Written Answers Nos. 562-587
562. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will deliver all the entitlements and benefits of the restorative justice called for by Mr. Justice Quirke, that is, pensions and health care benefits. [9698/14]
View answerAll 12 of Judge Quirke's recommendations are being addressed. Under the Scheme, 705 applications have been received to date. 320 letters of formal offer have issued. So far, 225 of the applicants have accepted the formal offer and 196 payments have issued at a cost of €7 million. In addition to the lump sum payment each woman is entitled to a top up payment to bring her weekly income from the State to €230.30 if aged 66 or over and €100 if under that age. The Department of Social Protection is establishing a separate scheme in order to give effect to this recommendation and I have been informed that this will be in place by the middle of this year. However, the payments will be backdated to the 1st August 2013 so the women will not be at a loss.
Judge Quirke recommended that legislation be introduced to give effect to his recommendation with regard to the provision of medical services to the women who were admitted to and worked in the relevant institutions. While this is a health issue, it has been agreed that my Department would coordinate legislation to implement Judge Quirke's recommendations. The necessary legislation is included on the priority list of the Government Legislation Programme for the Spring/Summer 2014. Details of exactly what services will be provided are being determined by the Department of Health. My officials are working with that Department in finalising the drafting of the necessary legislative provisions as quickly as possible.
564. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason the dedicated unit and helpline for the survivors of the Magdalen laundries, as recommended by Mr. Justice Quirke, have not been set up to assist those survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9667/14]
View answerThe Government's first priority is to facilitate the processing of applications under the Scheme and to implement those measures necessary to provide the individual benefits recommended by Judge Quirke to those women who were admitted to and worked in the institutions in question. To this end, on the 5th November 2013, the Government agreed to the payments and services to be provided on an individual basis to the women who came within the scope of the scheme. Within my own Department, a unit of 9 officials is working full time on engaging with the women and processing applications. They are available to answer any queries the women may have in relation to the Scheme. Decisions on establishing a permanent and separate dedicated unit, its role and method of operation have not been finalised as yet. Further consideration will be given to this recommendation when more progress has been made on the processing of applications and on the provision of payments and benefits.
565. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence with regard to the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and section 6(1) thereof, the number of applications for authorising an interception in the interests of the security of the State that he or his Department have received from the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces since 9 March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9074/14]
View answer568. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Defence the number of times the Defence Forces applied to the courts to mount surveillance or interception operations under the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 in the past five years. [9193/14]
View answer569. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Defence the number of times the courts either rejected or accepted the grounds put forward by the Defence Forces for using surveillance or interception methods permitted under the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 during the past five years. [9194/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 565, 568 and 569 together.
The Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act, 1993 sets out the conditions under which, in the interest of the security of the State, authorisation may be granted for interception by the Defence Forces of certain postal packages and telecommunications messages. The capabilities of the Defence Forces in this area are subject to the restrictions and safeguards that are outlined in the legislation. These include a system of judicial supervision, with reports submitted to the Taoiseach by a designated Judge appointed by the President of the High Court. These reports are then laid before each House of the Oireachtas.For security and operational reasons, it would not be appropriate for me to provide the details sought in the questions.
566. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Defence when he will open recruitment for the Defence Forces; the recruitment process which applicants would need to undertake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8881/14]
View answerI am advised by the Military Authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, at 31 January 2014, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,198, comprising, 7,403 Army, 775 Air Corps and, 1,020 Naval Service personnel. Recruitment of personnel to the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps is determined in line with the operational requirements of each of the three services. As the Permanent Defence Force is currently below the agreed stabilised strength of 9,500, it is my intention that targeted recruitment will continue this year within the resource envelope allocated to Defence. To that end, it is planned to run a new General Service recruitment competition this year and this will be launched shortly. Details of the competition will be made available on the Defence Forces website www.military.ie when the competitions commence. Recruitment of Cadets, Air Corps Apprentices and Naval Service Engine Room Artificers is also planned for 2014.
Application for General Service Recruitment to the Defence Forces is conducted on-line and all correspondence is conducted via e-mail. Candidates must successfully complete fitness testing, online psychometric testing, interview and psychometric testing verification in order to progress through the competition. Following these stages of the recruitment process, successful applicants may be placed on panels and may be offered a position, subject to successfully completing a medical examination and obtaining Garda Síochána Security Clearance. With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, I intend to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.
567. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 6 February 2014, the title and locations of the six consultancy medical services referred to in his response; the number of patients seen in 2011, 2012 and 2013; the amount paid to each of these services for each of these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8898/14]
View answerIt was not possible to provide the detailed information sought by the Deputy in the time available. My Department is currently seeking to compile the relevant data and I will provide the information directly to the Deputy once it comes to hand.
570. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 10 of 6 February 2014, if he will indicate the locations to which 18 doctors serving with the Defence Forces are currently posted; the number of Defence Forces personnel on average seen or treated by these doctors in each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; if he will state the overall cost of this element of the Defence Forces medical services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9297/14]
View answerIt was not possible to provide the detailed information sought by the Deputy in the time available. My Department is currently seeking to compile the relevant data and I will provide the information directly to the Deputy once it comes to hand.
571. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Defence the chief executive officers of semi-State companies under the aegis of his Department who are on Hay contracts and those who are not on Hay contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10127/14]
View answerThere are no semi State companies under the aegis of the Department of Defence.
572. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether, in the context of timber poles that are treated with bituminous products - as preservatives - such as tar and that are used for the purposes of electricity or telecommunications purposes, there are standards or regulations in place which are designed to prevent the leaching of the organic preservatives involved into groundwater. [9101/14]
View answerOverall, the system of regulation in Ireland of bituminous wood preservative products and treated timber provides for the assessment of the impact of such products/treated articles on the groundwater resource. Where necessary, relevant restrictions and protective measures to protect groundwater in the context of the relevant pieces of chemical legislation, Water Framework Directive and the Drinking Water Directive may be applied. The Regulatory system for wood preservative products (such as bituminous products) and treated timber (such as poles used in electrical transmission and telecommunications) in Ireland is based on European legislation for chemicals. These pieces of legislation are underpinned by the precautionary principle and the stated aims are to ensure high levels of protection for humans, animals and the environment, which includes protection of groundwater for the purposes of environmental integrity and drinking water safety. The relevant pieces of legislation include:
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (the REACH Regulation) which ensures that appropriate restrictions are in place on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of certain substances, mixtures (i.e. wood preservative products) and articles (i.e. the treated timber poles) to protect human health;
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 concerning the making available and use of biocidal products (the BPR) to ensure that biocidal active substances, such as bituminous derivatives, are reviewed by the EU Member States and that only those active substances that are approved following the review are placed on the market, are used correctly and are correctly labelled; and
- Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (the Water Framework Directive) as transposed in to Irish law by S.I. 722 of 2003 (as amended) and also S.I. 9 of 2010 gives further effect to the Water Framework Directive in the area of groundwater protection.
When granting approvals for biocidal products, special attention is paid, within the product assessment, to the data and its relation to the above legislation impacting on the approval. Accordingly, depending on the conclusions drawn following assessment of these products and the in-service use of the treated timber it is possible to apply restrictions and specific conditions to the product approval or to refuse authorisation where warranted.
573. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8891/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from 1st May 2013. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. These checks are well under way and I anticipate that payments for the AEOS 3 in respect of 2013 will commence in March 2014.
574. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has information available on the value and economic contribution of the thoroughbred industry; the number of persons the sector currently employs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8897/14]
View answerThere is a considerable amount of information generally available on the value of the thoroughbred industry. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the industry. Each year HRI publishes its annual report and accounts, audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General, which are laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. This publication contains considerable detail on the performance of various facets of the industry in the reference year. In addition Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) publish a “Factbook” annually which contains a wealth of information on this very important industry. HRI issues bulletins in the course of the year tracking the key performance indicators for the sector. The HRI website http://www.goracing.ie also carries up-to-date information on developments on an on-going basis. The “Weatherbys Factbook”, published by Weatherbys GSB Ltd. & Weatherbys Ireland GSB Ltd, is an annual publication containing very interesting statistics on the Irish bloodstock industry. In 2013 the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (ITBA) published “Analysis of the Economic Impact of the Irish Thoroughbred Industry”. This report contained the results of a study commissioned by the ITBA and follows on from similar studies commissioned by the ITBA in 2009 and 2010. The sales companies also publish information on the industry on their websites.
Most recent information available shows:
- The Irish bloodstock breeding and racing industry is of major national importance in terms of employment (especially in rural areas), exports and tourism. Approximately 14,000 people are employed in the thoroughbred industry in Ireland, mostly in rural areas and it attracts significant inward investment to the country. The value of the industry is estimated at almost €1.1bn annually. “Analysis of the Economic Impact of the Irish Thoroughbred Industry”, ITBA (2013) and HRI Factbook 2012, HRI (2013);
- Ireland remains the biggest producer of thoroughbred foals in Europe and is the fourth largest producer in the world (behind USA, Australia and Argentina); and
- Approximately 40% of the EU output of thoroughbreds and 11% of the total worldwide are produced in Ireland.
“Analysis of the Economic Impact of the Irish Thoroughbred Industry”, ITBA (2013) and HRI Factbook 2012, HRI (2013) http://www.ifhaonline.org/resources/Annual_Report_2012.pdf
HRI report that growth has returned to key areas in 2013 compared to 2012 HRI Press Release 15th January, 2013:
- Value of bloodstock sales sold through public auction, up 43% to €133.4m;
- Attendances at racecourses 1.24m, up 4%;
- Tote betting up 6.5%, but on-course betting down 4.6%;
- Prize money up 2.5% to €46m and commercial sponsorship increased by 1.6%;
- Numbers of horses in training down 0.4% to 9,119; and
- Number of owners decreased by 5.7% to 3,966.
HRI announced 5% increase in prize money to €48.5m in 2014 and a reduction of 10% in administration charges to owners and trainers in an effort to encourage new owners. HRI Press release 13th December 2013.
The sales companies in Ireland have all seen significant increases in their annual sales aggregates in 2013 with clearance rates increasing significantly, a sure indication of increasing market confidence. These very encouraging figures are testament to the regard in which Irish bloodstock is held internationally.
http://www.ifhaonline.org/resources/Annual_Report_2012.pdf
HRI Press Release 15th January, 2013
HRI Press release 13th December 2013
http://www.goffs.com/ and http://www.tattersalls.ie/
575. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) with respect to 2012 single payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8958/14]
View answerA review of the lands declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme in 2012 and 2013 revealed that a number of land parcels declared contained ineligible features. In order to clarify the position regarding the area of the ineligible features my Department arranged for a ground verification check to be undertaken. This verification check has been completed and the results are now being finalised. The person named will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this verification check, the decision can be appealed to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee.
576. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a disadvantaged area payment will issue to a person (details supplied) County Tipperary; the reasons for the delay in payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8988/14]
View answerAn application under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 7 March 2013, processing of which is only recently finalised, following confirmation of the stocking density of the holding of the person named. Payment is due to issue shortly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
577. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, may expect to have their disadvantaged area payments processed; when they will receive notification of the outcome of an appeal made in June 2013 regarding their AEOS application; the reasons for delay in both; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8989/14]
View answerPayment in respect of the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 21 February 2014, following clarification of requirements under Commonage Framework Plans. An application under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) from the person named was received in my Department on 7th December 2012. The Terms and Conditions of the AEOS 3 Scheme preclude participants active in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme in 2013 from eligibility for AEOS. During the pre approval validation checks a cross check was carried out against the NPWS database and it was found that person named was a participant in that Scheme. As a result of this the application was unsuccessful. On 10th June 2013, a letter issued to the person named informing him of this and giving him the option of appeal to the Department. An appeal was received from the person named and a letter has issued upholding the original decision and giving the right of appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office.
578. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding existing by-laws whereby a town or county council agent can enter private property and remove horses from private forestry land; the fact that there seems to be an anomaly in that Carlow and Kilkenny have by-laws in place allowing this to happen and that north and south Tipperary (details supplied) do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9003/14]
View answerUnder the Control of Horses Act 1996 the Oireachtas has given Local Authorities a range of duties, including the making of bye laws, concerning the protection of horses, persons and property. It is a matter for each Local Authority to determine the bye laws that are appropriate to its functional area. In 2013, my Department contributed €3.1 million to Local Authorities in respect of work that they carried out under the under the Control of Horses Act.
579. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase staffing levels in agricultural colleges to meet the demands of new students enrolling in the colleges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9015/14]
View answerUnder the Agricultural (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988, Teagasc has responsibility for the provision of education and training services to the agricultural sector. These services are delivered through a network of agricultural colleges, regional education and local centres and in collaboration with three privately-owned colleges. Within the various colleges and at local level, Teagasc provide an extensive range of courses in agriculture, horticulture, equine studies and forestry. They currently cater for in excess of 2,000 full time college students, some 10,000 adult learners and also provide degree level courses in collaboration with various Institutes of Technology. A small number of VEC colleges have also commenced provision of Green Cert courses.
There has been a large increase in the demand for student places in recent years reflecting the positivity towards the Agri- food and farming sectors generally. The allocation of resources in Teagasc to the education function is an internal operational matter for Teagasc management. To cope with the increased demand, Teagasc was granted exceptional sanction in 2011 to recruit six contract teaching staff in the agricultural colleges. This measure was complemented by other Teagasc initiatives including increased student- teacher ratios, redeployment of six advisory staff to the colleges and subcontracting the delivery of specific education modules across a number of colleges and local centres.
They were subsequently approved to fill a further 6 positions on a temporary basis for periods up to 12 months in respect of teaching staff on short term leave etc. In addition, my Department in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform recently approved the filling of 11 mission critical posts in Teagasc on an exceptional basis under the moratorium. Additional teaching resources were approved under this measure.
580. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he is taking to promote potato producer groups in order to support growers in marketing their produce. [9190/14]
View answerMy Department will be advertising two calls for proposals for promotion under the EU promotion regulation this year and has worked with Bord Bia and potato producers to encourage the submission of a potato promotion proposal which could benefit from 50% EU co-financing. The stakeholders in the sector have recently committed to preparing a proposal for a three year programme. As the Single Common Market Organisation does not cover the potato sector or potato producer groups, our focus is on investment, joint promotion and identification of new market outlets with the potential for increased consumption in order to support producers in marketing their produce.
581. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider introducing a compensation scheme for farmers who have been affected by livestock thefts, especially as farmers cannot secure insurance to cover such an eventuality. [9216/14]
View answerWhile it is not possible to introduce a compensation scheme for all unforeseen events, I urge farmers to familiarise themselves with all risk management issues such as injury, theft, price volatility, weather related disasters and animal diseases. I also encourage farmers to take the appropriate steps and employ risk management techniques where possible. The theft of any property, including cattle, is a criminal offence and should be reported to the Garda Síochána which is the appropriate authority to investigate and pursue such criminality. Officers of my Department assist the Gardaí with their investigations into such reported events. There is also close liaison with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland such that the issue of stolen animals is being addressed on an all-island basis.
Stolen cattle cannot be traded legally in the State as all bovines must bear official ear tags, be properly registered and be associated with the herd of the individual moving or selling the animal on the Department’s Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database. When cattle are reported as stolen to my Department, they are marked on the AIM database as being stolen on foot of a Garda report. If these animals are presented anywhere in the State for sale, slaughter or export they are checked against the database and will be rejected at these outlets and an investigation initiated.
582. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the 2013 single payment and disadvantaged areas schemes will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9228/14]
View answerWhile the person named did submit certain land parcel maps on 14 May 2013, there is no record of the person named having lodged a 2013 Single Payment/Disadvantaged Area application with my Department. An official from my Department has been in direct contact with the person named regarding this matter.
583. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their appeal on agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, 3; the reason it is taking so long for a decision to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9253/14]
View answerAn application under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) from the person named was received in my Department on 7th December 2012. The Terms and Conditions of the AEOS 3 Scheme preclude participants active in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme in 2013 from eligibility for AEOS. During the pre-approval validation checks, a cross check was carried out against the NPWS database and it was found that the person named was a participant in that Scheme. As a result of this the application was unsuccessful. On 10th June 2013, a letter issued to the person named informing him of this and giving him the option of appeal to the Department. An appeal was received from the person named and a letter has issued upholding the original decision and giving the right of appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office.
584. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their disadvantaged area scheme payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9256/14]
View answerPayment under 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme issued on 21 February 2014, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
585. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the penalties being imposed in respect of farm payments; the reason there is not prior notification given to the farmers informing them of the amount of and reason for the cut; if there is a cut, the reason this is not being taken out of part of the payment rather than stopping all of the payment and causing hardship and misery for the farmer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9270/14]
View answerUnder the Terms & Conditions of the Direct Aid Schemes, which includes the Single Payment scheme, farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their applications, are to exclude ineligible features such as roads, buildings, farmyards, dense scrub, etc. These claims are then recorded on the Department’s Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). Given the importance of the LPIS database in underpinning direct aid payments worth in excess of €1.5 billion annually, my Department is obliged under EU Regulations to ensure its accuracy.
Following consultation with the EU Commission, as part of the normal Accounting process, my Department was requested to undertake a complete review of the LPIS database. This has resulted in the necessity to adjust parcels of a significant number of applicants, where it was established that some ineligible features had been included. In certain circumstances these adjustments are giving rise to penalties. A comprehensive review and appeals process has been implemented to ensure that the cases of individual farmers are fully scrutinised. In the first instance, a farmer, who finds himself or herself in this position, can seek a review of the original decision by Department officials. If they are not happy with the outcome of the review, they can submit an appeal to the Independent LPIS Appeals Committee, chaired by Mr Padraig Gibbons.
The LPIS Review process initiated by my Department consisted on a review of all of the eligible land parcels in the LPIS database, which was declared by farmers under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and other Direct Payment Schemes. In total, the Review covered in excess of 132,000 applicants and the land parcels declared by them as eligible for payment under one of more of the above-mentioned Schemes.
It is important to note that there are some positive outcomes of the current Review from a farmer’s point of view. In the first instance, I announced last week that the number of payment entitlements, which farmers will be granted under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 will be based on the 2013 eligible land or in 2015 if it is lower. This means that farmers, who have ineligible land deducted in 2013 as part of this Review, will be protected under the new Regime as their entitlements will be based on the actual eligible land in 2013. In addition, it also means that farmers, who are contributing to the convergence process by having reductions applied to their entitlements, will not see part of the funds used to make payments on ineligible lands.
A deliberate decision was taken late last year not to delay payments to those farmers whose payments were due to be subject to reduction following the outcome of the Review; rather, the payments issued with the sums in question deducted, the farmers concerned being then advised of the reductions and the appeals process. This course of action was specifically designed to ensure that there was no undue delay in issuing payments, while also ensuring that farmers were aware of the appeals process.
586. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all commonage areas should be examined on their grazing merits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9271/14]
View answer587. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the stocking rate of commonage, if it should be decided in consultation with the commonage claimant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9272/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together.
Commonage lands form an important part of the farming enterprises of many farmers, particularly along the west coast. They also form an important part of the local environment from the point of view of bio-diversity, wildlife, amenities and economic returns e.g. tourism. There is a substantial risk of land abandonment as under-grazing become more of a problem. Under-grazing leads to an increase in ineligible land under Direct Aid and Agri-Environment Schemes and leads to risk of financial corrections being imposed by EU Commission.
The farming of commonages lands has a long tradition in Ireland. It is by its very nature a complex area – there are issues about the legal right to claim and there have always been disputes about the grazing of the commonages. In the vast majority of cases, however, commonage shareholders work well together on a co-operative basis to maintain the commonages in GAEC or where there is under-grazing to return the habitat to GAEC. My stated intention is to achieve this by working with the farmers directly managing the lands, relevant state agencies, the farming organisations and all other interested stakeholders. It will not be an easy task but it is achievable if we all work in a co-operative basis. It is expected that this process will commence shortly.
