Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
667. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appraisal has been carried out of the outworking of the mandatory reduction obligation contained within the BEAM scheme; if he will amend the criteria in view of the challenges created by Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43339/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) provided 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. BEAM was funded by a combination of EU aid and Exchequer support. It was provided to support Irish beef farmers who saw beef prices fall in light of the Covid-19 market disturbance.
One of the conditions under which the €50 million was granted by the EU was that there had to be a slight element of reduction or re-structuring built in to the scheme. In return for the payment of exceptional aid, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% for the period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the period 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019.
Obligations under the measure were developed based on analysis of the herd profile and nitrates profile of the national herd. It was designed, in consultation with farmer representative organisations, to make the measure as easy to participate in as possible, whilst maintaining the requirement under the implementing regulation for temporary market adjustments. Since 2019, 33,445 farmers have received some €77.72M as part of the scheme.
It is not intended to amend the scheme requirement because the exceptional aid was granted to Ireland on the basis of this nitrogen reduction being implemented. However, my Department continues to put in place supports for farmers to assist them in managing their commitments under the Scheme and my Department will shortly be writing to all BEAM applicants in this regard.
I have also instructed agri planners to engage with their clients to continue to inform and assist them around the requirements of the scheme.
