How the €100m Brexit beef fund will be distributed will be a decision for the Minister for Agriculture and the beef industry, the European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has said.
“We didn’t launch the inter-service consultation within the Commission yet, which we will launch this week.
"Therefore, it will be a matter for Minister Creed to sit down with the beef sector to work out how it’s going to be paid,” Commissioner Hogan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Member state approval
He added that getting the approval of 27 other EU member states on financial support for the Irish beef sector is not an easy task and emphasised Minister Creed’s success in that.
“There are some cynical people wanting to know about the timing of it [the fund].
"Are they suggesting that we don’t announce financial support for the beef sector?
“In April, I looked for applications from member states about support for vulnerable sectors.
"Four member states applied for supports and the only one that successfully met the conditions was Ireland.
"I announced it when it became available to me as I would any other normal announcement," he said.
The fund
The €100m fund, revealed last week, will see the European Commission put up €50m, with the Irish Government to match this figure.
No details regarding the terms and conditions of the scheme have been released yet.
However, last week, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he expects "the money to flow to farmers in the next couple of months".
Read more
Department to decide what farmers are eligible for €100m Brexit fund
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€100m beef package 'in the next couple of months' – Taoiseach
How the €100m Brexit beef fund will be distributed will be a decision for the Minister for Agriculture and the beef industry, the European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has said.
“We didn’t launch the inter-service consultation within the Commission yet, which we will launch this week.
"Therefore, it will be a matter for Minister Creed to sit down with the beef sector to work out how it’s going to be paid,” Commissioner Hogan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Member state approval
He added that getting the approval of 27 other EU member states on financial support for the Irish beef sector is not an easy task and emphasised Minister Creed’s success in that.
“There are some cynical people wanting to know about the timing of it [the fund].
"Are they suggesting that we don’t announce financial support for the beef sector?
“In April, I looked for applications from member states about support for vulnerable sectors.
"Four member states applied for supports and the only one that successfully met the conditions was Ireland.
"I announced it when it became available to me as I would any other normal announcement," he said.
The fund
The €100m fund, revealed last week, will see the European Commission put up €50m, with the Irish Government to match this figure.
No details regarding the terms and conditions of the scheme have been released yet.
However, last week, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he expects "the money to flow to farmers in the next couple of months".
Read more
Department to decide what farmers are eligible for €100m Brexit fund
Listen: new agri-tech hub in Kilkenny
€100m beef package 'in the next couple of months' – Taoiseach
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