Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Beef Data and Genomics Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 September 2020

Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Ceisteanna (1463)

Matt Carthy

Ceist:

1463. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers were removed from the beef data and genomics programme without prior indication that they wished to withdraw from the programme; the numbers of farmers removed from the scheme by year and county; the details of correspondence, reports, briefings and materials relating to the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22417/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

BDGP I and BDGP II commenced in 2015 and 2017 respectively, and both will run for six years. The programmes provide for six years of payments to farmers for completion of actions which deliver accelerated genetic improvement in the Irish national herd and improvement of its environmental sustainability. Overall payments have amounted to €215m. To date for 2019, 22,957 particpants have completed the required actions to generate €41.47m in payments.

The programmes represent a significant commitment for participating farmers over the duration of the programmes, and it is inevitable that some participants will seek to withdraw at some stage for a variety of reasons. A significant proportion of withdrawals each year are due to reasons such as ill health, and in such cases, Force Majeure as provided for by EU Regulations and in the Terms and Conditions of the Programmes may be applied with no recoupment of monies paid.

However, in a number of cases annually, withdrawals are due to other reasons that will require any monies paid over the course of the programme to be repaid in accordance with the relevant EU regulations. In some of these cases, the participant will have requested to withdraw and will have been made aware of the implications of withdrawal from the programme at this stage. In the remaining cases, participants will have been removed from the programme as they have repeatedly failed to meet key requirements of the programme. In such cases, the participant will have received correspondence enquiring as to whether they wished to continue in the programme and, if so, advising them what actions they needed to take in order to avoid being removed. Where no reply was forthcoming or where the non-compliance continued the participant was removed and my Department has made arrangements for monies paid over the course of the programme to be repaid in accordance with the relevant EU regulations

Please see tables below with the requested information for BDGP I and BDGP II.

BDGP I Withdrawals & Removals

COUNTY

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

CARLOW

49

13

15

5

10

0

CAVAN

274

27

48

22

19

0

CLARE

417

36

45

15

19

2

CORK

271

34

61

16

35

4

DONEGAL

213

17

62

14

21

1

DUBLIN

13

1

4

2

2

1

GALWAY

602

70

103

36

43

3

KERRY

248

40

31

13

31

0

KILDARE

52

3

13

6

10

1

KILKENNY

83

25

23

8

7

0

LAOIS

114

15

26

9

7

1

LEITRIM

234

15

28

5

14

2

LIMERICK

148

30

34

15

26

0

LONGFORD

150

16

18

5

13

1

LOUTH

38

4

6

5

9

0

MAYO

662

58

73

27

33

3

MEATH

115

16

29

8

20

4

MONAGHAN

215

31

39

12

25

3

OFFALY

111

23

10

14

15

2

ROSCOMMON

346

24

48

16

23

1

SLIGO

201

21

17

8

17

2

TIPPERARY

165

32

23

14

16

3

WATERFORD

61

18

11

5

14

1

WESTMEATH

141

20

24

8

16

0

WEXFORD

95

16

13

14

15

0

WICKLOW

72

11

10

9

6

1

BDGP II Withdrawals & Removals

COUNTY

2017

2018

2019

2020

CARLOW

5

1

0

1

CAVAN

26

2

0

0

CLARE

22

5

7

0

CORK

26

1

5

1

DONEGAL

14

1

1

0

DUBLIN

0

0

0

0

GALWAY

45

2

9

0

KERRY

12

1

1

0

KILDARE

5

0

1

0

KILKENNY

6

1

1

1

LAOIS

9

1

1

0

LEITRIM

10

1

2

0

LIMERICK

11

0

2

0

LONGFORD

11

1

2

0

LOUTH

0

1

1

0

MAYO

38

6

4

0

MEATH

6

1

4

0

MONAGHAN

18

2

3

0

OFFALY

8

0

4

0

ROSCOMMON

29

2

1

0

SLIGO

10

1

2

0

TIPPERARY

28

1

7

0

WATERFORD

4

0

0

0

WESTMEATH

13

0

1

0

WEXFORD

6

0

1

0

WICKLOW

3

1

2

0

Barr
Roinn