Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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1469. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the beef finishers scheme will be reviewed to incorporate cattle from here that are slaughtered in Northern Ireland (details supplied). [22471/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Following significant engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, my Department secured Government approval for additional exchequer funding for a support scheme targeted at beef finishers, with funding of €50 million announced on 12 June. The Beef Finishers Payment (BFP) provides support for beef finishing enterprises who were most affected by the market disturbance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme, which opened for applications in mid August will pay in the region of €100 per animal to beef finishers who slaughtered bovine animals in IE between 10/20/20 and 12/06/20 up to a maximum of 100 head/herd. The measure was notified to and approved by the EU commission under the COVID-19 temporary state aid framework.

The scheme is limited to payment based on bovine animals slaughtered in Ireland. It is not possible to revisit the scope of the scheme to include animals slaughtered in Northern Ireland. Robust verification of eligibility is essential for audit purposes and the Department's Animal Identification and Movement System provides slaughter data only in respect of Ireland.

In addition. the basis for additional exchequer funding was the market disturbance experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The R3 Steer price for the reference period relating to the measure was consistently higher in Northern Ireland than in Ireland.