Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the installation of a slatted shed on a farm for greater efficiency will be considered in the beef exceptional aid measure scheme in cases in which a repayment of the funding has been requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24739/22]

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a repayment request by his Department in relation to the beef exceptional aid measure scheme will be reconsidered given that a slatted shed was installed on the farm for greater efficiency and with the approval of Teagasc; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24738/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 192 together.

The Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) provided 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. BEAM was funded by a combination of €50 million EU aid and over €27 million Exchequer support. It was provided to support Irish beef farmers who saw beef prices fall as a result of disturbance to the market.

One of the conditions of the scheme, under which the €50 million was granted by the EU, was that there had to be an element of re-structuring built into the scheme.

Accordingly, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% for the period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 compared with the period 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019.

Reviewing or amending this requirement at this stage is not an option as the scheme ended at the end of December 2021 when the deferred reduction period ended. The money was paid in advance to the participants who committed themselves to the explicit condition that they would make the 5% reduction as set out in the BEAM Terms and Conditions.

Any change would be a breach of the EU regulation under which the €50 million was granted to Ireland. It would also be grossly unfair to the almost 22,000 participants who met their commitments under the scheme. In addition, it would be unfair on the approximately 21,000 beef finishers who were eligible for a payment under the scheme, but chose not to participate in the scheme, having reviewed the commitments required, which included the 5% reduction. Their average payment would have been over €1,300 each.

Therefore, there can be no changes to the scheme as it is now closed.