Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

760. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received as part of the beef exceptional aid measure scheme; the amount allocated as part of the scheme; his plans to utilise unspent moneys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11331/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) is 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.  34,517 applications were accepted for BEAM and 33,411 of these have received payments totalling €77.58m.

With regard to any unused funds from the scheme, I have already provided €85 million in supports for the beef sector in Budget 2020, on top of the €20 million provided last year for the BEEP pilot. This €85 million includes a €45 million provision for an extension to the BDGP (Beef Data and Genomics Programme). In addition to this, on Friday last I announced that the Government has provided an additional €50 million in exchequer funding for beef finishers to help them deal with the impact of COVID-19.

This year, the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Suckler (BEEP-S) has a budget of €35M and will deliver a maximum payment of €90 per suckler cow for the first 10 cows, and €80/head thereafter up to a maximum of 100 head/herd.  This is a significant increase in the payment available compared to the BEEP Pilot in 2019 and 27,072 farmers have applied for the scheme, a 50% increase in participation from the previous year.