Written Answers Nos. 170-178
170. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will outline in tabular form, the amount of money allocated by his Department and agencies within his Department to Ballina, Castlebar and Westport Town Council between 1997 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43940/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is listed in the following table for the period 2001 to date in 2012. Records for the years prior to 2001 are archived and are not readily available. The payments to Castlebar Town Council were for water rates and the payment to Westport Town Council was for a Forestry grant (Neighbour BMW). My Department does not have any records for payments to Ballina Town Council.
|
Year |
Castlebar Town Council (Water rates) |
Wesport Town Council (Forestry grant) |
|
2001 |
- |
- |
|
2002 |
3,850.00 |
- |
|
2003 |
5,120.00 |
- |
|
2004 |
2,560.00 |
- |
|
2005 |
2,560.00 |
- |
|
2006 |
- |
- |
|
2007 |
- |
- |
|
2008 |
- |
- |
|
2009 |
- |
23,575.00 |
|
2010 |
- |
- |
|
2011 |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
- |
- |
|
Total |
€14,090.00 |
€23,575.00 |
171. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will allow the Agricultural Consultants Association, who has contact with circa 45,000 farmers, to be promoted equally as a provision for advice on environmental schemes and other farming advice services. [43961/12]
View answerThere are currently 30,000 farmers with active REPS 4 plans. These farmers employed an approved planner to prepare their REPS plans in the first instance. The planners also advise their clients on all matters relating to the Scheme including inter alia, amendments to the plan and obligations under Irish and EU law. The Department has an approved list of planners which includes the members of the Agricultural Association that meet the educational standards laid down and this list is available in the local AES offices and on the Department’s website.
Participants in the AEOS Scheme who require a Sustainable Management Plan must engage a planner. The only planners that are acceptable are those that are registered on the Department’s Cross Compliance Farm Advisory System (FAS) database. It is open to any person with the necessary qualifications to apply for registration.
As regards farm advisory services, individual farmers are free to select their preferred supplier either Teagasc or private consultants and arrange their own fee in this regard. I understand that in the light of resource constraints, Teagasc have identified opportunities for consultants to take on some of their work in areas such as REPs and education support, and this may evolve further in the future.
The Department facilitates the equal participation of all private consultants (including ACA members) and Teagasc in the delivery of payment support schemes such as the Single Farm Payment and advisory initiatives such as the Dairy Efficiency Programme etc. provided they meet the requirements of the programme or scheme.
172. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawan to the Chalara fraxinea fungus which attacks ash trees and has decimated the number of such trees in other European countries; if the issue has been discussed at EU level; and if a ban on the importation of ash trees will be considered as a method of preventing the spread of this fungus here. [43970/12]
View answerChalara fraxinea is a relatively new harmful plant disease commonly known as ‘ash dieback’. It is widespread throughout much of Europe, where it has caused significant damage in recent years. The disease is currently not regulated under the EU Plant Health Directive.
The Forestry Inspectorate in my Department has been carrying out surveys for the disease to determine its status in Ireland and has also been monitoring imports of ash plants, and wood products. Every year many thousands of ash plants are imported for utilisation under the Department’s afforestation scheme and for other purposes.
I can confirm that Ireland has raised the issue at EU level under the Standing Committee on Plant Health. Due to the serious nature of this disease, it is my intention to introduce emergency measures following due process under the EU Plant Health Directive. It is likely that legislation would be introduced by Statutory Instrument that would require that any ash plants imported into the country would come from an area known to be free of the disease. This would be regulated under the EU Plant Passport system. In addition, my Department is working closely with their counterparts in Northern Ireland in order to jointly co-ordinate an all island approach to tackling the disease as we currently share a harmonised plant health legislative status.
173. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the position regarding a disadvantaged area payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if he has received an application from this person for exemption from the stocking density requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43993/12]
View answerThe person concerned is an applicant under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. Currently, this applicant is one of a number, whose cases are impacted by a requirement of a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare and who have applied for a derogation in this regard. Immediately a decision is reached on this application, the person concerned will be notified in writing. Should the decision be negative, a fully independent appeals procedure is available.
174. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be paid their 2012 disadvantaged area based payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43995/12]
View answerAn application under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 23 April 2012. However, payment has not yet issued as, at this stage, the holding of the person named has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirement. Immediately the holding of the person named is confirmed as having met this requirement, the case will be further processed with a view to payment at the earliest possible date thereafter.
175. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be paid their 2012 disadvantage area based payment, [43996/12]
View answerProcessing of the relevant Disadvantaged Area Scheme application has recently been completed, resulting in payment issuing to the nominated bank account of the person named on 10 October.
176. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine when he will address the practice of dumping millions of euros worth of fish into the Irish Sea every year, bearing in mind that Ireland is in a financial crises with many families finding it very difficult to put food on the table; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44001/12]
View answerDiscarding is a global problem and a complex one, where unwanted catches are returned to the sea as a result of a number of factors including quota restrictions, high grading, minimum landing sizes, and market conditions.
Ireland has been to the forefront in the drive to reduce and eliminate discards for many years and have taken a number of initiatives to this aim. On the 8th of November last, I launched an Irish “discard” atlas, which is a detailed compendium of discards by the Irish Fleet on a stock by stock and area by area basis. The Atlas, compiled and produced by the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara with the support of Irish Industry, outlines a range of potential measures to help reduce discarding.
This was the first publication of its kind and places Ireland firmly to the fore in the debate on eliminating discards. The atlas will inform the process to achieve real change and a significant reduction in discarding within the new Common Fisheries Policy, identifies where action needs to be taken, and the potential measures that could be adopted.
Finding practical and implementable solutions to the wasteful practice of discarding fish is a major priority issue for me. It is all the more poignant as it is a major principle of the new reform of the CFP. Since taking up office as Marine Minister, I have worked tirelessly to influence and drive a change in policy which will ultimately lead to an end to discarding.
I am conscious that any solution must be practical for fishermen and with that in mind I have worked closely with Commissioner Damanaki, my fellow Fisheries Ministers and members of the European Parliament in addition to consulting with our industry at home to ensure that proposals in the Common Fishery Policy to tackle discards would be workable and take account of the practical realities that would face fishermen at sea.
At the Council of Fisheries Ministers in June this year, I helped broker a general agreement among fisheries Ministers on the way forward for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy including innovate measures to tackle the discard problem.
Discarding was the most contentious element of those discussions and threatened to block the Council’s efforts to reach agreement. A compromise approach which I tabled for consideration setting down a definitive timetable for the elimination of discards on a phased basis, offered a practical and progressive solution on the issue which was accepted by fellow Ministers.
I will prioritise securing final agreement between the EU Fisheries Council and the Parliament on the CFP during the Irish Presidency during the first half of 2013.
177. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to work with the recently formed Acknowledgement Forum in Northern Ireland to look into issues of alleged illegal adoptions of children from the south into families in the north; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43898/12]
View answerAn Investigation and Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse has been established by the Northern Ireland Executive. The Inquiry will include a confidential 'Acknowledgement Forum' in which victims and survivors can recount their childhood experiences of living in institutions to members of the Inquiry Panel.
The Inquiry is similar to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ryan Report) which examined the wrongs inflicted on Irish children, who were placed by the State in residential institutions run by religious orders. My Department will assist the Inquiry as much as possible if required to do so.
178. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive, for new special care beds for vulnerable teenagers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43902/12]
View answerUnder the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. The policy of the HSE is to place children in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. There were 6,259 children in the care of the state in July 2012, the vast majority of whom were in foster care (5,725) and general residential care (351).
A very small minority of young people under 18 years of age have highly specialised needs arising from severe behaviour difficulties, due to their childhood experiences or in some cases as a result of injury, accident or disability. The care needs of these young people are generally met by directly provided residential services or services commissioned by the HSE within Ireland.
There are three designated special care units in the country where children are detained on order of the high court for their own safety. There is a unit in Ballydowd in Dublin, which has a capacity of 10 beds, another in Gleann Álainn in Cork with a capacity of 4 beds and Coovagh House in Limerick with a capacity capped at 2 for the present time following refurbishment of the unit.
Additionally, there are two National High Support Units in Ireland, Rath Na nÓg in Castleblaney and Crannóg Nua in Portrane. Currently there is a total
capacity of 10 beds in these two units.
The Health Service Executive is currently implementing a capital investment programme to expand the capacity of the national high support and special care service.
