The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has urged the government to implement the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS) practically.

Following the provision of €22m in exchequer funding, total support payments for ewes have been increased to €25/ewe when combined with the €12/ewe Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS).

This increase of €7m in funding will allow the scheme to increase the rate of payment by €5/ewe, from €8 to €13/ewe next year.

Responding to the announcement, IFA national sheep chair Adrian Gallagher said this level of support is vital for the sector and will need to be built on to bring direct support levels to a minimum of €30/ewe.

The IFA has committed to engaging with the Department of Agriculture to properly implement the scheme in 2025.

“The Sheep Welfare Scheme this year was a well-designed and practical scheme for farmers, the scheme for 2025 must follow a similar pattern and avoid any leakages from this important additional funding for sheep farmers,” an IFA spokesperson said.

The association said it will ensure the programme “is practical to implement, reflects the numbers of ewes on the farm and avoids unnecessary leakages of monies or administrative bureaucracy for farmers”.