Written Answers Nos 22-30
22. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which new markets for Irish food products have been entered into in recent times with particular reference to countries outside the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53070/13]
View answerIn line with the Food Harvest 2020 strategy, export led growth in agri-food and related sectors, is being actively pursued in my Department. This strategic approach has resulted in the following specific new market openings in 2013:
- UAE opened for sheep-meat;
- Libya opened for livestock;
- Australia opened for pigmeat;
- Iran opened for beef;
- GCC lifted the ban on imports of beef and sheep-meat;
- Canada opened for Sheepmeat;
- China opened for Salmon;
- Japan opened for beef.
The most recent announcement of the opening of the Japanese market to Irish beef is very significant not only in terms of the potential of up to €15million in exports, but also from a reputational point of view, particularly in the Asian region.
My recent trade mission to the Gulf States of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates also yielded productive outcomes particularly for dairy products, food ingredients, agri-services and the equine sector.
I also led trade missions to US in 2013, where exports of agri-food to the US have increased from €406million in 2010 to €518million in 2012 and to Switzerland where exports have increased from €29million to €38million in this period. Following intensive lobbying, the US published its BSE rule which is a first step in moving to opening the US market to exports of Irish beef. This is now being followed up at official level to ensure that Irish beef can be exported as soon as the market reopens in 2014.
All of these efforts should of course be viewed in the context of the continued growth in the performance of our actual exports. Exports of food and drinks rose by 2% in 2012 to over €9 billion. They are showing a further 6.5% increase in the first nine months of 2013. Asian markets accounted for over 5% of exports in 2012. In China alone, we have seen our exports increase from €167 million in 2010 to €323million in 2012, an increase of 93%. And these increases are continuing into 2013.
Russia is also showing dramatic growth as a market as is the continent of Africa where there is strong potential for increased exports. We now export over €500 million in agri-food to Africa. Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are our key markets.
23. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the inspection penalty rate for randomised on-farm inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52932/13]
View answerMy Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme and other area related schemes, is required to carry out an annual round of inspections covering both the eligibility of the land declared to draw down payments and also cross compliance aspects, to ensure adherence with EU regulatory requirements in the areas of public, animal and plant health, environment and animal welfare and ensuring that the farm is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition. These inspections are a necessary requirement to drawn down approximately €1.7 billion of EU funds annually and to avoid EU disallowances, My Department must therefore ensure that these inspections are conducted in full accordance with the legislative provisions.
Land eligibility checks must be carried out on at least 5% of applicants. These checks are carried out to verify that the actual area claimed in the application form corresponds to the area farmed by the farmer and to ensure that any ineligible land or features are not included for aid purposes. My Department has made every effort to respond to concerns about the impact of on-the-ground inspections on farmers and arising from this around 75% of these inspections are initially carried out without the need for a farm visit, as the information needed is acquired using the technique of remote sensing via satellite.
The rate of inspections for cross-compliance is 1% of applicants to whom the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural Condition (GAEC) apply. However, 3% of farmers must be inspected under the bovine identification and registration requirements, while 3% of sheep/goat farmers must be inspected covering 5% of the flock. In addition, since 2010, my Department undertakes Nitrates inspections under the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) regulations on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, on an inter-agency basis.
The governing EU regulations require that the selection of cases for inspection is undertaken by means of a risk analysis process. The cases are selected on the basis of relevant risk criteria, as well as on a random basis. Furthermore, in order to ensure the continued effectiveness of the risk analysis process, my Department is required to assess and update the process on an annual basis.
The following table details the number of holdings selected on a random basis for land eligibility and cross compliance inspections in 2012 under the Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas’ Schemes and for the Nitrates GAP inspections and the number of those cases that incurred a financial penalty following these inspections.
|
Inspection Category |
No. of Holdings Selected Randomly |
No. of Holdings with Financial Penalty |
% of Holdings with Financial Penalty |
|
Land Eligibility Inspections |
1,419 |
169 |
11.9% |
|
Cross Compliance Inspections (incl. Animal IDR) |
1,657 |
309 |
18.6% |
|
Nitrates GAP Inspections |
324 |
74 |
22.8% |
24. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding will remain available under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development for the rural broadband scheme should suitable projects be identified between now and the end of 2014; if areas are identified as not receiving an adequate service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53137/13]
View answerUnder the current Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013, a Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) was launched in 2011 in recognition of the fact that, despite the widespread availability of broadband throughout Ireland, there still remained individual premises that were unable to receive a service. This Scheme was aimed at making a basic broadband service available to un-served premises in rural areas, not already covered by the National Broadband Scheme. An amount of €13,413,000 of funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Devleopment (EAFRD) was allocated to the scheme which came within the remit of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
During the scheme development process existing commercial internet service providers indicated their ability to provide a broadband service to almost all of the qualifying applicants under the scheme. Consequently there has been no need for any disbursement of public money and no related draw-down of EU funding was necessary. The EAFRD funding originally made available for this scheme has since been re-allocated to other qualifying measures under the RDP.
In relation to the new RDP for the period 2014-2020, 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.
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.
25. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps being taken to support young farmers, farm restructuring, transfer of farmland and competitiveness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53142/13]
View answerThere are a number of measures in place in my Department where the issues of supporting young farmers, farm restructuring, the transfer of farmland and competitiveness are being addressed.
Firstly, in relation to Pillar 1 there are several innovative features of the new Common Agricultural Policy, including support for young farmers. This is incorporated in two elements of the new Direct Payment Regulation, namely the ‘Young Farmers Scheme’ and the ‘National Reserve’. The essential purpose of the Young Farmers Scheme and the National Reserve is to assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise in their own name and to encourage generational renewal. I expect to make decision on the implementation of Pillar 1 reforms by the end of this year.
On the taxation side, I have had on-going contact with the Minister for Finance in order to make progressive amendments to support young farmers and to facilitate land mobility. This is reflected in a number of measures introduced and maintained over the course of recent Budgets, including:
- Retirement relief on Capital Gains Tax where an individual over 55 years disposes of some or all of his land once certain criteria are met. A number of changes have been made to this relief in recent budgets;
- Reductions in stamp duty rates for land transfers in recent budgets;
- 100% stock relief on income tax for young trained farmers.
Finally, the development of a new Rural Development Plan (RDP) for the period 2014-2020 represents an opportunity to further develop a comprehensive set of measures that will seek to address the issues outlined by the Deputy. Work on the design of the next RDP is well underway. 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 aim for the agri food sector in light of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. 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.
26. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider increasing the number of staff to facilitate appropriate assessment for oyster farm licensing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53145/13]
View answerThe majority of areas for which oyster licences are sought are designated Special Areas of Conservation and/or Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 sites).
To ensure compliance with the Birds and Habitats Directives, all applications in ‘Natura 2000 areas’ are required to be appropriately assessed. This has required the putting in place of a significant work programme which has considerable time and resource implications. An additional factor is that all aquaculture applications now undergo Environmental Impact pre-screening assessment which requires significant input from my Department’s scientific and technical advisors. My Department, in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, is engaged in a comprehensive programme to gather the necessary baseline data appropriate to the conservation objectives of ‘Natura 2000’ areas. This data collection programme is substantially complete. Analysis of the data, together with the setting of appropriate conservation objectives by the NPWS, will enable all new, renewal and review applications to be appropriately assessed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
It is expected that successful completion of the Appropriate Assessment process will facilitate a significant increase in the number of licence determinations. In the region of 45 aquaculture licences have issued this year in respect of Castlemaine. A number of licensing determinations in respect of Roaringwater Bay have been made and others are imminent at this time.
The Appropriate Assessment process represents a significant financial, administrative and scientific investment by the State in resolving this issue. My Department continues to make every effort to expedite the determination of all aquaculture applications having regard to the complexities of each case and the need to comply fully with all national and EU legislation. I am also satisfied that the resources available to my Department are sufficient to achieve this outcome.
27. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding his proposal to introduce paid parking at Howth harbour. [52930/13]
View answerThe House will be aware that I have been considering introducing a charge for parking facilities within Howth Fishery Harbour Centre for some time:
- to assist in operating Howth Fishery Harbour Centre on a financially-sound basis;
- to provide a source of revenue for further investment in Fishery Harbour Centre facilities;
- as part of an overall traffic management plan; and
- in order to maximise the return on this significant State asset.
There is a broad range of factors to consider in coming to a decision; first and foremost Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is a working fishery harbour, one of 6 Fishery Harbour Centres in the State.
Funding for operating, management and development costs of the Fishery Harbour Centres is a major consideration for my Department. Maximising potential income, and ensuring that the Fishery Harbour Centres are run on a financially-sound basis, is extremely important.
Uniquely among Fishery Harbour Centres, a wide range of groups use the parking facilities of Howth Fishery Harbour – harbour business customers, yacht club members, sport fishermen, Dart users, tourists, walkers and many others.
I am well aware of and acknowledge the concerns of local residents and user groups and Deputy Broughan and the House can rest assured that I will take appropriate account of their views in coming to my decision. I can also assure the harbour users in Howth that I am committed to continuing investment in and development of Howth Harbour going forward.
28. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the findings of the review conducted into Coillte initiated in 2010; his plans for the future of the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53144/13]
View answerCoillte has been the subject of a number of reviews over the last number of years. The review of Coillte, to which the Deputy refers, is one which was undertaken on foot of a commitment in the previous Government’s Renewed Programme for Government. It is not my intention to publish the outcome of that review, as that particular review exercise was superseded by the analysis undertaken on foot of the Government Decisions in 2012 in relation to the sale of state assets which encompassed Coillte.
This analysis, undertaken by NewERA, Coillte, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department, in relation to a proposed sale of Coillte harvesting rights was quite extensive and formed the basis for the Government’s Decision in June of this year that it was not the appropriate time to proceed with the sale of harvesting rights and that the current focus must be on the restructuring of Coillte, overseen by NewERA and the relevant stakeholder Departments. I would like to stress that this particular analysis not only involved financial calculations associated with the sale process but also the possible impact on the timber industry, public access to recreational land, environmental and social impacts and consequential implications for the company.
My plans for the future of Coillte will be informed by the progress on the restructuring of the company. As I mentioned, a restructuring of Coillte is currently being undertaken on foot of the Government Decision in June and the Government will consider all the options to maximise value from Coillte when the restructuring is complete at the end of next year. Another factor to inform my plans for the company will be the outcome of the current analysis evaluating how to give effect to a beneficial merger of Coillte with Bord na Móna to create a streamlined and refocused commercial state company operating in the bio-energy and forestry sectors, as committed to in the Programme for Government.
As part of that exercise, NewERA is currently undertaking a financial evaluation on behalf of the relevant Government Departments, namely my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. This financial evaluation is being finalised after which the Departments will consider its findings. It is intended that a recommendation will be brought to Government on the matter shortly thereafter.
I am cognisant of the important role Coillte plays within the forestry sector. Coillte, as the State forestry company, manages an estate of over 440,000 hectares, the bulk of which is under forestry. It is currently the main supplier of sawlog to the timber processing sector. Coillte Management, at its recent meeting with the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, gave a comprehensive overview of its activities, its performance in 2012 and its outlook for this year.
29. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a scheme to deal with unwanted horses and equines around the State to ease the burden on animal welfare groups that are inundated with rescues and the costs involved in dealing with abandoned animals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53139/13]
View answerMy Department is keeping the horse welfare situation under review and, in particular, the need for additional welfare measures. However, there is no evidence of a major welfare problem in the horse sector at present due to the relatively high level of horse slaughterings this year and the very good weather well into the Autumn, which has created a very favourable fodder situation.
My Department, in conjunction with the local authorities and the Gardai are adopting a pro-active approach in relation to welfare issues in the horse sector and this has reduced the numbers of abandoned horses throughout the country particularly in urban areas. The Deputy may be aware that, in recent weeks, 82 horses were seized in the Cork city area. While a small number of horses had to be euthanized on welfare grounds, the majority that were seized are being re-homed with the assistance of welfare groups and or are being moved to registered equine premises and have received passports and microchips in accordance with regulations. Furthermore, last week, my Department engaged with the local authority and An Garda Siochana in a similar proactive manner in County Wicklow.
My Department devotes considerable resources to issues relating to the welfare of animals including horses. To date this year, my Department has paid some €2.5m to the Local Authorities under the Control of Horses Act to enable them to deal with stray and unwanted horses. My Department also provides considerable financial support to animal welfare organisations to assist them in the delivery of animal care and welfare services. In 2012, this funding came to a total of €1,365,000 to some 140 organisations. I plan to make an allocation in respect of 2014 shortly.
In conclusion, I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work with local authorities and Gardai in other areas if similar cases occur and intervention is required. I urge the public to continue to avail of the Animal Welfare Helpline in operation by my Department, to report instances where animal welfare may be compromised on 1850 211 990.
30. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of inspections and detentions of Dutch pelagic fishing vessels that have taken place in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53136/13]
View answerControl of the fishing within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, operational issues concerning sea fisheries control are a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. The prosecution of fisheries infringements are carried out on behalf of the State by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
In October 2009, the EU adopted a new regulation dealing with fisheries controls in the EU. Council Regulation 1224/2009 establishes a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. Control and inspection is now focused where it is most effective through an approach based on systematic risk analysis. Inspection procedures are standardised and harmonised for all stages in the market chain, including transport and marketing. This new control regulation complements the IUU fishing regulation Council Regulation 1005/2008 which establishes a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. These regulations were introduced so that there is a common EU level playing field and to provide for effective range of controls across EU waters. It applies to fishing activities in Community waters as well those carried out by Community fishing in the maritime waters under the jurisdiction or sovereignty of third countries and of the high seas. The focus of the control regulation is to create a level playing field which is necessary to give confidence to the industry so that they understand that all community vessels and third country vessels operating in EU waters are subject to the same level of control, and that there is equality of treatment for all vessels no matter where they operate.
As part of this common approach provided for in the Control regulation, I will shortly introduce a statutory instrument to provide for a points system which will apply to license holders of fishing vessels when a serious infringements of the Common Fisheries Policy is detected within the Exclusive Fishery Limits of the State.
The accumulation of points for persistent serious infringements of the Common Fisheries Policy will lead to the suspension of a sea fishing boat license for a period from 2 months to one year. In extreme cases persistent serious fisheries infringements could lead to a permanent withdrawal of a license.
I am confident that this measure which is confined to serious infringement combined with the deterrent level of sanctions for such serious offences will help address persistent overfishing by all vessels operating in rich fishing grounds around Ireland.
Finally, as I advised the Seanad recently, I intend to introduce a fixed penalty notice system, modelled on the points system for traffic offences, for minor fishery offences in the near future.
