In order to draw down the €100m Brexit beef fund, farmers will have to be a member of an environmental scheme or be a member of a quality assurance (QA) scheme, the secretary general at the Department of Agriculture Brendan Gleeson has said.
Gleeson was before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday and was asked by Fianna Fáil TD Bobby Aylward for an update on the €100m fund.
Temporary adjustment scheme
“The Commission are providing €50m in funding. It’s called a temporary adjustment scheme, that’s what the Commission are calling it,” Gleeson said.
“The conditions include membership of an environmental scheme or membership of a quality assurance scheme.
"There’s a requirement imposed by the Commission that we would have some kind of temporary reduction.
“In other words, the Commission has looked at this case made on the market and they’ve said well if this is a market scheme, then in the same way they did with the temporary voluntary reduction scheme in dairy – they’ve said if you want this €50m, one of the conditions must be that there must be some temporary adjustment in supply to address the market issue,” he said.
Voluntary reduction
On the reduction in supply, Gleeson said that it won’t be a permanent adjustment in supply.
“It will be voluntary. The Commission look at this and see that Ireland is slaughtering an extra 10,000 animals a week and therefore that has something to do with the price dynamic as well.
"Therefore, if they’re [the Commission] going to provide money for Ireland, there has to be some kind of a supply adjustment as well.
“That’s the Commission’s perspective, but the heading on this regulation will be temporary adjustment aid.
"The same thing happened with milk in 2016, I think, where there was a voluntary reduction scheme for farmers who wanted to reduce the supply of milk, so it’s the same kind of thing.
“If you want the money you’ll have to do this, but it will be a temporary adjustment,” Gleeson said.
Draft regulation
The draft regulation for the €100m Brexit beef fund, revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal a number of weeks ago, said that the money will be given to Ireland on condition that the measures taken by Ireland are aimed at reducing production or restructuring the beef sector.
In addition, it also wants Ireland to implement one of three options:
Implement quality schemes in the beef sector or projects aimed at promoting quality and added value.Boost market diversification.Protect and improve farmers’ environmental, climate and economic sustainability. Read more
Brussels wants suckler herd reduction in exchange for €100m beef fund
July deadline for Department design €100m beef fund scheme
Weanling prices fell up to €97/head from Brexit uncertainty
In order to draw down the €100m Brexit beef fund, farmers will have to be a member of an environmental scheme or be a member of a quality assurance (QA) scheme, the secretary general at the Department of Agriculture Brendan Gleeson has said.
Gleeson was before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday and was asked by Fianna Fáil TD Bobby Aylward for an update on the €100m fund.
Temporary adjustment scheme
“The Commission are providing €50m in funding. It’s called a temporary adjustment scheme, that’s what the Commission are calling it,” Gleeson said.
“The conditions include membership of an environmental scheme or membership of a quality assurance scheme.
"There’s a requirement imposed by the Commission that we would have some kind of temporary reduction.
“In other words, the Commission has looked at this case made on the market and they’ve said well if this is a market scheme, then in the same way they did with the temporary voluntary reduction scheme in dairy – they’ve said if you want this €50m, one of the conditions must be that there must be some temporary adjustment in supply to address the market issue,” he said.
Voluntary reduction
On the reduction in supply, Gleeson said that it won’t be a permanent adjustment in supply.
“It will be voluntary. The Commission look at this and see that Ireland is slaughtering an extra 10,000 animals a week and therefore that has something to do with the price dynamic as well.
"Therefore, if they’re [the Commission] going to provide money for Ireland, there has to be some kind of a supply adjustment as well.
“That’s the Commission’s perspective, but the heading on this regulation will be temporary adjustment aid.
"The same thing happened with milk in 2016, I think, where there was a voluntary reduction scheme for farmers who wanted to reduce the supply of milk, so it’s the same kind of thing.
“If you want the money you’ll have to do this, but it will be a temporary adjustment,” Gleeson said.
Draft regulation
The draft regulation for the €100m Brexit beef fund, revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal a number of weeks ago, said that the money will be given to Ireland on condition that the measures taken by Ireland are aimed at reducing production or restructuring the beef sector.
In addition, it also wants Ireland to implement one of three options:
Implement quality schemes in the beef sector or projects aimed at promoting quality and added value.Boost market diversification.Protect and improve farmers’ environmental, climate and economic sustainability. Read more
Brussels wants suckler herd reduction in exchange for €100m beef fund
July deadline for Department design €100m beef fund scheme
Weanling prices fell up to €97/head from Brexit uncertainty
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