Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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980. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was not granted exceptional force majeure for a beef finisher payment given the circumstances. [24191/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Beef Finisher Payment (BFP) scheme is a one- off, exchequer funded grant aid scheme under the COVID-19 State Aid Temporary Framework. The objective of the BFP is to provide support for beef finishing farms in Ireland which have been severely impacted by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme was open to all beef farmers who presented animals for slaughter in the period 1st February 2020 to 12th June 2020 inclusive and fulfil the requirements set out in the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. Applications were received on agfood.ie from 18th August 2020 to 9th September 2020.

The applicant applied to join the scheme on 26th August 2020 and was eligible for payment on four animals slaughtered within the reference period of the scheme.

An appeal was received for payment on further animals slaughtered after 12th June 2020. As per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme, animals eligible for payment are bovine animals aged over eight months presented to a slaughtering establishment in the period 1st February 2020 to 12th June 2020 inclusive. As the applicant slaughtered these further animals outside the reference period, these animals could not be considered eligible for payment under the programme.

The applicant submitted an appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office who upheld the decision of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The person named was notified of this outcome on 9th April 2021 by the Agriculture Appeals Office where they were also informed of their right to raise the matter with the Office of the Ombudsman, if they felt they were treated unfairly.