Written Answers Nos. 214 - 222
214. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the checks that are carried out on imported pig meat; and if such imported meat can qualify to be labelled as of Irish origin. [3271/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the free movement of goods within the European Union provides that once goods (including pigmeat) are produced in an approved establishment in another Member State, then those goods are free to move without official checks to other member states. Each Member State is responsible for ensuring that approved food premises comply with EU regulations. My Department’s Veterinary Inspectors conduct audits on these approved premises in Ireland.
For pig products imported from outside the EU these must come from plants approved under the European Union veterinary inspection regime and having equivalent standards as that within the EU. Meat products entering the EU from a third country are subject to documentary, identity and (if considered necessary) physical checks to ensure compliance with the requirements. Pig meat imported into this country could only qualify to be labelled as Irish if it was processed (subject to substantial transformation) in Ireland. The Food Information for the Consumer Regulation (1169/2011/ EC) inter alia, provides for mandatory country of origin/place of provenance labelling. This Regulation extends mandatory origin/provenance labelling to pigmeat, sheepmeat and poultry etc. The Commission is currently conducting an impact assessment with detailed rules to be adopted in implementing acts by the end of this year. It is intended that the legislation will come into effect in 2014.
215. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if payment of rural environment protection scheme for 2011 has now been issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [3279/13]
View answerThe person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first four years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. The detailed administrative checks identified an issue in relation to Supplementary Measure 3 (Rare Breeds) which require further examination. The issue is currently being addressed with the intention of an early resolution and payment in respect of 2012 as soon as possible.
216. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue on an appeal regarding the disadvantaged area scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3285/13]
View answerUnder 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, there are two criteria to be satisfied in relation to horses. First, the holding itself must meet the definition of an Equine Breeding Enterprise and second, horses, in order to be taken into account for stocking density purposes, must be aged one to five years and, where older, must be a breeding mare for the purposes of the Scheme. While the person named submitted twelve equine passports to my Department, as none was in respect of a breeding mare, the holding of the person named does not satisfy the definition of an Equine Breeding Enterprise. Accordingly, the person named is not due payment under the 2012 Scheme. The applicant was advised of the position by letter dated 6 November 2012.
217. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry incurred an increased sanction for a cross compliance failure; if the matter will be reviewed as the person cannot afford to lose this amount of their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3291/13]
View answerThe reason for the penalty in this instance was outlined to the applicant by letter from my Department on 20 August 2012 and also in a reply to a previous Parliamentary Question on this case on 9th October 2012. In summary, the penalty arose from a breach of Nitrates legislation. My Department’s letter and also my response in the House drew attention to the review process which is available to the applicant, which involves submission in writing to the Department of any new relevant evidence, including any supporting documentation. To date, the applicant has not initiated the review process.
218. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will supply a list of Spanish and Dutch companies which export food ingredients into Ireland. [3355/13]
View answerEU law provides for the free movement of goods between Member States. On that basis, food ingredients produced in an establishment which is approved under relevant regulation can be moved freely within the EU. The onus of compliance with EU food safety regulations, including traceability requirements, rests in the first instance with food business operators. Food business operators in Ireland are responsible for carrying out checks to ensure that their ingredients come from approved plants. In meat plants that operate under the supervision of my Department my officials conduct audits on these checks to verify their effectiveness. My Department does not maintain a list of Spanish and Dutch companies, or companies in other EU Member States, that export food ingredients to Ireland.
219. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway may expect to receive payment of their agri environment option scheme grant for 2012. [3369/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st September 2010 and full payments totalling €1,424.71 and €4,473.78 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During these checks for 2012 an issue was identified in relation to the Conservation of Genetic Resources action. My Department has issued a letter to the person named regarding this matter. Payment for 2012 will issue at the earliest opportunity once this issue has been resolved.
220. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide for each of the past three years, in tabular form, a list of fishing opportunities, fishing quota and fishing effort that were swapped with other EU member states and third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3380/13]
View answerEach year a number of swaps of fishing quotas and effort takes place with other Member States. Swaps are normally initially proposed or organised by the fishing industry lead by the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) and completed in a transaction between Member States. This may happen for a number of reasons. Firstly at the start of each year when the TAC and Quota Regulation is published, quotas for a number of fisheries which are of little interest to the Irish fleet are swapped for quotas for stocks which are of interest to our fleet.
Secondly throughout the year, the industry lead by the FIF works closely with the Department to recommend effective monthly management regimes for pressure stocks. In this monthly process the Industry recommends that some quotas or effort be swapped in order to maintain a supply of a particular quota for a stock of particular importance to the Irish fleet. In addition, where such proposals are received from other Member States, the FIF recommends the amounts and species to be swapped. These swaps are completed by the Department using the EU FIDES fishery database system. The third reason for swaps is at the end of year where a quota has been exceeded and any opportunity to address this overfishing is used through completing swaps with other Member States. The tables which the Deputy has requested are large and voluminous in nature and therefore they are being sent directly to the Deputy.
221. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a statement by British Food Minister David Heath, MP, on 17 January, to the effect that the import of the horse meat which contaminated burgers was an example of criminality and that it may lead to prosecutions in this jurisdiction or in Britain. [3416/13]
View answerIntensive investigations are continuing with a view to identifying the source of the equine DNA in one processing facility. This includes further analysis of a range of samples from both burgers and ingredients. Detailed analysis of records held by the company relating to the sourcing of ingredients and the incorporation of these ingredients is also being conducted. It would be inappropriate for me to speculate on the final outcome of the investigations and analysis being carried out by my Department and the actions that may need to be considered as a consequence.
222. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a compensation programme in respect of losses incurred by farmers under the BVD eradication programme; his plans to re-introduce the €100 welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3442/13]
View answerI have received a request to provide funding in respect of the compulsory phase of the BVD programme. This request must be placed in the context of the economic benefits accruing to farmers arising from the eradication of this disease and, particularly, the short payback time involved as well as the budgetary resources available to my Department. It has been estimated that the overall benefit for the eradication of this disease is beneficial to farmers. I should also emphasise that it is important that my Department concentrates its scarce resources in continuing to support Animal Health Ireland in its ongoing work in establishing control programmes for non-regulated diseases of livestock in Ireland.
