Written Answers Nos. 149-154
149. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions he is taking to prevent the same market access concessions as were given to Canada in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement being made available to the United States during its current negotiations of a trade deal with the EU. [48558/13]
View answerUnder the EU/Canada Trade agreement initialled last month by President Barroso and the Canadian Prime Minister, Canada was awarded a tariff rate quota for beef of 50,000 tonnes carcass weight equivalent. This equates to a quota of 39,000 tonnes of boneless beef. The quota is split between fresh/chilled beef comprising 31,000 tonnes, plus the existing 4,000 tonnes quota as part of the Hormones Agreement, and frozen beef comprising 15,000 tonnes. As regards pigmeat, Canada was awarded a quota of 75,000 tonnes.
I have been in regular contact with Commissioner Ciolos concerning this agreement and I have made it clear to the Commission that it should not act as a precursor to the EU – US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The Taoiseach has also raised this issue with President Barroso.
150. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the volume of milk quota being offered, and being sought, by Irish farmers in circumstances where the State has exceeded its quota six months before the quota year ends. [48559/13]
View answerOn 30 August 2013 I announced details of the fifteenth Milk Quota Trading Scheme which is the first of two Trading Schemes to allocate quota in respect of the 2014/2015 milk quota year. The closing date for receipt of applications to this stage was 11 October last.
I am informed that preliminary output reports indicate that 256 applications were received in the Department by that deadline, offering approximately 30 million litres of quota for sale, while 2,113 applications were received requesting approximately 140 million litres. I expect to be in a position to announce the results of this element of the scheme in early December.
I also expect to announce details of the second stage of the 2014-2015 Trading Scheme before end-December 2013. This stage, which will be the final opportunity to buy or sell quota through the Milk Quota Trading Scheme, will have a closing date of 31 January 2014
151. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide in tabular form, on an annual basis for the past five years, the value of exports of thoroughbred horses and the number of horses being exported. [48560/13]
View answerThe following figures are taken from Horse Racing Ireland Factbooks 2008-2012:
|
Year |
Number of Irish foaled thoroughbred horses exported |
Number of Irish foaled exported thoroughbred horses sold through auction* |
Value of Irish foaled exported thoroughbred horses sold through auction* € |
|
2012 |
4,837 |
3,497 |
174,338,505 |
|
2011 |
4,987 |
3,640 |
156,493,083 |
|
2010 |
5,181 |
3,803 |
146,947,956 |
|
2009 |
5,315 |
4,195 |
174,405,744 |
|
2008 |
5,016 |
4,195 |
182,449,256 |
*excludes private sales
152. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the sentinel herring quota for small vessels in the Dunmore box will be lost if the quota is not fulfilled in the period specified in 2013. [48561/13]
View answer153. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the sentinel herring quota for small vessels in the Dunmore box is not fulfilled before 27 December 2013 he will allow a period in January 2014 for the quota to be fulfilled. [48562/13]
View answer154. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the sentinel herring quota for small vessels in the Dunmore box is not fulfilled in 2013, that it will not be reduced in 2014. [48563/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 to 154, inclusive, together.
The position in relation to the management of all fisheries, both pelagic and whitefish, is that the quota is managed on a single year basis and under fishing by any group of vessels is not carried forward to the following year for that group. For all stocks, any carry over from 2013, which can be up to 10 % in the case of Celtic Sea Herring, will be added to the national adjusted quota for 2014. Under current policy, the Celtic Sea Herring sentinel fishery will receive up to 11% of the adjusted quota, each year.
