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. The granting of the aid was subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132. One of the conditions of the BEAM scheme under which funding was provided by the EU was that there had to be an element of reduction or re-structuring built into the scheme - Article 1 (3) of (EU) 2019/1132 refers. 

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

Just over 33,000 participants, including the person named, 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 reduction period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the reference period of 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019.  

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 of 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021 over which farmers could choose to meet their 5% reduction commitment if they applied for this option online between 19th March 2021 and 21st June 2021. Some 16,000 BEAM participants opted for the alternative reduction period including the person named.

Following the end of that alternative reduction period, my Department undertook a series of administrative and compliance checks to ensure that the commitments farmers had entered into under the BEAM Terms and Conditions had been met. 

In the case of the person named, he did not meet the 5% reduction requirement, reducing instead by only 2.8%. Accordingly all BEAM monies received were recouped in line with the Terms and Conditions.

The person named was informed of this decision by letter in March 2022 which also advised him of his right to request a review of the decision if he so wished. To date no such request has been received from the applicant.