Farmers required to make Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) repayments, who are experiencing financial difficulty, are being urged to contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Over 34,500 farmers applied for BEAM at its closing date of September 20, 2019 and €78 million in payments were issued to participating farmers.
However, some 11,000 BEAM participants did not meet some, or all, of the commitments set out in the terms and conditions of the scheme.
As a result, recoupment of almost €18 million in overpayments has commenced.
Farm organisations have been calling for leniency around the repayment timeframes to help farmers who may be struggling to pay bills.
In a recent parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD, Colm Burke, to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, more repayment time for farmers, to improve their cashflow situation in the short-term, in view of the recent “unprecedented inflation costs of fertiliser, fuel and feed in the agricultural sector”.
In a written response, the minister outlined that, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine-livestock-manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% in either the reduction periods offered.
Approximately 22,000 participants did meet all the commitments set out in BEAM but 11,000 did not meet some, or all, of them.
“As an accredited EU paying agency, my department must recover debts in respect of overpayments and penalties across a broad range of agricultural schemes, including the BEAM scheme,” Minister McConalogue said.
“Debt recovery may be facilitated by means direct repayment by the debtor or through deductions from other payments due.
“If a debtor is experiencing financial difficulties, payment by instalments over a period of time can be accommodated on a case-by-case basis.
“In such situations the debtor may contact the accounts division of my department to discuss their circumstances and to arrange an appropriate payment plan.”
He said the availability of this facility was made known to BEAM debtors when they were notified with details of their BEAM overpayment.