Farm organisations are to be contacted shortly to discuss the €100 million Brexit beef fund, ahead of the Department of Agriculture’s submission deadline by the end of July, according to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed.
Speaking to AgriLand about the fund, the minister said: “The commission signed off last Thursday; we will be going into consultation, contacting farm organisations shortly about that.
“We have to get it back to the commission by the end of July so that’s the imperative, and thereafter have a scheme that farmers can apply for at the earliest possible date.
My ambition is to get the money out as quickly as possible.
Asked about developments on the EU-Mercosur negotiations, the minister said: “I haven’t an update; as I said previously, we’re quite concerned with what we’re hearing.
“As you know the Taoiseach has been working with other like-minded member states including President Macron but I haven’t any more recent developments than that.”
Asked as to whether President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has responded to a letter co-signed by four European leaders including the Taoiseach, voicing “deep concerns” over a possible trade deal with the Mercosur trading bloc, the minister replied: “Not that I’m aware of.”