Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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3359. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39209/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person named entered GLAS 1 with a start date of October 1st 2015 and has received payments in respect of scheme years 2015-2020.

The applicant was selected for an inspection in 2020 which resulted in a penalty being applied in respect of the Low-input Permanent Pasture action. A request for a review of this decision has been received and this review is currently being carried out by the Regional Inspector. The outcome of this review will issue, in writing, directly to the person named.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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3360. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will issue simple guidance to farmers to assist them in reducing their herd numbers to comply with the BEAM scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39210/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) was 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.

Just over 33,000 participants joined the scheme and, in doing so, gave a commitment to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on the holding by 5% for the period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the reference period of 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019 as recorded on the Department's AIM system.

In light of the difficulties some farmers were experiencing in meeting this reduction arising from COVID-19 Government Public Health restrictions, I introduced an alternative reduction period for those who required it. In that context, since 19th March 2021, BEAM participants were able to select the alternative reduction period of 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021, over which to meet their 5% reduction.

This facility remained open until 21st June 2021 and some 16,000 BEAM participants have opted for the alternative reduction period.

In terms of simple guidance to BEAM participants, since February 2021, the Department has taken a proactive approach to informing farmers of their situation and has provided a monthly update to all BEAM participants indicating the amount of bovine nitrates produced and the amount left to meet their 5% reduction requirement by 30th June 2021. The guidance also includes a table setting out the amount of bovine nitrates produced by different bovine types on a yearly, monthly and weekly basis. The bovine figures up to 31st May 2021 issued to all BEAM participants in recent days with the final bovine figures for the original reduction period up to 30th June 2021 to issue in mid-August 2021 once they are available from AIM.

BEAM participants who opted to defer will continue to receive monthly update letters from my Department and I would urge those farmers to act early in the alternative reduction period to ensure they meet their 5% bovine nitrates reduction requirement by 31st December 2021.