Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has instructed his officials to issue an apology for deducting money from farmers’ Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payment this week.

The money was clawed back by the Department under the BEAM scheme conditions but farmers were unaware it would be taken from their disadvantaged payment.

A spokesperson for Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “The minister accepts that the way in which the Department deducted money from participants was not properly handled and greater sight of the process should have been given to those farmers.”

This is an 85% advance under the 2021 ANC scheme

A total of €182m is being paid out to 85,000 farmers in disadvantaged areas this week. This is an 85% advance under the 2021 ANC scheme.

Payments are expected to hit bank accounts today, Thursday 16 September.

Farmers who had not met the conditions of the BEAM scheme had been contacted by the Department last week, instructing them that they had 30 days to pay back money, at which point a 3% interest charge would be applied.

The communication with farmers on BEAM by the Department has been a complete shambles

However, just days later and without warning, the Department deducted the outstanding balances from both ANC and TAMS payments.

IFA president Tim Cullinan said: “The communication with farmers on BEAM by the Department has been a complete shambles.”