Written Answers Nos. 181-191
181. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will announce the rate of Exchequer co-funding for Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy programme 2014-2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53562/13]
View answer192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which rural development is likely to be facilitated in the aftermath of Common Agricultural Policy reform with particular reference to the utilisation of all funding available from the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53581/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 192 together.
The European Council agreement on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) provides a total of €2.19bn, or some €313m per year, for Ireland under Pillar 2 of the CAP for the period 2014 - 2020. The development of a new Rural Development Programme (RDP) under Pillar 2 will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas.
A general EU co-financing rate of 53% is set out in the draft Rural Development Regulation but this rate may rise to a maximum of 80% for measures such as farm and business development, co-operation activities, and LEADER projects. Environmental type measures may be co-funded up to 75%. The total Exchequer funding that will be required to draw down the available European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) funding will depend on the types of measures included in the new Rural Development Programme and on the co-financing rates applied to these measures.
There are a number of conditions attached to Ireland’s allocation of €313 million per annum. The draft Regulation provides that at least 5% of EAFRD funding must be reserved for LEADER while the draft Common Provisions Regulation provides that 6% of EAFRD funding must be set aside to a national performance reserve. The funding set aside to the performance reserve will be allocated to each Member State following a performance review in 2019. The draft Rural Development Regulation also sets out that 30% of the total EAFRD amount must be reserved for environmental operations and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
Work is currently ongoing in my Department to design the new Rural Development Programme (RDP) for the period from 2014 – 2020. In designing the new RDP, my Department must take account of the range of requirements set out in the draft Rural Development Regulation and the need to support key policy aims for the agri-food sector in the light of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. In undertaking this work, a number of ex-ante analyses are being undertaken and a public consultation process has also taken place.
While final decisions in relation to what measures are to be included in the new RDP have not yet been made, my Department is in ongoing contact with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the overall financing that will be required. I expect to make decisions in relation to the measures to be supported under the new RDP by the end of this year, and to submit a draft programme to the Commission in early 2014.
182. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who applied for the disadvantaged areas scheme and single farm payment scheme, broken down by county in 2013; the number that were paid their disadvantaged area payment to date; the number that had penalties applied; the number that paid their first and second single farm payment to date; the number that had penalties applied; the amount paid under each scheme in each county to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53563/13]
View answerA total of 120,551 have received the first payment of their 2013 SPS and 117,716 have received the second instalment. To date, 9,187 farmers have had a penalty applied.
The figures for those who applied and those paid in each county are set out in the following table.
|
County |
Number Eligible |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
|
CARLOW |
1,615 |
1,568 |
€23,171,056.49 |
|
CAVAN |
4,684 |
4,599 |
€34,364,129.77 |
|
CLARE |
6,008 |
5,967 |
€46,757,703.41 |
|
CORK |
12,809 |
12,580 |
€159,567,461.24 |
|
DONEGAL |
7,953 |
7,692 |
€45,206,316.58 |
|
DUBLIN |
609 |
592 |
€8,705,650.72 |
|
GALWAY |
11,715 |
11,439 |
€75,809,780.77 |
|
KERRY |
7,557 |
7,434 |
€55,808,008.52 |
|
KILDARE |
2,028 |
1,989 |
€30,086,653.53 |
|
KILKENNY |
3,420 |
3,361 |
€52,705,778.82 |
|
LAOIS |
2,899 |
2,854 |
€38,974,899.20 |
|
LEITRIM |
3,324 |
3,201 |
€16,365,097.36 |
|
LIMERICK |
5,029 |
4,955 |
€50,246,674.13 |
|
LONGFORD |
2,322 |
2,270 |
€19,014,961.37 |
|
LOUTH |
1,475 |
1,446 |
€19,086,801.74 |
|
MAYO |
11,297 |
10,975 |
€56,747,549.73 |
|
MEATH |
3,686 |
3,651 |
€53,453,138.68 |
|
MONAGHAN |
3,918 |
3,875 |
€29,819,462.61 |
|
OFFALY |
2,987 |
2,955 |
€35,381,548.28 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
5,591 |
5,497 |
€39,356,456.42 |
|
SLIGO |
3,876 |
3,777 |
€21,493,349.85 |
|
TIPPERARY |
6,850 |
6,778 |
€97,682,129.70 |
|
WATERFORD |
2,381 |
2,355 |
€37,774,106.47 |
|
WESTMEATH |
2,895 |
2,828 |
€32,185,673.50 |
|
WEXFORD |
3,975 |
3,908 |
€58,009,920.89 |
|
WICKLOW |
2,062 |
2,005 |
€26,353,138.32 |
|
122,965 |
120,551 |
€1,164,127,448.10 |
Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September and, to date, payments worth €186.5 million have issued nationally, to some 88,263 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible. To date 10,588 applicants have had a penalty applied.
|
County Name |
Applied |
Paid |
Gross Amount |
|
Carlow |
774 |
643 |
€1,253,275.19 |
|
Cavan |
4,945 |
4,362 |
€9,103,751.90 |
|
Clare |
6,249 |
5,511 |
€12,596,287.54 |
|
Cork |
7,283 |
6,205 |
€13,758,387.78 |
|
Donegal |
8,710 |
7,001 |
€16,009,330.91 |
|
Dublin |
152 |
101 |
€223,761.07 |
|
Galway |
12,361 |
10,376 |
€21,686,029.79 |
|
Kerry |
7,877 |
6,640 |
€15,797,565.19 |
|
Kildare |
548 |
429 |
€726,030.87 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,826 |
1,588 |
€3,166,270.67 |
|
Laois |
1,753 |
1,511 |
€2,875,442.32 |
|
Leitrim |
3,541 |
3,003 |
€6,594,815.25 |
|
Limerick |
3,001 |
2,524 |
€4,682,741.38 |
|
Longford |
2,430 |
2,122 |
€4,448,240.33 |
|
Louth |
825 |
645 |
€1,044,430.80 |
|
Mayo |
11,959 |
9,855 |
€20,603,109.79 |
|
Meath |
1,385 |
1,189 |
€2,056,832.87 |
|
Monaghan |
4,194 |
3,671 |
€7,036,792.77 |
|
Offaly |
2,480 |
2,118 |
€3,985,204.06 |
|
Roscommon |
5,883 |
5,007 |
€10,629,291.24 |
|
Sligo |
4,150 |
3,474 |
€7,369,090.81 |
|
Tipperary |
4,630 |
3,949 |
€8,012,416.25 |
|
Waterford |
1,504 |
1,258 |
€2,454,658.90 |
|
Westmeath |
2,714 |
2,345 |
€4,470,349.53 |
|
Wexford |
1,557 |
1,207 |
€2,107,584.44 |
|
Wicklow |
1,850 |
1,529 |
€3,588,818.77 |
183. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of money that would be available to transfer to lower paid farmers under Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020 if the single farm payment was capped at €800-ha for the first 10ha and €400-ha for the balance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53564/13]
View answer184. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of ceiling on the single farm payment that would be required to save the €108 million to be transferred to farmers with low payments under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020 allowing that a cap of €800-ha would apply on the first 10ha; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53565/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together.
The statistics requested by the Deputy are contained in the following tables. Each scenario is based on the 2012 Payments Model and relates to the application of mandatory measures and minimum convergence thresholds under the Direct Payment Regulation. This model of Internal Convergence results in the transfer of €103.783m to farmers with an Initial Unit Value below the national average. The application of any one or more optional schemes and the consequent reduction in the ceiling available to the Basic Payment Scheme would reduce the BPS payments received by these farmers and may lead to a reduction in the number of farmers affected and the amount of money saved.
Application of a cap of €800 per hectare (BPS + Greening) on the first 10 hectares
|
Size of holding |
10 ha or less |
More than 10 ha |
Total |
|
No. of Farmers |
93 |
49 |
142 |
|
Value of Payment Reduction Following Application of cap of €800 on first 10 ha |
€52,257.77 |
€58,382.11 |
€110,639.88 |
Application of a cap of €800 per hectare (BPS + Greening) on the first 10 hectares and a cap of €400 per hectare on the balance of hectares held
|
Size of holding |
10 ha or less |
More than 10 ha |
Total |
|
No. of Farmers |
93 |
49 |
142 |
|
Value of Payment Reduction Following Application of cap of €800 on first 10 ha and €400 thereafter. |
€52,257.77 |
€787,580.05 |
€839,837.82 |
186. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the various farm support payments in respect of the current year have been met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53575/13]
View answerIn respect of the 2013 Single Payment Scheme, 120,551 cases have received payment thus far. This represents 98.04% of eligible applicants. The total amount paid to date is €1,164,127,448.10. Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September and, to date, payments worth €186.5 million have issued nationally to some 87,713 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible. Payments under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme are due to commence today with payments worth €12.6 million issuing nationally to some 26,076 applicants.
Under the REPS 4 Scheme there are a total number of 29,240 participants eligible for payment in 2013. A total of 14,113 participants have now received their (75%) 2013 payment to a value of € 57.06 million. It is anticipated that the 25% pay runs will commence shortly. There are currently 13,746 farmers active in AEOS 1 and 2. A total of 9,308 of these farmers have been paid their 75% payment in respect of the 2013 Scheme year and payment of the 25% will commence shortly. The remaining applications, which have issues that need to be resolved, will continue to be processed on an ongoing basis and will be paid once all administrative checks have been concluded. As regards payments to the 5,991 AEOS 3 participants who are in the initial year of the Scheme and are, therefore, subject to a detailed checking process, these will commence in the first quarter of 2014.
In relation to the On-Farm Investments Schemes all payments are made as soon as entitlement to grant-aid has been established.
187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which new markets for beef, lamb, pig meat or poultry or products thereof continue to be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53576/13]
View answerI have been very active in developing relationships in new and expanding markets for beef, lamb and pigmeat, raising the profile of Ireland and guaranteeing confidence in Irish production and control systems; this provides a platform for long-term trading relationships into the future.
Since my appointment, I have led trade missions to China, the US, Algeria and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the Middle East. I recently accompanied the Taoiseach on a trade mission to Japan, one of the highlights of which was the agreement to open the market there to Irish beef. In November the US lifted its ban on the importation of beef from the European Union. This was one of my priorities last year when I visited the US, where I pushed the matter strongly with the US Department of Agriculture Secretary of State, Tom Vilsackand in meetings with Senators. My Department is now advancing the various technical requirements to ensure commencement of the trade at the earliest possible date.
My Department engages on a daily basis with many countries, in collaboration with Bord Bia and Irish embassies’ personnel on market access issues.
These initiatives have led to a number of notable successes in securing agreement to import from authorities in Japan, Singapore, Egypt and Iran which allow the import of Irish beef; with Singapore, South Africa, UAE, Canada and the Russian Federation-Customs Union for the import of Irish sheep meat and with Australia and Serbia for the import of Irish pork.
Whilst the UK, as the largest single destination, and Continental Europe together account for the majority of pig meat exports, there has been a continued shift in recent years towards Third Country markets for pig meat. This differs from developments in other meats, particularly beef. Approximately one-third of Irish pig meat export volumes are destined for international markets, with China, the USA and Russia accounting for the majority of this trade.
Irish beef is now listed with more than 75 high-end retail chains across EU markets. This wide portfolio of customers has contributed significantly to higher returns for Irish beef in recent years and reflects the success of Bord Bia’s differentiation and premiumisation strategy which focuses on the key attributes of Irish beef: environmentally sustainable, grass-based production systems, full traceability, quality assurance at all stages and superior eating quality. Among Bord Bia’s key initiatives this year is the continued development, global promotion and marketing of its Origin Green initiative, designed to establish Ireland as a world leader in sustainably produced food and drink. Over 200 companies are currently working with Bord Bia to develop, and commit to, sustainability plans setting out clear targets in emissions, energy, waste, water, biodiversity and corporate social responsibility activities.
Last week a delegation from my Department visited China for discussions with authorities there on the lifting of the beef BSE ban which prohibits imports from any EU country. While there are a number of stages to go before Ireland secures access for beef to China, I am hopeful that these can be progressed in 2014.
There is a strong demand for meat globally and my focus is to enable Irish exporters to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.
188. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which veterinary or laboratory facilities anticipated at Backweston, Celbridge, County Kildare have been put in place to date; the degree to which this provides adequate facilities sufficient to meet requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53577/13]
View answerThe laboratory facilities at Backweston are capable of meeting the vast majority of my Department’s analytical and diagnostic requirements. Amelioration works in one area, the category 4 containment laboratories, are in progress with a view to bringing that laboratory into operation. The initial phase of these works will be completed in January of 2014. These preliminary works will be used to prepare a tender specification to complete the final phase of this project and ensure that this containment laboratory will meet the exacting standards required to achieve the category 4 containment status. Tendering for these additional works will take place in the first quarter of 2014.
These additional works will provide my Department with the additional containment facilities necessary to control the presence of exotic animal diseases that may be introduced into Ireland and is required to confirm Ireland’s existing high animal health status.
189. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which full enforcement of traceability in respect of all meat and meat products imported into this country including description and origin is now applied; the number of breaches of any such regulations recorded in the course of the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53578/13]
View answer190. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which food and food products labelling continues to be enforced; the extent to which any breaches were identified in the past 12 months to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53579/13]
View answer191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which a means can be found to ensure that where a combination of meat or meat products exists in a particular form, clear indication of the content is provided on the label in a traceable form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53580/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 189 to 191, inclusive, together.
Food production and labelling rules in the European Union operate in accordance with harmonised rules and member states controls are subject to audit and supervision by the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the EU.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) under the aegis the Minister for Health has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food safety and labelling requirements in Ireland. It carries out this remit through service contracts with my Department and other agencies including the Health Service Executive (HSE), Local Authority Veterinary Service and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
Under current EU regulations, origin labelling is only mandatory for fresh beef and meat coming form third countries. However, new implementing rules on country of origin labelling for fresh, chilled and frozen sheep, goat, pig and poultry meat were adopted by the European Commission last week. These new rules will apply from 1 April 2015.
In relation to traceability, EU Food Hygiene Regulations stipulate, among other things, that there should be ‘one up, one down’ traceability at each point along the food chain and I am satisfied that food business operators in this country generally meet that standard.
The total number of infringements relating to breaches of labelling and traceability legislation during 2012 is as follows:
- Beef labelling: 1,147
- Traceability: 2,923
- Country of origin for beef: 2,598
- General labelling: 2,107
These infringements relate to both domestically produced and imported food inspected in Irish food businesses. Other than the statistics given on beef labelling, these figures cover all food products and are not limited to meat and meat products.
There have been seven successful prosecutions relating to traceability and labelling non-compliances from the period January 2012 to date.
