Written Answers Nos. 220-227
220. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide financial support for farmers who are unable to secure credit and finance from any source and are experiencing severe fodder shortages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24504/13]
View answerI announced on 10 May an extension of the imported fodder transport scheme for a further two weeks and the doubling of the fund to €2m. Following consultation with Met Eireann, Co Ops, the farming organisations, Teagasc and the advice of officials working on the ground, the decision was taken to allow a further two weeks for fodder to be imported into the country with a doubling of the transport subsidy fund. Fodder, eligible under the scheme and delivered into the country will be covered up to next Friday 24 May. I have also decided, as an exceptional measure, that any definite purchases that have been placed by that date, but which will be delivered during the following week, will be included under the scheme.
By the end of the week some 2,000 loads of imported fodder, amounting to about 30,000 tonnes, will have benefitted from my Department’s contribution to these transport costs. My Department will continue to monitor the situation on a day by day basis. This remains a very challenging situation for farmers and the extension to 24 May will allow both farmers and Co Ops to have some certainty around the supply of fodder over the coming weeks.
For many farmers, concerns regarding access to credit and flexibility around loan repayments have been a significant issue. I have been in regular contact with the banks, co-ops and feed merchants to urge flexibility and co-operation at this challenging time. Both banks and co-ops have asked farmers to contact them to discuss the terms that are available and have indicated that they will show flexibility on the basis that the longer term outlook for farming is positive and prices are strong across most areas.
Further information on the scheme is available from the Department website. http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/fodderassistanceapril2013/
221. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive their agri environment option scheme one payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24506/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st November 2010 and full payments totalling €833.33 and €5,000.00 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 the checking process in respect of the 2012 scheme year, issues were identified in relation to the claimed areas on the Natura Commonage action which resulted in a 1% overdeclaration penalty. The person named was also selected for a Cross Compliance Inspection which resulted in a 3% cross compliance penalty being imposed. To date, 75% payment totalling €3,750.00 has issued in respect of the 2012 scheme year. My Department is now finalising the application of the person named and 25% payment (net of penalties) in respect of the 2012 scheme year will issue shortly.
222. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the agri-environment options scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24528/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st September 2011 and full payment totalling €783.62 issued in respect of 2011.
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. Payments in respect of the 2012 Scheme year are subject to a similar administrative checking process which includes verification of capital investment actions through checks on receipts submitted. During these checks a query was identified in relation to the capital expenditure claim of the person named. A letter issued to the person named on 20th May regarding this matter and the application will be further processed upon receipt of a satisfactory response to this query.
223. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he or his officials in his Department have engaged with the Department of Social Protection to analyse the impact of the fodder crisis on those farmers in receipt of farm assist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24557/13]
View answerI announced on 10 May an extension of the imported fodder transport scheme for a further two weeks and the doubling of the fund to €2m. Following consultation with Met Éireann, co-ops, the farming organisations and Teagasc, and with the advice of officials working on the ground, the decision was taken to allow a further two weeks for fodder to be imported into the country with a doubling of the transport subsidy fund. Fodder eligible under the scheme and delivered into the country will be covered up to next Friday 24 May. I have also decided, as an exceptional measure, that any definite purchases that have been placed by that date, but which will be delivered during the following week, will be included under the scheme.
By the end of the week some 2,000 loads of imported fodder, amounting to about 30,000 tonnes, will have benefited from my Department’s contribution to these transport costs. My Department will continue to monitor the situation on a day-by-day basis. This remains a very challenging situation for farmers and the extension to 24 May will allow both farmers and co-ops to have some certainty around the supply of fodder over the coming weeks.
It is also important that while continuing to focus on the emergency fodder position in the short term, farmers should also focus on growing and conserving fodder for next winter’s needs. We should be maximising production in the coming period and I have asked Teagasc to prioritise this policy in their advisory campaigns over the summer months.
It is clear that the main cut of silage will be delayed this year and as a consequence we need to look at the potential for the growing of additional fodder later into the season. In this regard I have also raised a number of specific issues with regard to the nitrates regulations with my colleague Deputy Hogan, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, with a view to ensuring we maximise the opportunity for fodder production this year.
The animal welfare hotline that I established remains open for those with emergency situations or who need information about where to source fodder at Lo-call 1850 21 19 90. The majority of calls received are enquiring about fodder availability and these callers are being referred to co-ops in their respective areas. Those farmers with animal welfare issues (i.e. animals starving) are being referred to the DVOs where there are systems in place to deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Further information on the scheme is available from the Department website. http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/fodderassistanceapril2013/.
The management of the farm assist scheme is a matter for my colleague Deputy Burton, the Minister for Social Protection, and I understand she met with farm organisations recently to discuss concerns with regard to the scheme in the context of the current fodder shortage.
224. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the regulations and methods of registering horses in the aftermath of the horsemeat crisis. [24571/13]
View answer229. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has taken or intends to take to improve horse identification/traceability in view of the horse meat scandal and a time frame for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24683/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 229 together.
The identification and registration of equidae is governed by EU Council Directives 90/426/EEC and 90/427/EEC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 504/2008 of 6 June 2008. The EU legislation has been transposed into national legislation via S.I. No. 357 of 2011 - European Communities (Equine) Regulations 2011 (as amended). Regulation 504/2008, which came into effect on 1 July 2009, provides that if an equine animal has not been identified within six months of the date of its birth, or by the 31st of December in the year of its birth, whichever date occurs later, it cannot be admitted to the food chain. It also provides that all equine animals registered after that date must be identified with a passport and a microchip.
At present, 9 Passport Issuing organisations are approved to issue passports in Ireland, including 3 Passport Issuing Organisations that issue passports for equidae that are ineligible for entry to studbooks. Passports for equidae which qualify for registration with a breed society must be issued by the relevant breed society as provided for in Regulation 504/2008.
I made an announcement in March that I would like to see the establishment of a single Passport Issuing Organisation, which would necessitate an amendment to EU legislation. Subsequently, the EU Commission published an Action Plan for dealing with the fall-out from the horsemeat issue, indicating that it intended to submit a proposal to the Agriculture Council of Ministers and the European Parliament to amend existing legislation to provide that competent authorities take over responsibility for issuing passports. A formal Commission proposal is expected in the second half of 2013. I have indicated that I will move to the final stage in the establishment of a single Passport Issuing Agency once EU legislation provides me with the overarching legal base to put this into effect. In the meantime, my Department is engaged in discussions with the PIOs with a view to enhancing the controls on passports at all stages of the process, including veterinary certification, quality of the paper used, security features etc.
In line with a commitment I gave earlier in the year, my Department has taken significant steps to establish a central equine database on the Animal Identification and Movement [AIM] system which contains data on cattle, sheep and pigs. The infrastructure for the central equine database is now in place. The central equine database can be used to supplement the checks carried out by Department staff in the premises that slaughter equine animals, in particular to check that any horses presented for slaughter have been correctly identified and are eligible for slaughter for the human food chain. In addition, under new rules recently adopted, a keeper presenting a horse for slaughter must have a registered equine premises while keepers from outside the State are accommodated through the use of a generic herd number. The database will be interrogated to check whether a horse presented for slaughter has originated in registered premises. Aside from the usual Veterinary checks, the passport of an animal presented for slaughter is examined to ensure that it has not been tampered with, that the markings recorded on the passport match the animal and that the animal is eligible for entry to the human food chain.
225. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if compensation is available to farmers who have lost part of their herds through BVD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24580/13]
View answerBVD is a viral disease of cattle that is estimated to cost Irish farmers around €102m each year. The provision of funding for compensation in the context of the compulsory phase of the BVD programme must be placed in the context of the economic benefits accruing to farmers arising from the eradication of this disease as well as the scarce budgetary resources available to my Department. Eradication of BVD disease is important to farmers and the strategy of my Department remains one of concentrating its scarce resources in continuing to support Animal Health Ireland financially in its ongoing work in developing the necessary infrastructure to eliminate the occurrence of BVD from the national herd thereby minimising financial losses for farmers and improving animal welfare.
226. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused a headage grant. [24586/13]
View answerThe person named is one of a number of applicants under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, whose cases were impacted by the requirement that their holdings must have achieved a minimum stocking density in 2011 of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare and who applied for and were refused derogation in this regard. While the person named was been informed of the option to appeal to the independently chaired DAS Appeals Committee, to date, this option has not been availed of.
227. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine a submission on the Common Agricultural Policy ; his views on the logical propositions detailed in the document; if he will endeavour to secure these proposals in his capacity as chairman of the informal talks among European agriculture Ministers regarding CAP reform in Dublin in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24598/13]
View answerI have examined the briefing note prepared by the Irish Farmers Association regarding CAP reform and I agree with many, though not all, of the points made.
As President of the European Council of Agriculture Ministers, my current objective is to secure an inter-institutional political agreement with the European Parliament and the Commission by the end of June. Given the range of views at the table, it is clear that the final agreement will involve a number of compromises. I hope to be able to navigate a course through these diverging positions in the coming weeks and settle on a compromise acceptable to all Member States and to the two other institutions at the negotiating table.
I will avail of the opportunity afforded by the informal meeting of Agriculture Ministers in Dublin next week to engage in informal consultations with my Member State colleagues and to ascertain the scope for exploring landing zones with a view to achieving an inter-institutional CAP agreement that is good for Europe and good for Ireland.
