Written Answers Nos. 503-520
503. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Laois in respect of 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6544/14]
View answerUnder 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, eligible applicants were required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months, in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. While the holding of the person named was confirmed as having satisfied the twelve-month average, it did not satisfy the seven month minimum requirement. Therefore, unfortunately, no payment is due to the person named under the 2013 Scheme. The person named has been informed of this in writing advising him of the right to submit an appeal to my Department.
504. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average waiting times for applicants for felling licences; his plans to reduce this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6570/14]
View answerThe average waiting times for applicants for felling licences is approximately 17.5 weeks.
A number of changes have been implemented in recent months in order to improve the felling licence application processing system. Where felling licence applications need to be referred to outside agencies, a period of one month is allowed to Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and County Councils to respond with their observations. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) had been allowed 8 weeks to respond to referrals and this has now been reduced to 6 weeks. In order to speed up the issuing of licences all referral communications to IFI and NPWS are now transmitted electronically. In addition, the manner in which the Forestry Inspectors identify applications for referral to outside agencies has been streamlined in order to reduce the number of cases referred.
The current procedures outlined above will be carefully monitored and reviewed with a view to improvement. It is also intended this year to develop a new computerised application tracking and licence issuing system, which it is envisaged will in time include a facility to allow online applications. The new Forestry Bill also contains provisions that will allow streamlining of the application and licence issuing process.
505. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will increase the rate of forestry road grant aid to €45 and to 25 m per hectare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6571/14]
View answerThe new forestry programme for 2014 – 2020 will continue to be funded by the exchequer under EU state aid rules. The latest state aid rules which are in draft form only, limit the level of State support for forest roads to 40% of the total eligible costs as opposed to 80% under the previous programme.
The development of the new forestry programme will be carried out in parallel with a Strategic Environmental Assessment which will feed into the development of the programme at scheme level. A tender for this work has issued and work is expected to being in early March 2014. It is therefore too early to make a statement in relation to the level of funding for forest roads at this time, other than to say that various options are currently being explored.
A public consultation process will take place in June/July 2014 at which point more detail will be made available on the content of the proposed new forestry programme.
506. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount spent on advertising by his Department and each agency under his aegis in 2013; if he will provide a breakdown of the amount spent on each of TV, radio, print, outdoor, Internet and social media platform advertising; the amount spent on advertising agencies; if he will provide the information in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6575/14]
View answerThe amount spent by my Department on advertising in 2013 was €182,759.50. Breakdown detailed.
|
Print Media |
€179,021 |
|
Video – Forest Fire Prevention |
€3,739 |
The vast bulk of the Department’s advertising consists of press notices in the specialised farming press, provincial newspapers and national daily newspapers. This includes the publication of Statutory Notices that are required to comply with various national and EU legislative requirements. Other media such as television and radio was not used in 2013. Advertising on the internet and by social media has not been used to date. Decisions on the placement of notices are made on a case by case basis, depending on the target audience.
Since 2010, my Department has used the Government National Procurement Service (on behalf of various Government Departments and State Agencies etc) for the placement of State advertising in the print media.
The question of advertising by agencies within the remit of my Department is an operational matter for the bodies themselves.
507. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department currently engages in real-time reporting of online conversations on issues relating to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6591/14]
View answerMy Department does not operate social media at present.
508. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is engaged in the practice of culling badgers; his future plans for control of the badger population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6657/14]
View answerThe bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, implemented by my Department, includes a wildlife strategy which involves the removal of badgers when an epidemiological investigation carried out by the Department’s Veterinary Inspectorate concludes that badgers are implicated in a serious outbreak of TB in cattle. This policy was introduced in light of research conducted over the years by the Department and others which demonstrated that the eradication of Bovine TB is not a practicable proposition until the issue of the reservoir of infection in badgers, which is seeding infection into the cattle population, is addressed.
Approximately 6,000 badgers are removed under the wildlife programme annually under licence issued by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Badgers are captured by trained Farm Relief Service contractors, monitored and supervised by DAFM staff, particularly as regards animal welfare aspects.
There has been a very significant improvement in the TB situation in recent years and, in particular, since 2008: the number of reactors has declined by almost 50% from around 30,000 in 2008 to 15,600 last year, which represented a 15 % reduction on 2012 levels. This is a new record low since the commencement of the eradication programme in the 1950s and, for the first time since the programme was introduced in the 1950’s, eradication is now a practicable proposition. While it is difficult to quantify the precise impact of badger culling on the reduction in the incidence of TB in Ireland over the past 10 years or so, my Department believes that much of the improvement is in fact due to the badger removal programme. In this regard, it is noteworthy that a recent peer-reviewed study, Bovine tuberculosis trends in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, 1995–2010 (Abernethy et al., 2013), published in the Veterinary Record, found that, during the period studied, the animal incidence of TB increased by 380% in England, by 190% in Wales and by 74% in Northern Ireland. On the other hand, the animal incidence in Ireland fell by 32% in the same period (and by a further 20% since the study). Significantly, the removal of badgers is not practised in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
My Department invests in extensive research in relation to badger ecology and vaccination programmes with the intention of developing a vaccination programme, with a view to replacing badger culling with vaccination when this is a practicable proposition. In this context, my Department has been collaborating for some years with the Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (CVERA) in UCD and with DEFRA in the United Kingdom on research into a vaccine to control tuberculosis in badgers and to break the link of infection to cattle. Field trials are also being undertaken in several counties at present, involving the vaccination of several hundred badgers over 3 to 4 years, with continuous monitoring of the population to assess the impact of the vaccine on the incidence of disease in the vaccinated and non-vaccinated control badger populations. Success in the field trials is designed to eventually lead to implementation of a vaccination strategy as part of the national TB control programme. As it will be some years before the benefits of a vaccine can be seen, the targeted badger removals will continue in the medium term.
509. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the damage to aquaculture operations during the recent stormy weather; the number of fish which escaped as reported to his Department under the licensing conditions for fin fish operations, with specific reference to a company (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he is satisfied that fish escaping from salmon farms have not and will not have an irreversible impact on the genetic integrity of native wild salmon stocks. [6714/14]
View answerMy Department has received a report from the company referred to by the Deputy that due to the recent stormy weather, damage has been done to one of the cages on site and that a fish loss is likely to have occurred as a result.
Due to the ongoing weather conditions it has not been possible to quantify the fish loss but the company has advised that a fish count will be taken as soon as weather conditions permit. My Department will continue to monitor the situation.
In relation to the genetic integrity of native wild salmon stocks, there have been no documented cases in Ireland of negative population impacts leading specifically to loss of wild stock integrity and productivity as a result of fish farm escapes to date.
510. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of the current and any outstanding applications for temporary aquaculture licences, together with their terms. [6715/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and will require an extensive examination by my Department of its records.
The information will be forwarded to the Deputy within 3 weeks.
511. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of all unauthorised aquaculture operations of which he is aware; the method of inspections on which he bases this information; and his views on whether the current licence regulation is adequate. [6716/14]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy will require an extensive examination of my Department’s records and consultation with a number of Divisions within my Department and relevant Agencies.
The information will be forwarded to the Deputy within four weeks.
512. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 660 and 661 of 15 January 2014 if he is satisfied that his Department is fully compliant with the Aarhus Convention in regard to the provision of environmental information; if he will make available the aquaculture and foreshore licences applications with their maps online, together with the decisions when made; and the reasons requirements regarding copies of objections and instructions for lodging an appeal, as is the custom with development applications within the jurisdiction of local authorities, were not met. [6717/14]
View answerThe relevant Directive requires public authorities inter alia to make available and disseminate environmental information to the general public to the widest extent possible, in particular by using information and communication technologies.
Under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act my Department publishes Ministerial determinations in respect of aquaculture licence applications in local newspapers. The relevant public notice also provides a website address in respect of a “Conclusion Statement” which outlines how the relevant aquaculture decisions comply with the requirements of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
As part of my Department’s upgrading of its online provision of services in respect of aquaculture licensing all marine fin fish licences are currently available online and measures are in place to make all other aquaculture licences available online as soon as possible. My Department also makes information available to the public in respect of licensing including maps on a routine basis.
It is a key priority for my Department to establish best practise in relation to all aquaculture license practises.
514. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an appeal against penalties on a single farm payment for 2013 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6726/14]
View answerA review of the land declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme revealed that one of the land parcels declared contained ineligible features. The applicant has sought a review of the decision which is currently being undertaken. The case in question has been forwarded for a ground verification check to clarify the matter. My Department will be in direct contact with the person named regarding the outcome of the review once this verification check has been completed. If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, he can appeal his case to the Independent LPIS Appeals Committee.
515. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total money allocated to each local authority, in tabular form, for the control of stray horses, in the past three years. [6773/14]
View answerMy Department provides funding to Local Authorities under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, to enable these bodies implement their powers relating to the control and welfare of stray or abandoned horses. Details of amounts paid to Local Authorities in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table.
|
City/County Co's |
Paid 2011 |
Paid 2012 |
Paid 2013 |
|
Carlow Co. Council |
12,445.90 |
4,922.40 |
79,076.51 |
|
Cavan Co. Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Clare Co. Council |
70,637.36 |
110,056.30 |
68,436.95 |
|
Cork Co. Council |
108,389.58 |
149,952.30 |
113,992.80 |
|
Cork City Council |
144,427.22 |
88,207.04 |
75014.47 |
|
Donegal Co. Council |
0 |
0 |
29,070.27 |
|
Dublin City Council |
391,616.39 |
237,663.45 |
239,471.43 |
|
Sth Dublin Co. Council |
187,872.00 |
0 |
220,582.86 |
|
Dunlaoghaire/Rathdown Co Council |
61,856.88 |
25,052.22 |
41,467.86 |
|
Fingal Co. Council |
187,902.70 |
110,648.79 |
65,888.74 |
|
Galway City Council |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway Co. Council |
26,479.06 |
11,503.25 |
282,081.88 |
|
Kerry Co. Council |
99,771.07 |
88,968.22 |
41,240.50 |
|
Kildare Co. Council |
63,160.95 |
91,100.92 |
160,256.23 |
|
Kilkenny Co. Council |
92,790.93 |
79,014.17 |
81,906.92 |
|
Laois Co. Council |
96,582.67 |
132,446.36 |
184,868.07 |
|
Leitrim Co. Council |
14,706.07 |
20,014.06 |
8,142.24 |
|
Limerick Co. Council |
152,294.85 |
171,593.85 |
115,936.57 |
|
Limerick City Council |
361,802.48 |
307,979.69 |
208,499.56 |
|
Longford Co. Council |
624.25 |
250 |
8,479.66 |
|
Louth Co. Council |
27,876.85 |
18,656.22 |
63,216.53 |
|
Mayo Co. Council |
79,932.08 |
157,617.37 |
92,479.00 |
|
Meath Co. Council |
35,703.65 |
51,519.61 |
90,448.48 |
|
Monaghan Co. Council |
109.31 |
369.88 |
27,946.80 |
|
Offaly Co. Council |
48,067.55 |
0 |
35,100.71 |
|
Roscommon Co. Council |
6,022.94 |
8,442.80 |
106,549.32 |
|
Sligo Co. Council |
44,879.96 |
30,574.61 |
39,732.50 |
|
Tipperary (North Riding) Co. Council |
65,123.86 |
68,707.83 |
60,384.58 |
|
Tipperary (South Riding) Co. Council |
78,675.41 |
67,209.48 |
73,597.63 |
|
Waterford Co. Council |
37,790.11 |
16,152.34 |
23,315.22 |
|
Waterford City Council |
0 |
0 |
47,284.16 |
|
Westmeath Co. Council |
53,129.00 |
76,689.85 |
77,723.03 |
|
Wexford Co. Council |
38,136.00 |
37,287.50 |
76,992.15 |
|
Wicklow Co. Council |
115,823.80 |
36,518.11 |
186,415.58 |
|
Totals |
2,704,630.88 |
2,199,118.62 |
3,025,599.21 |
516. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way it is proposed to treat any outbreak of amoebic gill disease at the fish farm project proposed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara in Galway Bay, given that the environmental impact study published by BIM makes no reference to amoebic gill disease whatever and as the treatment of AGD requires large amounts of fresh water; the amount of water that would be required to treat the proposed farm at maximum capacity; where this fresh water would be sourced from; the reason it was not referenced in the EIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6780/14]
View answerThe application referred to by the Deputy is currently under consideration by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act. The consideration process will include a detailed assessment by my Department’s expert advisors on all aspects of the application including environmental considerations and fish health.
As the application is under consideration as part of a statutory process it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on it at this stage.
517. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under REP scheme 4; and the reason there appears to be disagreement between the local AES office in Galway, which states that the Department office in Portlaoise is at fault as its system shows that the land parcel identification system is not finalised, while the Portlaoise office states that the LPIS was finalised on 3 February. [6793/14]
View answerThe person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first five 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 Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) Review an area discrepancy was identified which had resulted in the necessity for further clarification. This issue has now been resolved and the 75% Year 6 payment has been issued for payment. The remaining 25% balancing payment will issue shortly.
518. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details of all official engagements by him or the Ministers of State in his Department that have taken place in Northern Ireland since he took office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6811/14]
View answerDetails of my official engagements in Northern Ireland since I took office on 9 March 2011 are outlined below.
|
Date |
Event |
Venue |
|
26 July 2011 |
North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
CAFRE Cookstown |
|
26 July 2011 |
Met Minister O’Neill and UFU – Dinner |
Cookstown |
|
26 Oct 2011 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
18 Nov 2011 |
NSMC Plenary Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
08 Feb 2012 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
08 Mar 2012 |
SDLP Agri - Food Conference |
Armagh City Hotel |
|
25 July 2012 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
25 July 2012 |
Meeting with Ulster Farmers Union |
Armagh City Hotel |
|
31 Oct 2012 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
23 Nov 2012 |
Radio Ulster – Good morning Ulster |
Belfast |
|
23 Nov 2012 |
DUP Annual Conference |
La MonHouse Hotel and Country Club, Castlereagh, Belfast |
|
25 Jan 2013 |
Common Agricultural Policy Reform Seminar with Minister O’Neill MLA |
CAFRE Cookstown |
|
10 July 2013 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
08 Nov 2013 |
NSMC Plenary Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
|
13 Nov 2013 |
NSMC Agriculture Sectoral Meeting |
NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh |
Minister of State Tom Hayes has not had any engagements in Northern Ireland since he took office on 5 June 2013. However my late colleague, Minister of State Shane Mc Entee, met Minister Michelle O Neill briefly at the launch of the Future Trees Trust in Loughgall, Co. Armagh on 16 May 2012 and he attended Balmoral Show Breakfast Reception the following day. He also attended the NSMC Plenary meeting on 2 November 2012 in the Offices of the NSMC Joint Secretariat, Armagh.
519. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Property Registration Authority has identified mapping issues within his Department in relation to land (details supplied) in County Mayo; if he will outline the difficulties there; his plans to expedite a resolution of the difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6848/14]
View answerThis is a complex Land Commission re-arrangement scheme involving the exchange of a large number of plots and commonage shares. There are six individuals involved and all registrations are inter-dependent on each other and no one individual can be registered in isolation. The mapping queries relate to the confirmation of areas on a number of commonage plots. In addition a boundary issue has arisen relating to one of the plots. My officials do not however anticipate any difficulties in responding to the Property Registration Authority on the mapping issues raised.
520. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the precise costs involved for individual farmers in terms of genotype testing for suckler farmers who wish to partake in the beef genomics scheme for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6852/14]
View answerUnder the Beef Genomics Scheme (BGS) in 2014 participating farmers will have to sample at least 15% of their herd (all stock bulls and selected cows) nominated by the Irish Cattle breeding Federation (ICBF). Under the scheme farmers will receive €40 per calf for each calf born in the herd in 2014, subject to an overall scheme limit. The cost of the genotyping test is approximately €30 for each cow/bull selected for sampling. The final figure will be confirmed in the scheme’s terms and conditions posted out to eligible farmers with the application forms over the coming weeks.
This test cost includes the cost of the tag, the posting of the tags to the laboratory, the genotyping of the sample itself and the recording of the results to the ICBF’s cattle breeding database. It will also include the cost of the genotyping results being made available to farmer for on-farm use.
Farmers can use this information predicting the genetic merit of their stock to inform their breeding and selection decisions as the genotyping provides them with information on a range of performance traits. As DNA is present in all individuals since birth, genomic selection facilitates a more accurate prediction of genetic merit even when the animal is still a calf. Improved knowledge on the genetic merit of an animal should facilitate more informed on-farm selection decisions with the eventual outcome of increased genetic gain for a range of performance traits and therefore higher quality beef animals leading to greater farm profitability.
