Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 November 2019
190. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry who sold his animals at the mart to a dealer or agent will not receive payment under the beef exceptional aid measure for animals he reared and fattened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49334/19]
View answerThe objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) is to provide temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132. Applications for BEAM were accepted from 19th August to 20th September 2019.
An application was received from the person named on the 20th August 2019 and a scheme acceptance letter issued on the 11th October 2019 which detailed 30 animals that had been slaughtered in the relevant period, and were eligible for payment under the scheme.
This letter also informed the person named of their right to have this data reviewed. Such a request was received on the 1st of November 2019 accompanied by a list of tag numbers of animals that the person named believed should be eligible for payment.
The Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) of the scheme state that, where an animal is presented for slaughter within 30 days of purchase by an agent or dealer as defined in the T&Cs, payment may issue in respect of the previous herdowner provided they are otherwise eligible and a participant in the scheme. All of the animals that relate to the tag numbers provided, and their associated movements, were investigated by staff from my Department who established that none of them met the criteria required for the payment to revert to a previous herdowner
A letter confirming the original decision issued to the person named on the 19th of November 2019. This letter also informed the person named of their right to appeal this outcome to the Agriculture Appeals Office.
