are very much involved in. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and the Department have done a lot to roll out free school meals in recent years, which has been hugely welcome and is a massive support for schools, especially in disadvantaged areas. The problem we have in Tipperary and in St. Anne's Secondary School is that it is the only school in Tipperary town that is not classed as a DEIS school. A year or two ago, all five primary schools and one of the secondary schools in Tipperary town were classed as DEIS schools, which means they receive the advantage of free school meals. St. Anne's Secondary School has students who come from the same areas of the same region, Tipperary town and its hinterland and 48% of its current enrolment comes from those DEIS schools.

Prior to the primary schools being allocated DEIS status in September 2022, St. Anne's Secondary School was still the only school that could not access the school meals programme. The rationale provided for this at the time was that the school was not a DEIS school. However, the other schools were not DEIS schools either at the time and they could access the school meals programme. The school meals funding is administered through the Department of Social Protection and St. Anne's Secondary School requires recognition of being in a disadvantaged community and that the cohort of students it serves come from a disadvantaged area. Tipperary town is a Revitalising Areas through Planning, Investment and Development, RAPID, programme town but it is one of the most disadvantaged areas in Munster. The way the school meals programme looks at it relates to whether a school is a DEIS school. The understanding is that the school meals scheme is confined to DEIS schools in addition to schools identified by the Department of Education as having levels of concentrated disadvantage, meaning that their students would benefit from access to the school meals programme. St. Anne's Secondary School fits the criterion of being in an area of disadvantage. All other schools in the area are DEIS schools. We do not necessarily immediately have to class it as a DEIS school, but we can provide the school meals programme if we can get agreement from the Department of Education, which seems simple given that every other school in Tipperary town has it. It should be classed as a school in a concentrated disadvantaged area so that it can be provided with free school meals.

It is a wonderful school with wonderful children, but as the Minister of State will be aware, some children do not come to school having been fed. The primary concern of the principal, the board of management and all the staff in that school is the welfare of their students and they know that they are not receiving equal support from the Department compared to the other schools in Tipperary town.

I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, who is otherwise engaged. I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides the Department with the opportunity to clarify the current position of St Anne’s Secondary School, Rosanna Road, Tipperary town. The answer I have is largely from the Department of Education. The school meals programme is largely administered by the Department of Social Protection. I wanted to put that proviso at the start of my response.

St Anne’s Secondary School is a girls-only multi-denominational post-primary school under the patronage of the Catholic Education - an Irish Schools Trust, CEIST. The school is one of three post-primary schools in the Tipperary school planning area. The school has an enrolment of 292 students in the school year 2023-24. I can confirm that St. Anne’s Secondary School submitted an application for additional school accommodation under the Department of Education’s additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and accommodation for students with special educational needs is available to cater for students enrolled each year where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or other schools in the area.

The school’s application was for capital funding for a physical education, PE, hall and changing facilities, a lift and a specialised room to cater for the subjects of technology and graphics. Investment and expenditure on PE halls is an element of the overall expenditure and investment in the school building programme. The provision of rooms and PE halls at primary and post-primary level respectively and outdoor hard play areas form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings or where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.

Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €3.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 690 school building projects and with construction currently under way on approximately 300 other projects. School building projects in construction involve an overall State investment of more than €1.2 billion. There are also 200 modular accommodation projects that are very well advanced for delivery or at construction stage. This is a record level of investment in our schools and it highlights the Government’s strong track record in delivering and providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities.

A further strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build and modernisation programme which will enable students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision, particularly in the context of the roll-out of PE as a leaving-certificate subject. Enhanced and modernised PE facilities will also provide important amenities for local communities. However, the main focus of the Department’s capital funding over the past decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special education needs. The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme so that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child. The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and replacement of existing school infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations for future years are clarified. The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform will be engaging with Departments on NDP allocations for the period 2026 to 2028 over the coming months, with allocation decisions expected during the first half of 2024.

I can confirm that this school’s application under the ASA scheme is currently under consideration, taking into account the school’s immediate and future needs for essential accommodation. A determination will issue to the school authorities shortly.

In regard to the second application referenced, the school meals programme currently provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefiting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. This programme is funded and administered by the Department of Social Protection and officials in that Department have been asked to liaise with the school with respect to its application.

I thank the Minister of State for his response, much of which related to the capital funding for developments. That is important in the long term. In regard to his response on school meals, he said the Department is going to liaise with the school with respect to its application. I thank him for that. The principal himself is willing to meet with either the Minister for Education or the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. Essentially it is a communication issue between both Departments. If, as the Minister of State said, the school meals programme is budgeting for a further 900 primary schools for 2024, will the Minister of State prioritise this school in that group? There is a feeling within the community that this school has been left behind and is not receiving the same supports that all other schools in Tipperary town receive. Will the Minister of State and the Department rectify that in the next round, when 900 primary schools will receive this in 2024? Tipperary town has been a priority for his Department for the past number of years on a range of issues such as Social Protection and I ask that this would be supported.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and for giving the Department the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department is committed to ensuring that all children can access education suitable to their needs. I take the Senator's point in regard to the school meals programme. Deputy Humphreys and I are committed to rolling this out to as wide a group as possible. There has been significant growth in this over recent years. The coming 12 months will see one of the biggest leaps we have made. It is a no-brainer in terms of the policy going forward. It is a question of resourcing it in a fair way in order to make school meals available to all children as soon as possible.

I welcome the Minister of State. I am looking for an update on what assessment of need has been carried out by the Department of Education with regard to a new secondary school for the Duleek area. More than a year and a half ago I laid out a case for a new secondary school in a Commencement matter which was answered by Deputy English. Figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, clearly show that our population has increased by more than 14% in recent years. The development of new houses along with the granting of planning permissions in our area and the surrounding areas shows that another secondary school is needed. More than 800 Ukrainians have settled in our area over the past 18 months. All of this increase is leading to the demand for a new secondary school in our area. Not only do we need a new school but we also have the land available on which to build it. In 2005, the Bishop of Meath tried to rezone lands owned by the community and St. Finian's Diocesan Trust. That was the only piece of community land we had for the provision of community and educational facilities in our town. Thankfully, at that time, I tabled a motion to the effect that this land would not be rezoned. Hence, we have 27 acres ready to go. The bishop said that if the Department of Education wants that land for the provision of a secondary school, it is there for the Department to negotiate with the trust. There is good access to the site on Station Road and also from the business park, through which cars and buses could enter. Pedestrian access is available from Main Street. In 2018, the Department decided to build a secondary school. We thought we were going to get this for the Duleek area as there was clearly a need at the time. There still is. Unfortunately, it went over to the Grangerath and Mornington area. There was nothing we could do about it. That was an Educate Together school. We did not win the vote at that time.

Clearly, however, our population has increased remarkably since that time. We have 12 feeder schools, five of which are in the parish, namely, Duleek Boys' National School, Duleek Girls' National School, Scoil Cholmcille Mount Hanover, Bellewstown National School and Cushinstown National School. There is also St. Patrick's National School in Ardcath, Donore National School, Knockcommon National School, Kentstown National School, Rathfreigh National School, Skryne National School and Yellow Furze National School. In addition, there is an option for children to come from Whitecross National School or even from Slane or Curragha. The options available at this time are Drogheda, Laytown, Navan, Ashbourne or Grangerath. We have talked about creating a green environment. We talk about giving kids the option to cycle or walk to school. We in Duleek do not have that option. Some of our children must leave for school and be picked up as early as 7.15 a.m. every morning. Building a school within walking distance is important if we want to cut emissions from cars and buses and give children a healthier lifestyle. I hope to get a favourable answer this morning so that hundreds of parents in Duleek and surrounding areas can have a secondary school, and also that I am not inundated with parents' queries early next year when they cannot get their children into schools in the Drogheda, Navan or Ashbourne areas.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify how the Department plans for school places and specifically the position in relation to Duleek. I wish to advise the Senator that requirements for additional school places is kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.

To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data and child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary levels.

The Department compiles enrolment projections for primary and post-primary schools at national and regional level. The latest published projections can be found on the Department's website. The new set of projections is under development and will be published in the new year.

Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, the Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO, along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure schools infrastructure planning keeps pace with demographic changes at a local level where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.

Where demographic data indicate additional accommodation is required, its delivery depends on the circumstances of each case. It may be achieved by utilising unused capacity within a school or schools, extending the capacity of a school or schools, or providing a new school or schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 to achieve an increased emphasis on compact growth. New post-primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600 to 1,000 students and must be coeducational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to Gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit in an English-medium school. New schools are established only in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to ensure every child has a school place.

Duleek is located within the Drogheda school planning area. There are eight post-primary schools within that area. The recent demographic projections show peak enrolment for the school planning area in 2024, with a decline thereafter. An analysis of the census 2022 population of Duleek shows the number of children of post-primary school age is less than 500. It is also noticeable that the number of preschool children in the town reduced significantly, by over 25%, from 2016 to 2022. Therefore, the longer-term demand for post-primary school places is projected to reduce, even when new residential developments and overall population increases are taken into consideration.

There are three active projects at stage 1 in the Drogheda school planning area, providing both mainstream and special education needs classroom capacity. These projects are at St. Mary's Diocesan School, St. Oliver's Community College and St. Joseph's CBS, Drogheda. Stage 1 is the preliminary design stage, the stage in which the design team, in conjunction with the school authorities, will analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure the preferred option is the best one for the delivery of the brief. There is also a significant post-primary school project at stage 2A, the preliminary design stage, to deliver a new 1,000-pupil school in south Drogheda to accommodate Drogheda Educate Together Secondary School. This will also include a six-classroom special education needs base facility within the school.

The Department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their county development plan and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.

This is totally disappointing for the people of Duleek and the surrounding area, unless we consider putting a Gaelscoil there. According to what the Minister of State said, the figures we have and the downward population trend will not allow for the provision of a post-primary school in the area. The schools being provided in the Drogheda area include the Educate Together school over in Mornington. These are going to be the options for children of our area. There is no hope whatsoever of the Government ever delivering a secondary school, despite promises of certain of its Ministers that we would have one in Duleek. It is a sad day. It has taken me three years to get this answer. Every year since I was elected to this Chamber, I have been in here talking about the secondary school for Duleek. It is really disappointing to hear that Duleek has no hope whatsoever of attaining a secondary school.

I thank Senator Keogan for giving me the opportunity to address this issue. I have laid out the criteria the Department uses for assessment. They are fairly comprehensive on the population side and in the broader context of the school options available. However, I assure the Senator the Department will continue to monitor demographic projections and enrolments in the area to ensure all pupils have access to a school place.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this important issue. She will be aware the agency responsible for the grading of cattle for the various beef schemes has carried out a reclassification in recent weeks. As a result, cows, heifers and bulls that would have been given five-star ratings based on the index have been downgraded. To show the consequences, let me give the example of a farmer in north Clare. Last March, he purchased a Simmental bull with a five-star grading for €4,500. In recent days, he and his family have been told the bull has been reclassified with a three-star rating. The immediate impact is twofold. First, the value of the animal, based on the factory rate to kill it, is about €2,000, so the farmer is down €2,500. He has 40 cows or heifers that would have been put in calf by the bull, but, as a result of its downgrading, there is now a question mark over the grading of the progeny. This means a very significant impact on the livelihood of a very small suckler farmer, who, like many others, is struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and various cost increases and trying to raise a family. I have genuine concerns. While I understand to some extent what the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation is about in its effort to improve the quality of our beef herd, it does not seem logical that, overnight, at the stroke of a pen or with the provision of better statistics or information, there can be such a profound impact on farmers.

The Minister of State knows well from her background and the area she represents that there is a struggle, particularly in the beef sector. The vagaries of the marketplace have always dictated that farmers can never be sure of what they will get for their cattle at the end of the year when they are ready to go to slaughter or to be sold as weanlings. It depends on the prevailing winds of the marketplace. What has occurred seems like a bolt from the blue. While there was some discussion about it, farmers were clearly not expecting this kind of reclassification. If the downgrading were by one star, people would get used to it. Farmers would breed out, sell the cattle for commercial purposes the following year, and then start again with heifers and a bull with higher star ratings.

What role can the Department play in mitigating the impact on certain farmers, particularly those with beef breeds that were promoted as the best? I am aware that the sector is moving towards smaller cattle, including the Angus breed, which will be finished sooner, have smaller carcases, and have good beef conformation.

However, the thinking and advice all along the way has been to move farmers on to the bigger breeds of cattle, those with better muscle conformation. Now, having followed that pattern, they find themselves being significantly disenfranchised and at huge personal financial loss.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I am answering this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, ICBF, is the body approved in Ireland in accordance with the relevant EU legislation to conduct testing, genetic evaluations and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle. As part of its remit, the ICBF recently updated its beef breeding indexes, the first major update since 2015, based predominately on changing economic drivers such as feed costs and beef prices. I am advised that a modest adjustment also took place based on earlier slaughter of animals, tuberculosis resistance, carcass specifications and lower methane output.

I understand the new economic values are more representative of the impact that advances in production traits have on the profitability of Irish suckler beef production systems. The rationale for updating the indexes is that it will assist suckler farmers to breed animals that will generate a higher profit. The changes to the beef indexes were initially due to go live on 21 November but this date was deferred by a week to allow further engagement with farmers and breed societies. I understand there was concern that deferral of the update could have impacted breeding decisions at farm level and the ability of AI companies to respond to any impact of such breeding decisions as a result of the changes.

I am advised that the ICBF has communicated extensively with the industry to explain the changes to the beef indexes. Indeed, the most recent of these engagements was a meeting with the IFA livestock committee yesterday, where the ICBF CEO, Sean Coughlan, committed to convening an industry stakeholder forum to address issues and concerns raised by suckler farmers and pedigree breeders. The Minister and I both welcome this engagement. The ICBF has also met with the breed societies since the changes to the beef indexes were announced, and ongoing communications are anticipated. The Department is confident the amended indexes will contribute to the overall profitability and sustainability of beef production at farm level.

Concerning some impacts of the changes to indexes, prior to the updates, continentals, that is, Charolais, Limousin and Belgian Blue, were the most desirable terminal cattle breeds and they continue to be the most desirable after the changes. On the replacement index, the top three most desirable replacement breeds, Aberdeen Angus, Limousin and Simmental, remain as the top three after the changes. Traditional breeds have improved the most while the Belgian Blues have declined the most. Some animals will change within herds, which means all farmers will need to check their herd status. Some 84% of previously rated four- or five-star animals will retain their four- or five-star status after changes. Of the remaining animals previously rated as four- or five-star animals, as many will rise in the index as will fall.

The suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, is an agricultural scheme which aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the beef data and genomics programme and the beef environmental efficiency programme by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd. The programme requires participants to make use of the Euro Star Index when making breeding decisions. To answer the Senator’s specific question on what the Department is doing to mitigate the impact, from a programme perspective, animals in the SCEP herds whose index falls will not be impacted by the changes until the SCEP participant sells an animal that has gone down in rating. For example, if a cow was four star prior to the updates and subsequently dropped to a three star, this cow will remain eligible for the four- and five-star eligibility criteria once it remains in the herd. It is only when this animal moves out of this herd that its three-star rating will become applicable and it will no longer meet the four- and five-star eligibility criteria.

The Department will continue to monitor the impact of index changes on the suckler carbon efficiency programme.

I welcome the Minister of State’s outline of the situation and thank her for that. I believe the Department will have to look at the significant support for farmers who have taken a disproportionate hit in terms of loss of value due to the star rating changes. I ask the Minister of State and the Minister to consider some kind of a programme of compensation that would assist in that. I get that there are some farmers whose position will improve, and best of luck to them, but I am always concerned about the loser here and those who will take a very significant loss in the short term. I welcome the fact that cows that remain in the herd will retain that rating for the benefit and purpose of being able to draw the grants - that is a welcome clarification - but there are those who have cows in calf who will be selling or hoping to sell weanlings at a later stage. They will have had an expectation based on the star rating of being able to achieve a certain price in the marketplace. That will now change. We need to look at that insofar as we can.

I accept there are challenges for some farmers with this. There are mitigating pieces in there that may help iron out some of the issues. Ultimately, the purpose of this and the changes in the indexes are, maybe more in the longer term, to support farmers to breed animals that are more productive and that are more profitable. In this day, profitability on farms is probably the most important aspect.

The Department will continue to engage on this with the breed societies and the farm organisation representatives. We will keep it under continuous examination. Ultimately, we are trying to improve our suckler cow herd and the progeny they produce. I can commit that engagement will continue.