Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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1877. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that a person (details supplied) in County Cork has had a penalty on their 2022 BEEP payment; if he considers the penalty applied to be proportionate given the circumstances in this case including the fact that the applicant has been a beneficiary in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2102/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The objective of 2022 Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Sucklers (BEEP-S) is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd though improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data that is collected.

This is done through the enhancement of the national herd dataset for genetic evaluations, with a view to supporting the adoption of best practice and more informed decision-making at farm level. The Programme targets the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves through the collection of the live weights of cows and progeny in the herd of each participant; improving the welfare of suckler calves at the time of weaning through vaccination and meal feeding; and controlling liver fluke in adult suckler cows.

In addition to the mandatory action of weighing, the participant named also applied for the vaccination measure under Action 2 of the 2022 programme. He was selected for an administrative inspection and was requested to submit evidence of vaccination.

When submitted, it was discovered that the participant had vaccinated fewer eligible animals than he had weighed under the scheme.

In accordance with section 7.5 of the 2022 BEEP-S terms and conditions, failure to complete either selected option under Action 2 in full will result in non-payment for that action and an administrative penalty of 50% of the value of the payment that would have been made under the action being applied.

A request for a review of this decision can be submitted to the Beef Schemes Division, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Government Buildings, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois.