Electronic identification (EID) tag readers and EID software packages for sheep tagging have been added to the list of items available for grant-aid under the TAMS II scheme.

The more advanced PDA EID tag reader has a reference cost of €1,820/item, while a more basic tag reader is €710/item.

IFA national sheep committee chair Seán Dennehy has brushed off suggestions that electric tagging should be introduced.

“Overall, it could cost sheep farmers over €2m and incomes are low enough without any added costs,” he said.

Last year, Minister Michael Creed confirmed that Ireland had failed to gain sheep meat access in Japan due to a lack of EID tagging.

In response, Dennehy said: “One of the things the Department says is that we’d get more access to markets if EID tagging was introduced.

“But New Zealand are going into plenty of markets with sheep meat and they don’t have EID tagging.”

Creed considers mandatory electric tags

Stop inspections during lambing – Sinn Féin

Grant aid for EID sheep tagging items

The IFA National Sheep Committee chair has brushed off suggestions that electric tagging should be introduced.