Almost 25,000 applications to the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) scheme have been received by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as of Thursday night, September 5.

At present, Co. Galway leads the way, with with 2,672 applications, of which: 708 are for suckler-only payments; 710 are for finisher-only payments; and 1,254 are for payments on both suckler and finished animals.

Co. Cork is the only other county with over 2,000 applications. Exactly 2,144 farmers here have applied, of which: 455 are for suckler-only payments; 844 are for finisher-only payments; and 845 are for payments on both suckler and finished animals.

Below is the breakdown for the first 13 counties (in alphabetical order):

However, Co. Mayo is well on its ways to hitting the 2,000 figure. It saw the third highest level of applications – 1,952, of which: 562 are for suckler-only payments; 471 are for finisher-only payments; and 919 are for payments on both suckler and finished animals.

Only four other counties hit four figures in terms of total applications. In descending order these counties are: Tipperary, with 1,617 applications; Roscommon, with 1,483 applications; Limerick, with 1,142 applications; and Clare, with 1,122 applications.

Here is the breakdown of figures for the remaining counties and, below that, the total nationwide figures:

The original closing date for submitting applications was yesterday, Sunday, September 8. However, last Wednesday, September 4, Minister Michael Creed announced that this date would be extended to next Sunday, September 15.

“Some 20,000 farmers have already submitted their applications but there are over 70,000 farmers who are potentially eligible for a payment and I have decided to extend the deadline to facilitate applications from as many of these as possible,” the minister said last week.

“I also want to ensure that my department is in a position to make payments to applicants at the earliest possible date and therefore I would urge eligible farmers to make their application by the new deadline,” he added.

As of the day before Minister Creed’s announcement, Tuesday, September 3, the amount of applications stood at exactly 21,341, according to department figures. The latest figures show that there were over 3,000 new applications submitted in just two days between Tuesday, September 3, and Thursday, September 5.