Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2168. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers from whom payments were clawed back in relation to the BEAM scheme; the total amount, the average amount and the amount that has yet to be repaid in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41766/22]
View answerThe objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) was 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.
Over 34,500 farmers had applied for BEAM at its closing date of 20th September 2019 and it saw some €78 million in payments issue to participating farmers.
One of the conditions under which funding was granted by the EU was that there had to be an element of re-structuring built into the scheme as set out in Article 1 (3) of EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132.
Accordingly, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% in either the original reduction period (1st July 2020 – 30th June 2021) or the deferred reduction period (1st January 2021 – 31st December 2021) when compared with the reference period of 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019.
Approximately 22,000 participants did meet all the commitments set out in section 7.0 of the BEAM Terms and Conditions and they successfully exited the scheme.
A further 11,589 participants did not meet some or all of the commitments set out in section 7.0 of the BEAM Terms and Conditions. As a result, recoupment of some €18.5 million in over-payments has commenced as set out in the table below.
|
Number of farmers from whom payments were clawed back in relation to the BEAM scheme |
11,589 |
|
Total amount |
€18,590,023 |
|
Average amount |
€1,604 |
|
Amount that has yet to be repaid |
€5,892,293 |
