Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 October 2022
762. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on a beef exceptional aid measure appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48368/22]
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. The granting of the aid was subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132.
Just over 33,000 participants, including the person named, joined the scheme and, in doing so, gave a commitment to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on the holding by 5% for the reduction period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the reference period of 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019 as recorded on the Department's AIM system.
In light of the difficulties some farmers were experiencing in meeting this reduction arising from COVID-19 Government Public Health restrictions, I secured an alternative reduction period of 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021 over which farmers could choose to meet their 5% reduction commitment if they applied for this option online between 19th March 2021 and 21st June 2021. Some 16,000 BEAM participants opted for the alternative reduction period including the person named.
Following the end of that alternative reduction period, my Department undertook a series of administrative and compliance checks to ensure that the commitments farmers had entered into under the BEAM Terms and Conditions had been met.
In the case of the person named, the commitment to reduce the bovine livestock manure nitrogen by 5% was not met and, as a result, all BEAM monies received were to be recouped.
The person named was informed of this decision by letter which also advised him of his right to request a review of the decision if they so wished. The person named contacted my Department to request a review of the decision and a decision on that review issued to them on 29 September 2022, upholding my Department's original decision and advising them of their right to appeal the outcome to the Agriculture Appeals Office if they so wished.
