business. DARD officials liaised closely with their DAFM counterparts when designing the revised SFMS to ensure the systems were as similar and compatible as possible. Whilst membership of the scheme is voluntary, it is an EU requirement that anyone seeking to move or trade sheep with other Member States must be a member of such a scheme. In respect of the point regarding flock size, operating a charging regime where each flock owner is individually invoiced based on the size of their flock could greatly increase the costs of administering the scheme. While this could be mitigated by into various groups ‘banding’ flocks of size, it was felt better to maintain uniformity in respect of membership fees when the scheme was designed. This approach is in line with schemes operated in Britain, and reduces overall costs of operating the scheme. 14 Jan 2016 Northern Ireland Texel The committee of the Northern Ireland Texel DARD is obliged, under Government policy Sheep Breeders Club Club which would have a large agreement (Managing Public Money in NI Sheepbreeder’s – contingent of our membership in the Scrapie MPMNI) with the Department of Finance and Monitored Scheme have discussed the proposed Personnel (DFP), to recover the full costs of increase in fees and can see no justification for these services. Following a revision of the this at a time when farm incomes are under Scrapie Flock Monitoring Scheme (SFMS), which pressure. Many in our membership are already now operates on a two tier basis, the need for pulling out of other schemes due to the cost and additional time spent in respect of administering we feel if this increase does go through it could the scheme has contributed to the overall % rise result in some of our membership deciding that it in costs to members. The fees have been is no longer feasible to continue their membership amended to levels that reflect the full costs to the in the Scrapie Monitored Scheme, furthermore the Department. cost is extremely prohibitive for anyone wishing to join the scheme which surely you should be encouraging to promote exports.
business. DARD officials liaised closely with their DAFM counterparts when designing the revised SFMS to ensure the systems were as similar and compatible as possible. Whilst membership of the scheme is voluntary, it is an EU requirement that anyone seeking to move or trade sheep with other Member States must be a member of such a scheme. In respect of the point regarding flock size, operating a charging regime where each flock owner is individually invoiced based on the size of their flock could greatly increase the costs of administering the scheme. While this could be mitigated by ‘banding’ flocks into various groups of size, it was felt better to maintain uniformity in respect of membership fees when the scheme was designed. This approach is in line with schemes operated in Britain, and reduces overall costs of operating the scheme. 14 Jan 2016 Northern Ireland Texel Sheep Breeders Club The committee of the Northern Ireland Texel Sheepbreeder’s Club which would have a large contingent of our membership in the Scrapie Monitored Scheme have discussed the proposed increase in fees and can see no justification for this at a time when farm incomes are under pressure. Many in our membership are already pulling out of other schemes due to the cost and we feel if this increase does go through it could result in some of our membership deciding that it is no longer feasible to continue their membership in the Scrapie Monitored Scheme, furthermore the cost is extremely prohibitive for anyone wishing to join the scheme which surely you should be encouraging to promote exports. DARD is obliged, under Government policy agreement (Managing Public Money in NI – MPMNI) with the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP), to recover the full costs of these services. Following a revision of the Scrapie Flock Monitoring Scheme (SFMS), which now operates on a two tier basis, the need for additional time spent in respect of administering the scheme has contributed to the overall % rise in costs to members. The fees have been amended to levels that reflect the full costs to the Department.
summary-of-consultation-responses-to-the-scrapie-fees-amendment-regulations-ni-2016.DOCX