Vol. 1039 No. 2
49. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends to extend current supports to address ash dieback; if he will outline additional measures his Department is taking to support forestry landowners in removing affected trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25111/23]
Does the Minister of State intend to extend what was announced for the interim scheme for farmers and other landowners whose trees have been affected by ash dieback? The clear response from the likes of the Society of Irish Foresters, SIF, and the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, is that what was announced for the interim scheme, including the enhanced features, does not go far enough. Does the Minister of State intend to go further, given their remarks?
Deputies across the House may be aware that the first confirmed finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland was made on 12 October 2012 at a forestry plantation site that had been planted in 2009 with trees imported from continental Europe. In March 2013, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine introduced a reconstitution scheme to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme that had suffered from, or were associated with, plants affected by the disease.
Following a review of the national response to ash dieback disease, arising from scientific advice and evidence that eradication of ash dieback disease is no longer feasible, the reconstitution and underplanting scheme, RUS, was launched in June 2020. The purpose of the RUS was to clear all ash trees and replant with other species. Grants for site clearance and replanting to cover the costs associated with these operations were provided, and premiums continued to be paid where the contracts were still in premium. A total of €9.2 million has been expended to date on both schemes.
In March, I introduced an interim reconstitution scheme for ash dieback via general de minimis provisions. It doubles site clearance rates, increases grant rates and has an improved premium regime. The interim scheme includes the following enhanced features: a 100% increase in the site clearance grant rate from €1,000 to €2,000; enhanced grant rates as per the draft forestry programme for the period 2023 to 2027; those applicants whose sites are still in premium will continue to receive the premiums due for the remaining years; and for those in receipt of the farmer rate of premium, a top-up premium equal to the difference between the equivalent forestry type and the existing premium will be paid. This will be calculated for the remaining years left in premium and paid in a single sum. A similar scheme for the reconstitution of ash dieback will be launched as part of the new forestry programme.
I thank the Minister of State for her response. Even with the enhanced features of the interim scheme, several issues have been flagged. The likes of SIF and the IFA have said the scheme, even with the enhanced features, does not go far enough. The Minister of State has said it includes grants to cover the cost of site clearance. Does she know what those costs are? Again, the organisations are telling us that what the Government has announced does not cover all costs associated with removing affected ash dieback trees. We know that because this issue has been allowed to go on for this long, the situation is now worse. The decay in the trees is worse, and that will make it more expensive to remove them safely. The costs announced as part of the scheme do not cover this.
I also wish to raise the issue of the compensation package for the loss of income suffered. Affected farmers and landowners should be allowed to access the same premium grants as new entrants under the scheme. This is just as much about confidence in the sector as it is about dealing with the issue of ash dieback.
I fully accept that the ash dieback issue has damaged confidence in the sector. I also accept that there are concerns about the RUS. That said, there are satisfied farmers who have availed of the scheme and who are pleased to have done so. I accept that there is another cohort that is not as pleased and who keep the pressure on, but a total of 974 applications under the scheme have been approved since 2020. Farmers are engaging with the scheme as it stands. However, it is a challenging time for farmers. I accept that the issue damages confidence. I did and will commit to reviewing the current scheme, even with the increased rates for this year. That is on my agenda to do.
That will be important. It is not just a matter of dealing with the issue, which is important; it is also a significant issue of health and safety. We have to remember that. It is about confidence in the sector. A farmer or landowner thinking about how those affected by ash dieback have been treated would not be very confident or seek to engage or enter forestry. Therefore, it is important that the Minister of State consider allowing those affected to access the same grants and premiums as new entrants. If we want to build confidence in the sector, we need to get the supports for those affected right. That is very important.
There is also an issue with roadside ash dieback. Landowners are being told they are responsible for dealing with it. I am aware that the Department has issued guidance on this but the farmers will need more than guidance; they will need financial support. It is a serious health and safety issue and it needs to be investigated. I ask the Minister of State to consider not requiring felling licences and allowing permissions to be granted automatically to get this issue dealt with once and for all. She should get rid of the red tape, deal with the issue by granting permission for all the affected trees to be removed, and consider again the financial package to support farmers and other landowners in meeting the cost of site clearance, which is not currently being met although it should be.
I thank the Deputy for that. We examined quite thoroughly the idea of not requiring farmers to apply for felling licences. As part of Project Woodland, we examined the regulatory processes involved very extensively. We simply cannot allow farmers to fell trees without getting a licence. Felling entails a significant project that has an impact on the wider environment, so we do need to have a process in place. That process protects the environment as much as it can.
The previous costings for the site clearance grant was €1,000 per hectare. It is unfair to say that a doubling of that does not meet the costs. We would have examined the cost of clearance when we came up with the original figure and it was generous of the Department to double that figure since this year. As I said, I will keep the process and the ash dieback scheme under review. Between hedges and trees, about a quarter of all the trees in Ireland are ash trees so there is another discussion to be had about that.
50. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the plan to provide supports to the forgotten farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25141/23]
I want to acknowledge the Minister's commitment to finding a solution for the cohort known as the forgotten farmers. The scheme the Minister is looking at and what he will propose for this cohort of young farmers have been awaited for quite some time. Can the Minister provide us with an update on the proposal he is looking at?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she knows, I have long supported the cohort of farmers known as the forgotten farmers and I have committed to supporting those farmers who find themselves in this situation, through no fault of their own in many cases, and I have committed to addressing this issue. We are working on a tailored support package for these farmers and I want to conclude the process as soon as possible. My Department has developed a preliminary outline of a proposal to provide support to the forgotten farmer group. There are a number of issues to be addressed, for example, the funding required and consistency with public expenditure, before the details of the eligibility requirements and benefits to successful applicants under a scheme can be finalised. Details of the scheme will be made available as soon as this process has been completed.
I am committed to delivering for these farmers, many of whom find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own. It is an important issue. Many of these farmers have missed out on supports that were available to others and we want to ensure they can keep farming. As Minister, I want to ensure that it is recognised that they missed out on those supports. It is a tricky issue to navigate and it is tricky to find an overall package that will deal with it. It is also being done in the context of all the other schemes being rolled out this year and the work that is ongoing with that. The commitment is there that we will resolve the issue. It is an issue that has been going on for many years but farmers can rest assured that we will deal with it and that we are working our way through it.
I thank the Minister for his response. We have been hearing for some time, particularly towards the end of last year, that the package was coming and that detailed information was coming, and that commitment has been made several times. We were to get further detail in the first quarter of this year and that time has come and gone. Can the Minister give these farmers any commitment on a timeframe for this, given how long they have waited already and given that in the media the proposals the Minister is looking at have been half put out there and half not? There is an awful lot of uncertainty for this cohort of farmers and they have been left in a vulnerable position. I imagine many of them have left farming or are considering their futures, given the pressure they have been put under and the fact that they cannot wait forever for this scheme. Given that the basic income support for sustainability scheme is about to close in a matter of days, can the Minister give us any idea whether we are looking at the period before recess or if we are looking towards the end of the year? Can the Minister give any indication to these farmers who are still waiting?
I will be having a meeting with the team in my Department shortly for a full update on all of the work I have asked them to do and to progress. The same team has been working on rolling out all of the various new schemes which are opening week-on-week. I have sought to give as much certainty as possible to those farmers in the forgotten farmer category that this will happen but I have also made it clear that it will take time and that it cannot happen quickly. It will be a number of more months but I want to progress it as quickly as I can. I will be meeting my team shortly to sit down and go through exactly how far they have come and how we can step it out in the best timeframe possible. That is being done alongside the various schemes being rolled out and the significant pressure there is this year.
I can give certainty to the forgotten farmers that this is being dealt with and that we are committed to dealing with it. It is something that has been in play for 15 years but it will take a bit more time to do it. I will come back with further clarification on that once I have sat down with the team again to review the work that has been carried out. A lot of work has been required to pull it all together and to assess the different profiles of farmers who are affected. I will give as much clarity at that point on how we can step it out from here.
Can the Minister give us a little bit more information on the work that is under way by the Department at the Minister's request? Is there a proposal from the Department on the table which outlines what this scheme might look like? The Minister has mentioned eligibility, and it is critically important that we get that element of it right. Is there engagement with farm organisations or others on what the scheme might look like before it will be entirely rolled out? Is that something the Minister is looking at?
On clarification for these farmers, will they be able to access the new young farmers scheme and the national reserve? Those questions are being asked as well. As much clarity as possible is important for this cohort of farmers, given that they have waited and are still waiting for far too long. I know the Minister would share that view. This matter needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible. If it will be a number of months then at least the Minister can give them that bit of clarity but they need some timeframe on their futures. That is only fair.
We have received submissions from the various farming organisations on this issue and on how they feel it should be addressed. The various options and ways forward are being looked at by my officials so we do not have full clarity on that yet because a range of options are being looked at. As soon as I have that clarity I will bring it but there has been engagement and we have gathered information from farm representatives on their views on the issue and how best we could address it.
51. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to increase the amount of land being farmed for tillage purposes. [25024/23]
Tillage is an important part of our agrifood sector and the rural economy. A University College Dublin report from 2020 showed that Irish tillage generates €1.3 billion in economic outputs and supports 11,000 jobs. It is also one of the sectors within agriculture that has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions and it is already carbon neutral in many cases. Despite all of this, the sector is not being supported properly by the Government and tillage farmers are under severe pressure. I want an update on what the Department is doing to increase the amount of land being farmed for tillage purposes. We all know the tillage sector is not reaching its full potential in Ireland.
I thank Deputy Cairns for raising this. I start by again reaffirming my commitment to our domestic tillage sector. It is dynamic, sustainable and world-class and I am committed to securing the long-term future of the sector. I want to see it grow in the years ahead and we understand the tillage sector's importance and how it is an integral component of our industry. We also know it makes a significant contribution to the overall agricultural output. Last year it was estimated at €1 billion in value at farm gate prices. We have also recognised the importance of the Food Vision 2030 strategy and in the climate action plan, where a target has been set to increase the area in tillage to 400,000 ha. That is an ambitious target but one we can achieve and that is well-founded, given that the sector is one of the most carbon-efficient sectors in Irish agriculture.
To help achieve this target, I recently established the Food Vision 2030 tillage group, which had its first meeting on 11 May. This group is bringing together all of the relevant stakeholders to set out a road map for the sustainable growth and development of the sector up to 2030. I am aware of the challenges facing the tillage sector, including access to land. Other issues relevant to the sector will be discussed in detail by the group as well. Once it has concluded its recommendations, and I have asked it to carry out that work urgently, I will fully consider them.
In recent years I have also been proactive in introducing a number of innovative measures to support the sector. Last year I introduced the tillage incentive scheme and that contributed to an increase in the area under tillage of 20,000 ha, or approximately a 6% increase on the year before. We paid out just under €10 million through that to over 3,500 farmers. That was paid at a rate of €400 per hectare for each new hectare of tillage and I am running that again this year at the same rate but with an additional €200 per hectare maintenance payment for anything that qualified for the €400 per hectare payment last year.
The Minister is outlining plans for the area under tillage but there are so many contradictions in the policy.
The Minister highlighted that tillage farmers are finding it hard to rent land. There is no plan to address that matter, other than to talk to them about it. This has been an issue for a while now, in particular for farmers who might be facing a change in derogation and who are renting land in other places. Tillage farmers simply cannot compete with the price dairy farmers can make in that way. As a result, the policies continue to drive dairy farmers to increase the amount of nitrates they are using and they are renting land at extortionate prices to do that, which is worthwhile, and then preventing tillage farmers from being able to rent more land. From what the Minister says, there does not seem to be any plan to address that.
The Minister also mentioned the tillage incentive scheme, which did lead to an increase in the area of land under tillage, but that was mainly of advantage to non-tillage farmers. That was especially demoralising, as farmers who were already invested in tillage could not benefit from the scheme. We all know that there is not enough joined-up thinking for the tillage sector. It is completely undervalued. It is carbon-neutral. We are importing food and feed from all over the world and there is no real or meaningful effort to encourage more people to go into tillage in Ireland. Will the Minister outline what he is going to do about tillage farmers being driven out in view of the prices they must pay to rent land? Because of the situation in dairy, it is financially worthwhile for dairy farmers to rent land and potentially not even use it, in order that they can apply more nitrates.
I have a massive commitment to the tillage sector. It is a very important one that has been shrinking in recent years, but that we need to see expand and for the trend to be reversed. Some of the measures I have introduced have been unprecedented in terms of the support level. I talked about the tillage incentive scheme last year.
Tillage farmers did not benefit from it.
I also referred to the straw incorporation measure, which is very important. I introduced it for the first time and it is now plugged into the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Some €10 million was paid last year for that. There was also a doubling of the protein aid in terms of the coupling under pillar 1. Those are supports that were never there before and are there again. It did achieve a reversal last year. Thankfully, we saw it start to go in the right direction. We are in a very different year this year with unique pressures. I want to gather all ideas, including any ideas Deputy Cairns might have, because we need to pool all the brainpower in the sector in order to see how we can take it forward. I established this committee to respond to the various challenges, especially those that have emerged in recent months, in order that I can bring together the knowledge of everyone in this sector and look at the proposals we can adopt to ensure that the tillage sector grows. I am concerned at where it is at this year. The sector is under pressure in spite of the progress I have made as Minister, working with the sector in recent years. I am concerned that we could see a shrinkage in the area under tillage this year rather than continued growth. That is something I do not want to happen. I want to see what steps I can take, as Minister, to continue the momentum we had built up to last year.
It requires more consistent policies that reward environmentally sustainable farming. There are policy changes that would make a substantial difference to the sector. We could be growing a lot more feed and food. One of the changes that could be made relates to tillage machinery, which is so expensive. The current investment ceiling of €90,000 in the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, 3 is insufficient to address the cost of specialist equipment in that sector. The scheme could be adjusted upwards. We could perhaps engage with Teagasc to expand the range of eligible investments.
I agree with the Minister that the straw incorporation measure was a very welcome development in the sector, and it has proven successful. Perhaps an increase in the acreage limit for applications by individual farmers would be a really good thing to look into in order to support the sector. Practical changes like that would make a massive difference to farmers who are enduring the high production costs and the variable prices. We also need to look into the issue of land being rented at extreme prices because it is worthwhile for dairy farmers to do that at the moment. If the nitrates are not even being applied to that area of land, it does not do anything to protect the water quality in a particular area, which is the entire purpose of having a limit on the amount of nitrates that can be used. Is there a way to monitor that? If a farmer is allowed to apply X amount of nitrates for X number of acres, does it have to be spread over those particular acres? What is the Department doing in relation to that if the whole purpose of the regulation is to protect our water?
I am hungry for ideas in this regard. I put a big effort into trying to grow and support the sector. Under the straw incorporation measure, an individual tillage farmer can get up to €10,000. That was a significant injection into it.
We are in a new TAMS this year, so even if farmers have maximised their investments last time around, they now have a new €90,000 investment ceiling. We have also expanded the range of equipment that they can apply for under TAMS. The big pressure obviously is the challenge around rental prices. That has certainly been affected by the nitrates challenge. That is something I am going to raise in Europe to see if we can get additional flexibility because it is putting pressure on land and it does seem to be putting pressure on tillage in particular.
How is keeping the derogation in place a solution?
The Government has sought to support tillage in a way that has never happened before, through a range of measures. We had made progress. This year has different types of pressures, ones which there are not necessarily obvious answers to address. I want to pool all the ideas together to see how we can support this sector. I certainly welcome any ideas Deputy Cairns or any other Deputies have in that regard. I welcome in particular the committee I have put together of all of the people in the tillage sector to advise the challenges that are there and how the Government can make sure that we drive the tillage sector on towards that 400,000 ha target which we have set.
52. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development for the period 2021 to 2030; when the plan will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25048/23]
My question specifically relates to a report. I am asking the Minister about the status of the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development for the period 2021 to 2030. Where is the plan? Has it been published? If not, when will it be published and what are the reasons for the delay?
In December 2022, I approved the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development following a public consultation process and subsequent refinement. The plan establishes a vision for Irish aquaculture up to 2030, which reflects the common direction set out in the EU's strategic guidelines for more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period. It visualises a sustainable, profitable, competitive, and market-focused aquaculture industry making the maximum long-term economic and social contribution to coastal communities and the country as a whole, while optimising environmental performance and supporting the natural capital upon which it depends. The sector maintains a competitive advantage through low-impact production while building commercial resilience through technical innovation and diversification. This, in turn, supports a more diverse consumer and market base aligned to increased recognition of Irish aquaculture's growing status as a key provider of sustainable, low carbon and healthy food.
To realise our ambitions, four high-level objectives have been established including, first, building the resilience and competitiveness of Irish aquaculture; second, participating in the green transition; third, ensuring social acceptance and consumer information, and; fourth, increasing knowledge and innovation. Under these objectives a total of 58 actions have been developed. These actions include but are not limited to, supporting, for example, the roll-out of a user-friendly online aquaculture licensing and information system, otherwise known as AQUAMIS; supporting the development of designated marine area plans, DMAPs, for the inclusion of aquaculture; increased focus on fish welfare; more vigilant and responsive monitoring of aquatic diseases and food safety risks; supporting innovation; providing co-ordinated messaging on the sustainable, low-carbon nature of Irish aquaculture production; and developing a comprehensive human capacity plan for Irish aquaculture.
The plan has been through a process to ensure it is ready for publication and accessible to all stakeholders. It is due to be brought before the Government and published before the end of the second quarter this year.
I thank the Minister for the clarification that the report is to be published at the end of the second quarter. The other plan ran out two and a half years ago and the Minister has still not given me an explanation for the delay in publishing this plan. It is very difficult to follow it. I took a particular interest in seaweed when I came in here, as did my colleagues, and a motion was passed by the majority of the Dáil which recognised the absence of a sustainable policy for the seaweed industry. That was 2018 and we are now in 2023. I have all of this information before me and I am desperately trying to get my head around reports. The plan has not been published yet and the Minister is now saying it will be published at the end of the second quarter. Then we have a plan from Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, that was published in May. It refers to the national plan that has not been published yet. It is a little bit bewildering for me, even though I am well able to read and get my head around it, but I have not been able to gather where we are going with this. I get very worried about the ongoing model of development based on profit, but that is an argument for another day.
I take Deputy Connolly's point. There is a sense of urgency in terms of finalising the publication of the report. As I say, it is going to be published by the end of this quarter. In the meantime, we have seen significant supports and work for the development of the aquaculture sector.
In July of last year I announced a €20 million sustainable aquaculture growth scheme, which is providing stimulus for aquaculture businesses to grow and meet the growing demand for Irish seafood. My Department’s European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, seafood development programme was adopted by the European Commission in December 2022 and that funding provides for public interest projects of benefit to aquaculture as well as direct supports to the industry, facilitating the realisation of actions in the national strategic plan.
I absolutely accept the urgency of having this published. I take on board the point Deputy Connolly made on the length of time this is taking. We want to see it concluded and that will be done and published by the end of the second quarter.
I welcome that. I also welcome the work of the former Minister of State, Deputy English, in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in relation to seaweed. My difficulty is that we have a Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, report referring to and outlining a report that has not even been published and that we have not read. That is one difficulty. The second difficulty is that we are operating in a vacuum. Friends of the Irish Environment has drawn to our attention allegations in relation to unsustainable harvesting of seaweed down in the Kenmare special area of conservation. Has the Minister had any interaction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to that and around seaweed being cut unsustainably by a company? I mention this because we have known for a long time that there is a vacuum in policy and legislation, especially in the areas of seaweed and wool that have huge significance and possibilities for sustainable development and going forward with transformative action on the west coast of Ireland from Donegal down to Kerry. Yet, we are going from report to report. We have difficulty finding them and there are delays in publishing them. There is a vacuum. It is very difficult and frustrating when we see the possibilities and we are being told of the possibilities. I mentioned one of them because the Minister of State, Senator Pippa Hackett, is beside the Minister. These are wonderful and positive opportunities.
The last word is to the Minister.
I thank Deputy Connolly. I checked with my Department to see if there has been any engagement on the issue of seaweed in that location. I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy directly. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue today. Our aquaculture sector does not get enough recognition or discussion in the Chamber, or indeed recognition in wider society around its potential. The Deputy is absolutely right that it must be done in a way that is sustainable, in a way that integrates with the environment around it, and fully accounts for that. That is the objective of the new strategy as well. I look forward to its publication in the second quarter, and to building on its potential from there on.
