€50 million has been made available for beef finishers, to help them deal with income lost during the pandemic.
Prices collapsed in lockdown, as restaurants and food service businesses closed across the world.
The government is now offering €100 per animal slaughtered in that period, with a limit of 100 payments per farm.
Minister Dara Calleary says the re-opening of restaurants has helped but the industry is still under intense pressure. He's said while Ireland has "an excellent product" it's a market that can change quickly.
Farmers lost up to €200 per slaughter during the height of lockdown according to the Irish Farmers Association.
Its President Tim Cullinane says this money will be a welcome relief for the sector which saw a "serious deficite" during the lockdown.
