Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I turn to the issue of EU supports. After weeks of intensive lobbying, the European Commission eventually announced an aid to private storage scheme for both lamb and beef, which is paltry in value terms and the conditions regarding the cuts make it virtually worthless. The United States has introduced a Covid-19 support scheme for its farmers which is equivalent to €9,518 per individual. The EU, on the other hand, has provided a Covid-19 support equivalent of €8 per farmer. That is 1,190 times less support being given by the European Commission to European farmers than the US is giving its own farmers. As a very first step, will the EU ensure that the aid to private storage scheme for both beef and lamb caters for the cuts where there is no demand for them at present, rather than the current conditions being placed on it?

Will the Minister ensure that we have a second beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, scheme to offset the loss in income for beef farmers as a result of the fall-off in trade due to Brexit? Some €100 million was set aside last year to compensate beef farmers for the first six months of losses from Brexit. That was €16.6 million per month for the first six months. We need another €166 million to cover the losses over the last ten months as a result of Brexit, plus €20 million in the underspend in the first round of BEAM. That is before we look at the issue of losses due to Covid-19.

A fund of at least €186 million needs to be put in place to compensate beef farmers for the loss of income as a result of Brexit. In addition, a scheme of exceptional aid needs to be put in place for the lamb and beef industries due to Covid-19. What are the chances of securing real investment from the European Commission in line with what is happening in the US?

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