Written Answers Nos. 198-206
198. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work being done to develop climate change mitigation policy applicable to his Department and the public participation opportunities incorporated in that work. [3335/14]
View answerUnder the outline Heads of Climate Action and Low Carbon Bill, which have been published by the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government, it is provided that (inter alia) a sectoral roadmap for agriculture will be developed as part of a process leading to a National Low Carbon Roadmap. My Department has initiated work on the preparation of the agriculture sectoral roadmap and facilitated an eight week public consultation that ran from September to November 2013. My Department understands that there will be further public consultation on the draft National Low Carbon Roadmap in due course.
It is planned that the first agriculture sectoral roadmap will examine and outline coherent and cost-effective measures that will seek to achieve sectoral emissions reduction initially in the period to 2020, while being mindful of the very real global food security imperative.
The sectoral roadmap will also examine how the agriculture sector can adapt to the effects of climate change. It is likely that, in Ireland’s case, climate change will bring both opportunities and threats that must be considered by all actors involved.
As well as benefitting from public consultation, my Department is also working with colleagues in Teagasc who have carried out very relevant research in relation to cost-effective agricultural mitigation measures. These include the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve for Irish Agriculture (September 2012) and the more recent study ‘Carbon-Neutrality as a horizon point for Irish Agriculture’ (December 2013) which aims to address and provide a scientific framework for the challenge posed in seeking an approach to carbon-neutrality in the longer term for agriculture.
My Department will continue to work closely with other Departments and agencies in developing the technical capacity necessary to underpin evolution of national climate policy and the development of a definition for carbon neutrality in the agricultural sector.
In early 2012 my Department procured the services of a team of independent consultants to carry out an environmental analysis of various scenarios by which the targets in Food Harvest 2020 might be achieved. At the outset of the analysis, my Department facilitated an eight week period of public consultation which ran from May to July 2012. All submissions received were forwarded to the consultants for consideration. When the draft final report was ready, a further eight week period of public consultation was facilitated on the draft, and this ran from September to November 2013. Again all submissions were forwarded to the consultants for consideration before finalising their report. In addition to the two periods of public consultation, officials of my Department met with representatives of Environmental Pillar on five occasions to discuss the progress of the analysis, which includes recommendations on mitigation. The consultants were present at three of these meetings. It is expected that the final report of this analysis will be available very shortly.
199. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will be putting in place to ensure that we will never again have a situation where, before Christmas, some of the large retailers sold vegetables for virtually nothing, as this endangers the future viability of growers of this valuable food and totally distorts the market; if there is going to be an enforceable code of conduct in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3352/14]
View answerMy Department is anxious to ensure the continued viability of the maximum number of vegetable producers in the country. However my Department has no role in the setting of prices which is a matter between the producer and the retailer.
Nonetheless work is underway in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on including an enabling provision in legislation in the Consumer Protection and Competition Bill, in relation to regulating certain practices in the grocery goods sector. My colleague, Minister Bruton hopes to publish this Bill shortly. The regulation of certain practices will not include pricing levels. At EU level a number of stakeholders participating in the High Level Forum on the better functioning of the food supply chain have agreed on a list of general and specific principles of good practice in commercial relations and they are now implementing this on a voluntary basis. The European Commission has indicated that it will review this in due course.
My Department and its agencies are committed to working closely with the horticulture sector on implementing the development vision in Food Harvest 2020 and on strengthening future viability as well as promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption.
200. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the new rural development programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3353/14]
View answerAs part of the decisions associated with the Direct Payments I recently announced, I have decided that the payments received under the 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme will be incorporated into the calculation of an individual’s entitlement value in 2015.
Further support for this vital sector is maintained in the overall CAP package, including the following measures under the RDP:
- provision is made to improve efficiency and profitability in sheep production is made under the Knowledge Transfer, and
- Capital funding for the sector will be available under the capital investment measures.
These measures will be in addition to the new GLAS environmental scheme and payments for farmers in Areas of Natural Constraint of which I expect sheep farmers to be substantial beneficiaries.
201. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the new GLAS scheme should have a higher maximum payment than the proposed €5,000 and it is essential that the €2,000 top up GLAS is available to all farmers with natura land; if this new scheme should also be open for applications in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3354/14]
View answerDecisions on the GLAS scheme including access to the extra €2,000 will be made as part of the consultation process with stakeholders which is currently underway. In order to facilitate this consultation process details of the proposed GLAS scheme have been published in the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 -2020 Draft Consultation Programme.
Following that process, formal proposals will be drafted for submission to the European Commission. It is my intention to prioritise this work in order to gain EU approval at the earliest possible date to facilitate roll out of the scheme.
202. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the economics of Irish farmers producing beef all year round (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3355/14]
View answerThe national suckler herd provides the raw material for our quality beef industry and underpins an export trade estimated to worth over €2 billion in 2013. While improved farm efficiencies and productivity are essential to producer profitability, price is a major contributor in increasing returns to beef farmers. Cattle prices have reached historically high levels in recent years because of supply shortages in the domestic and export markets.
However, because of the country’s dependence on beef exports, cattle prices are largely determined by the industry’s export performance. With the assistance of Bord Bia, the industry been very successful in positioning Irish beef in key European markets with almost 66% of export volumes now destined for the higher value standard retail, premium foodservice and retail or quick service sectors. Maintaining this export performance in a competitive environment requires a continuous focus on satisfying customer demands and adding value to our unique grass-fed beef product through improving its animal welfare, sustainability and carbon footprint credentials on the basis of Teagasc R&D activities.
Neither I nor my Department can exert any control over the prices obtained by producers for their livestock but I have put in place a number of support measures to underpin the viability of primary production. These include the Beef Genomics Scheme (BGS) for which €23 million has been set aside in this year’s budget. The BGS which will begin 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.
In addition to the BGS, €9 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 beef 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.
Apart from 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. Some 6,200 farmers received an annual payment of €825 in relation to their participation in the second year of the BTAP. In total, these supports, added to residual payments under the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme, amount to an investment of almost €40m in this strategically important sector in 2014.
With regard to the economics of beef production, the particular difficulties experienced by producers who market cattle over the winter period were considered by the industry-led Beef 2020 Activation Group, which was established to set out the actions necessary to achieve Food Harvest 2020 targets. The Group’s report noted that a more widespread use of contracts would provide price certainty for winter finishers but acknowledged the problems faced by the processing industry in moving to a generalised contract system.
The solution proposed by the Group is a winter finishing minimum price negotiated annually between the individual processor and the individual farmer for spring marketed animals taking account of over-wintering costs. This arrangement would aim to protect those farmers who bought-in or valued on-farm cattle at a price consistent with the actual beef price in the Autumn against serious loss. It would not protect those who overvalued their own stock or overpaid for bought-in cattle. Such an arrangement would assist producers and processors who wished to enter into mutually beneficial commitments based on market realities and would undoubtedly remove a substantial proportion of the farmer’s financial exposure. These recommendations refer to the nature of the contractual agreements between farmers and producers and are of course a matter for industry.
203. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to farmers who are being paid AEOS 3 payments and who joined up over 12 months ago, the reason the 2013 payments of €4,000 in total is not being paid until March 2014 and at that only 75% is first paid and the remaining 25% afterwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3356/14]
View answerArea-based schemes under the Rural Development Programme, 2007-13, are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including cross checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, to be completed before payments can issue. These rigorous procedures, together with on-farm inspections, apply to a number of scheme payments including the Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS), and are necessary to ensure that applications meet the scheme conditions and cross-compliance requirements.
These checks are currently underway and must be completed before payments commence. In line with the governing Regulations, payments issue in two tranches, 75% payment and 25% payment. It is anticipated that 75% payment will commence in March, 2014 with the balancing 25% payment issuing shortly thereafter.
204. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is under investigation in respect of their REP scheme payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3374/14]
View answerThe person named commenced REPS 4 in May 2009 and received payments for the first four years of their contract.
REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. Following the administrative check an issue was discovered in relation to an area discrepancy between the Single Farm Payment application for 2013 and the REPS Agri-environmental Plan which had resulted in the need for further clarification. This issue has now been resolved and the payments in respect of 2013 will issue shortly to the person named.
205. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when both disadvantaged area scheme and single farm payments will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay with these payments; if there is any ongoing issue that remains to be resolved in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3394/14]
View answerAn application under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2013, processing of which has recently been finalised. Payments under the Single Payment Scheme issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on the 16 January 2014, with payment in respect of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme due to issue shortly.
206. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the support available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3251/14]
View answerMy Department has passed on the information provided by the Deputy to the Office of the Chief Executive Officer of the Child and Family Agency (CFA) for attention in accordance with the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. We have asked the CFA to make direct contact with the Deputy in the matter.
I wish to thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention.
