Written Answers Nos. 31 - 39
31. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the current reduction in the number of suckler cows and the 7.5% reduction in calves registered, down by 65,000, compared to 2012 levels; and his views that the annual replacement rate needed to maintain the national suckler herd will be achieved. [53110/13]
View answerI am fully aware of the issues facing beef producers at present, and despite the budgetary constraints in which I and other Ministers must operate, I recently announced a package of Budget measures designed to assist in improving the long-term profitability of a vulnerable sector that is particularly reliant on direct payments. While suckler cow numbers have remained relatively stable since payments were decoupled from production in January 2005, my Department monitors the composition and strength of the national herd on an ongoing basis. Calf registrations are subject to cyclical fluctuations as a contracting suckler herd causes an upturn in confidence, carcass values and margins encouraging renewed investment and restocking by producers.
Challenging production conditions over the last two years undoubtedly impacted on the size of the beef cow herd and this may result in a diminution in overall suckler cow numbers. The data referred to by the Deputy covers the first 9 months of the year but it will not be possible to quantify the full extent of any reduction until the publication of data on the final outturn for the year. The annual replacement rate depends on the number of heifers calving each year and this data too, along with underlying trends, will be considered by my Department after full year data becomes available.
As evidence of my commitment to the future of beef production, I can point to a number of targeted structural supports that I have put in place to enable the industry to meet future market requirements and the targets set out in the Food Harvest 2020 strategy. In particular, the Beef Genomics Scheme (BGS), which is specifically aimed at suckler farmers, will initiate the process of building a genetic database for the beef sector that will position Ireland as a global leader in beef genetics and ultimately lead to a more efficient and profitable farm sector.
With a total fund of €23 million, the BGS will provide participants with a payment of €40 per calf subject to an overall scheme limit. I have already indicated that in order to be eligible for entry into the BGS, a farmer must also join the Beef Data Programme (BDP) and I expect to announce full operational details of the new scheme early in 2014.
In addition to the BGS, a further €10 million in funding will be disbursed under the Beef Data Programme (BDP) in 2014. The objectives of the BDP are to improve the genetic quality of the national suckler herd through the collection of essential breeding and production information and to stimulate improvements in the competitiveness and output quality of the Irish beef industry. The Programme, which attracted some 34,000 application in 2013, assists farmers to improve the quality of their livestock by maintaining crucial data flows to ICBF that in turn will generate further advances in cattle breeding at a national level. Farmers in the BDP will qualify for a further €20 per calf up to a maximum of 20 calves. Taken in conjunction with the BGS, suckler farmers will receive a payment of up to €60 per calf in 2014. A payment model based on calves rather than cows sends a strong signal to the sector that supports are aimed at rewarding farmer efficiency and improved technical performance.
In addition to the BGS and the BDP, a further allocation of €5 million has been earmarked for the continuation of the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) in 2014. Last year, some 5,500 farmers each received an annual payment of €925 in relation to their participation in the first year of the BTAP. In total, these measures, added to residual payments under the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme, amount to an investment of €40m in this strategically important sector in 2014.
32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to deal with some recent shocking cases of animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment; and if he is satisfied that the relevant authorities have sufficient resources to ensure compliance with the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill. [52922/13]
View answerRecent issues in relation to abuses of animal welfare, particularly in the case of horses, highlight the need for intervention before animal welfare is threatened. My Department, in conjunction with the local authorities and the Garda are adopting a pro-active approach in relation to animal welfare and, in recent weeks have seized 82 horses in the Cork city area. While a small number of horses had to be euthanised 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. Last week, my Department engaged with the local authority and An Garda Síochána in a similar proactive manner in County Wicklow.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to work with local authorities and gardaí 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.
In relation to resources, considerable manpower within my Department is devoted to issues relating to the welfare of animals. Under the new Act, provision is made for situations where Local Authorities may be required to offer their assistance. There are, of course, many organisations involved in the animal welfare area and my Department is finalising a series of Service Agreements with a number of these to operate under the Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013. These service agreements will confer statutory powers to NGO personnel to enforce certain parts of the Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013. This will enable such persons to carry out their duties in a more effective manner. My Department also provides considerable financial support to these 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. The funding arrangements are kept under review on an annual basis. In conjunction with these awards, I introduced a new Code of Practice for welfare organisations which aims to promote sound welfare and management practices to assist organisations achieve high standards of animal welfare. This Code of Practice is available on my Department’s website at http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalwelfare. I plan to make an allocation in respect of work to be carried out in 2014 shortly.
33. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the various visits undertaken since 2013, including the Japan visit, that have promoted Irish food and agricultural produce, agreements and developments to date in accessing those markets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53143/13]
View answerIn the second half of 2013 I undertook trade promotion and inward investment visits to Switzerland, the United States, the Gulf States and Japan. These resulted in the following developments in access to these markets. Japan announced the opening of its market to Irish beef. This is a very prestigious market worth some €12 to €15 million annually. In regard to the United States, my trade visit was focused on Foreign Direct Investment and I had a number of meeting with key companies in this regard. 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.
My visit to the Gulf States of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates was also very productive with the following specific outcomes:
- The Irish Dairy Board announcement of a €20m investment in a Saudi Dairy company AL Wazeen which will result in the importation of significant volumes of Irish milk powders to Saudi and the production of approximately 20,000 t of a ‘white cheese’ specific to the region, using new technology developed by Teagasc;
- The opening of the Kerry Food and Ingredients development centre in UAE which will cater for the specific consumer demands and tastes in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkish markets;
- A €5m contract signed by Biotecter for water analysis equipment;
- A total of €2.3 million was spent in the recent Goffs’ sales following my trade mission which related to Qatari and UAE purchases of thoroughbred horses;
- Announcement of a joint race with the Jabel Ali Race course.
In addition, during the trade mission, a number of Irish suppliers obtained product listings in an additional leading retailer in UAE and Bord Bia announced the opening of new offices in Dubai to support Irish food companies exporting to the UAE. I also hosted a week-long incoming visit from the Vietnamese Minister for Agriculture during which we agreed to develop a Memorandum on cooperation that I hope will be signed in the near future and earlier this month the first meeting of the working group on beef market access with China took place in Beijing.
Of course my promotion of Irish agri-food exports did not just start in 2013. Arising from ongoing efforts, the opening of the following markets was secured in 2013:
- UAE opened for sheep-meat;
- Libya opened for livestock;
- Australia opened for pigmeat;
- Iran opened for beef;
- GCC ban lifted for beef and sheep-meat;
- Canada market opened for Sheep-meat;
- Japan opened for beef;
- China opened for Salmon.
34. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to use the new Common Agricultural Policy measures to increase the area of land in use for organic farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53138/13]
View answerI believe that the proposals presented by the European Commission in the CAP reform package are very positive in relation to the Organic Sector. For the first time in the Common Agricultural Policy there are provisions set out under Article 30 of the current draft Rural Development Regulation to support the conversion to or the maintenance of Organic Farming practices and methods. The greening provisions of the Direct Payments Regulation also recognise the important contribution made by organic farming.
Preparatory work for the next Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 – 2020 is well underway and the question of a new organic scheme is being considered in that context. Under the draft Rural Development Regulation, my Department must undertake an ex ante evaluation, a public consultation, a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) a needs assessment, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and an appropriate assessment (AA) in developing our Rural Development Programme. An independent evaluator has been contracted to prepare the ex-ante evaluation report, SEA and AA and to advise on the SWOT analysis.
An initial consultation process was launched in 2012, and written submissions were received from over 80 stakeholders. These submissions have been analysed by my Department and have fed into the development of the SWOT and needs analyses. A second consultation was held in July, where stakeholders attended a full day workshop on the draft SWOT and needs analyses. Based on the outcome of these processes, the drafting of a new programme is being advanced in my Department, and it is intended that further stakeholder consultation will form part of this.
35. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made during the trade visit to Nigeria in agribusiness potential, given that some of the fastest growing states in the world are in Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53134/13]
View answerThe trade mission to Nigeria took place from 13 to 15 November last. It was organised by Enterprise Ireland and led by my colleague Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello. The visit was part of a wider programme that also encompassed South Africa. The overall aim of the visit was to develop trade in this important emerging market in Africa. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with over 160 million people, approximately half the population of the United States and has a GDP rate of increase of 7% per annum.
Irish food and drink exports to Africa were €526 million for 2012, representing an increase of 7.3% on the 2011 figure of €490million. The main components of the trade are Dairy Ingredients (Skimmed Milk Powder and Whole Milk Powder), Pelagic fish and Beverages. Nigeria is by far the largest market accounting for €170million: dairy exports reached €100million and seafood €68 million and it is becoming a hub for Irish companies wanting to expand their exports into the ECOWAS economic bloc. Bord Bia participated in the trade visit with a view to supporting Irish companies already present in this market, identifying new business opportunities, assisting Irish industry regarding certain export constraints and endorsing the Kerry Group during their official opening of a new office in Lagos.
36. Deputy Damien English asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total amount spent to date in 2013 by Irish Aid in order to reduce poverty and hunger, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where the needs are greatest and by supporting long-term development and providing humanitarian assistance in over 80 countries, on behalf of the Irish people; the total amount spent by Irish Aid through private sector companies; the total number of private sector companies in receipt of payments from Irish Aid; the total amount spent by Irish Aid through private sector companies based here; the total number of such companies; the total amount spent by Irish Aid through private sector companies not based here; the total number of such companies; and if he will provide the information in tabular form. [53644/13]
View answerIreland’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2013 is €622m, of which €497m is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under Vote 27 International Co-operation, with the remainder comprising eligible funding by other Government Departments as well as eland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget. A full spend against Vote 27 is anticipated for 2013. Ireland’s ODA programme, which is known as Irish Aid, is primarily delivered, at the local level, in the form of grants to and through a number of trusted partners. These include UN, EU and other multilateral and international organisations, governments in developing countries, Irish and international non-governmental organisations, public sector bodies and missionaries. The aid programme is not delivered through any private sector companies based in eland. Some specialised technical expertise or similar capacities, not available within my Department, are purchased in eland and in Partner Countries from individual experts or experts working as part of private sector companies. This includes consultancy services such as independent audit, evaluation and project management. It is anticipated that expenditure on the latter will amount to about €365,000 in 2013. Following an open and competitive tendering process, the Irish Embassy in Kampala recently directly engaged the services of a project management company to oversee all aspects of the construction of a number of schools in the remote Karamoja region of Uganda. This project, which has just commenced, will run until 2016 and has a total budget of €11.4 million.
All funding managed by Irish Aid is fully untied, meaning that it is given without any stipulation that goods or services must be purchased by the recipient country or organisation from eland or from a limited selection of sources. As would be expected, the Department’s Development Cooperation Division and the Missions in our Partner Countries make a large number of payments annually in connection with the rental and maintenance of premises and the purchase of goods and services. It would be inordinately time-consuming to compile information on the number of private sector companies that received payments from Vote 27 in 2013. A detailed statistical analysis of programme expenditure each year is contained in annual reports published on the Irish Aid website: www.irishaid.ie.
37. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Finance the number of house owners who applied to have their local property tax deducted from their social welfare payments but cannot avail of this option because their personal income is too low and they may not have been advised of this and now find themselves in arrears, through no fault of their own, with their local property tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53490/13]
View answerI am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that liable persons for more than 15,000 residential properties opted to pay their 2013 Local Property Tax (LPT) by way of deduction at source from a Department of Social Protection payment. The Commissioners have confirmed that in the majority of cases deductions from Department of Social Protection payments have already commenced and over €1.2m has been collected by Revenue to date. I am also advised that in approximately 1,400 cases the instruction to deduct at source from Department of Social Protection payments, which is an automated process, was not successful for a variety of reasons, including because the wrong scheme was selected by the property owner.
It is estimated that a small subset of these cases would be where the deduction of LPT from the relevant payment could not be finalised as it would have reduced the property owner’s personal rate payment to below €186 per week. This amount is equivalent to the weekly rate of supplementary welfare allowance and section 92 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended) precludes the Department of Social Protection from reducing a property owner’s personal rate payment to below this amount. I am further advised that, where this has arisen, Revenue has already been in contact with a number of these individuals to agree alternative payment arrangements and is in the process of contacting the remainder.
As to whether property owners were advised about the possible impact of the €186 threshold on their LPT deductions, I am advised that the LPT information guide, which was sent to all property owners in March/April 2013, outlined the various payment options available and specifically advised property owners that deduction of LPT from their Department of Social Protection payment cannot reduce their personal rate payment to less than €186 per week. Furthermore, the Frequently Asked Questions section on the Revenue website outlined the possible implications of choosing this payment option and advised owners that they should satisfy themselves that the weekly deductions of LPT from their Department of Social Protection payment would meet their 2013 LPT liability by the end of 2013. Where the scheme chosen would not allow the LPT to be paid in full by the end of the year, owners were advised to choose a different payment method, or alternatively, to consider deferring the charge, where they established that they met the qualifying conditions for deferral. I understand that this issue was also dealt with by Revenue spokespeople who took part in a large number of national and local radio interviews between March and May this year.
I am advised by the Commissioners that where a property owner discovers that deduction of LPT from their Department of Social Protection scheme is not possible on account of the €186 threshold, they should contact the LPT Branch helpline on 1890 200 255 to make alternative arrangements for paying the 2013 tax, or to confirm if they are eligible to defer the charge. In this respect, the Commissioners advise that where an owner-occupier’s only source of income is their Department of Social Protection payment, they would be eligible to defer payment of the tax. Full details on deferring payment of LPT are available on the Revenue website.
38. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the current legal penalties for the sale of contraband cigarettes; and if it is his intention to significantly increase those penalties in line with the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions, in view of the fact that a single large container load of contraband may cost the State up to €3 million in excise revenue foregone. [53512/13]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the fines that apply for an offence of evasion, or attempted evasion of excise duty on excisable products, including cigarettes, were increased substantially in the Finance Acts 2008 and 2010. The penalty in the case of a summary conviction for the smuggling or illegal sale of unstamped tobacco products is now a fine of €5,000, or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 12 months, or both a fine and a term of imprisonment. In the case of a conviction on indictment, the fine was increased ten-fold in 2010 and the Court may now impose a fine not exceeding €126,970, or a term of imprisonment of up to five years, or both a fine and imprisonment. Where the value of the excisable goods concerned in an indictable smuggling offence exceed €250,000, including the tax payable, the Court may impose a fine three times the value of the goods. In the case of a conviction on indictment for an offence concerning a container load of cigarettes, the Courts would therefore have the option of imposing a fine up to three times the tax paid value of the cigarettes. The current penalties for excise offences are very significant, but I will continue to keep them under review.
39. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance when a decision will be taken on the possible elimination of one and two cent coins; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53399/13]
View answerThe Central Bank ran a Rounding Trial on 1c and 2c coins in Wexford from 16th September to 17th November 2013 in accordance with a recommendation of the National Payments Plan approved by Government earlier this year. The results of that trial are under review; a report on the basis of the pilot project will be reviewed by the Steering Committee, which will report to Government through my Department. A Government decision informed by that report will follow.
