Written Answers Nos. 84-92
84. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department has taken to allow for the implementation of the Istanbul Convention; if his Department has any engagement with the Department of Justice and Equality on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48566/14]
View answerThe implementation of the Istanbul Convention is not a matter for this Department. My Department has had no engagement with the Department of Justice and Equality on this matter.
86. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the CEDRA report will be costed and implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48583/14]
View answerAn examination of the 34 recommendations in the CEDRA report, in the following link, http://www.agresearch.teagasc.ie/rerc/CEDRA/List_of_Recommendations.pdf, will illustrate that, in the majority of instances, additional resources are not required to implement CEDRA proposals. Instead the major and consistent message of the report is that a more focused and integrated delivery of the existing services is required to energise rural economic development and to achieve more effective impacts from the funding already provided. In view of the nature of the recommendations, it is not practicable, ex ante, to cost them.
As mentioned in my reply to your recent Parliamentary Question No. 218 on 25 November 2014 (44996/14), implementation of the CEDRA report has commenced and is being directed through the CEDRA Interdepartmental Group established and chaired by Minister Phelan. This IDG, which involves all the departmental actors with statutory responsibility and funding for the CEDRA actions, is designed to achieve an integrated platform for implementation of the report. This IDG is finalising its multi-sectoral CEDRA work programme with specific actions and timelines as well as a priority programme.
87. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will use its discretion to front-load the payments through CAP funding or, in principle, agree to front-loading the schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48584/14]
View answerIn July of 2013 I initiated a process of consultation with all farming organisations and other relevant stakeholders to ascertain their views on the most appropriate application of the Direct Payment Regulation in light of Ireland’s unique agricultural profile and circumstances. The results of this consultation process were taken into account when formulating the final shape of direct payments in Ireland for the period 2015 to 2019. These decisions were notified to the EU Commission on the 1st August, 2014 as required under EU Regulations.
The implementation of the new regime of direct payments is underway and the process of accepting applications under the various Schemes will begin very early in the New Year.
Analysis of the impact of the Redistributive Payment Scheme indicated that it would not involve a simple transfer of funds from those who currently hold high value entitlements to those who hold low entitlements. In many cases the transfer of funds under that scheme would counteract the benefits that farmers will obtain from the process of Internal Convergence. I have decided therefore that the redistribution of funds in Ireland should be managed through the Internal Convergence Model, a stepped five year process. This methodology is clear, predictable and easily tracked and achieves the stated objective of a gradual, phased redistribution of funds in a fair and objective manner.
88. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will appoint a regulator to oversee and control the virtual monopoly position that meat factories currently have here; if he will ensure that Irish livestock farmers receive a fair price for the excellent product they produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48635/14]
View answerMy role in relation to the beef sector is to create a policy and support environment that will allow it to flourish in line with normal market principles. As the Deputy will appreciate, questions of price are ultimately matters to be determined between the purchasers and the sellers of cattle. Cattle prices are determined by supply / demand dynamics which are in turn influenced by the seasonality of production, the length of the production lifecycle and market conditions such as retail promotions, consumer confidence, competition with other meats and the overall macro-economic situation. It is neither appropriate nor possible for me or any other Minister for Agriculture in the EU, to intervene directly on these issues. The State, through the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, already has a well established infrastructure for dealing with allegations of anti-competitive practices and I do not consider it appropriate to replicate that structure by establishing a beef regulator. Of course, if the Deputy is in possession of any information regarding uncompetitive practices in the beef sector, I would encourage him to bring this to the attention of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
I also believe it is important that the sector operates in a transparent manner and there is a wealth of information available to farmers under the Beef Pricewatch section on my Department’s website, including the prices for Steers, Cows, and Heifers across the classification grid, for each DAFM approved factory. Improved transparency has also been delivered through the introduction of a Beef Pricewatch App which was developed by my Department. The App presents a range of up to date price information in a user-friendly fashion and is available free of charge to farmers and others interested in this information. The feedback from the users to date has been extremely positive and my Department is already looking at adding new features.
As regards current price levels, it should be noted that prices for R3 steers in Ireland have risen by 26 cents per kilo since the beginning of September. This is an increase of over 7% during this period and Irish prices are now at 101% of the EU15 average price. I should also note recent agreement on a number of outcomes through the Beef RoundTable process. This agreement addresses a range of the issues raised by farmers in recent months, particularly as regards market signals and product specifications. The RoundTable also endorsed the development of Producer Organisations which should, in my view, go a long way to addressing negotiating power along the supply chain and ensure a fair return to beef producers over the medium to long term.
89. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is actively seeking to develop new markets outside of the EU for Ireland's dairy exports on behalf of dairy farmers who are facing the prospect of a very challenging year ahead; if he will list the actions he has taken in this regard; the new markets he is targeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48636/14]
View answerWhilst traditional markets such as the UK and the EU will naturally remain critically important for Irish dairy sector exports, it is abundantly clear that significant market opportunities also exist for the sector in new markets outside the EU in the medium to long term horizon. An examination of the export statistics in the sector gives a real sense of the emerging opportunities in new and exciting markets for Irish dairy produce. As Minister for Agriculture, I have recently witnessed first-hand the potential of the Chinese market in particular. Ireland’s dairy offering resonates with Chinese and other third-market consumers who place safety, traceability and sustainability at the core of their value proposition. Companies based in Ireland exported almost €300m worth of dairy produce to China in 2013 and the expectation for 2014 is that the figure will run approximately 25% ahead of last year.
In 2013 Irish dairy exports to Nigeria were broadly comparable to exports to the United States. Exports to Senegal outperformed exports to a number of Ireland’s more traditional near- Europe trading partners. These are examples used to highlight some of the new and exciting frontiers for the Irish Dairy sector.
In 2013 we exported dairy produce across a range of commodities and other value added offerings to over 130 nations worldwide, and it is clear that Ireland’s high standards of food safety and environmental sustainability are fundamental to that success.
As Minister, I obviously continue to have a role in providing a policy and operational framework to support the sector, which includes exploration and development of new markets. I have not relented in this respect during my tenure, including trade missions which achieved tangible benefits to the sector in markets such as China, as aforementioned, as well as the Middle East and Algeria, amongst others.
90. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department recognises a FETAC level 8 course (details supplied); if not, the reason other courses are recognised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48639/14]
View answerEU Regulations governing the Direct Payment Schemes requires my Department to operate a Farm Advisory System (FAS) to provide advice to farmers on a range of issues relating to land and farm management. The regulations require that advisors are suitably qualified and regularly trained. In addition, in order to be approved as a GLAS Advisor, an advisor must also be an approved FAS advisor. In determining the level of educational qualifications required to be a FAS/GLAS advisor, my Department must ensure that such qualifications are of an appropriate standard to meet the objectives and the requirements of the various schemes, and the associated governing legislation, on which advice is being provided. Advisors must be qualified to interpret soil tests, understand the requirements of all schemes and understand constraints of land management imposed by various land designations. Furthermore, advisors must be in a position to translate this knowledge into detailed management plans and also advice for farmers not only on the schemes requirements but also on their farm operations.
In order to ensure that advisors meet the requirements outlined above, my Department requires that all advisors must have attained a FETAC Level 8 Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science/Land Management in Agriculture and must have taken soil science and an animal or crop production subject to a level 8 degree standard.
My Department undertook a detailed examination of the course content of the level 7 BSc in Agriculture and Environment Management with the add-on level 8 BSc in Rural Enterprise and Environment Management provided by Mountbellew Agricultural College/GMIT and determined that this course does not meet the level 8 educational qualification standard required to be approved as a FAS/GLAS advisor.
Following a request to review this decision my Department is now undertaking a comprehensive review of the educational qualifications required to meet the standard necessary to be an approved FAS/GLAS advisor. On completion of this review all relevant parties will be notified of the decision.
91. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he continues to persist in demanding the collective agreement requirement for participation of commonage farmers in GLAS; if he will confirm that this requirement is not a requirement of the EU but of his Department; if his attention has been drawn to the impracticality of such a requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48640/14]
View answerFirstly I would like to point out that my priority is to put in place requirements for commonages that will deliver real and measurable environmental benefits and will fit within the framework of the Rural Development Regulations, which require that farmers are only paid for actions which exceed the baseline for the Basic Payment Scheme. At recent meetings with the Commission it was made clear that it is incumbent on Member States to ensure that payments are above the baseline and that clear evidence of same must be shown in order to secure approval for the Rural Development Programme. There has been extensive consultation with the stakeholders concerned and I am well aware of the issues arising. There is general agreement amongst all that the key to managing these valuable habitats is a single Commonage Management Plan (CMP), covering all participating GLAS shareholders, and hill farmers have no difficulty with this. I am aware of the concerns raised by hill farmers in this regard.
I am very confident that we can deliver a successful implementation strategy for these commonages and I intend to contact the various representatives in the very near future to outline what I believe is achievable. My focus now is to secure Commission approval to the Rural Development Programme at the earliest possible date so that I can open GLAS to applications, and agreement by all stakeholders on the way forward in terms of commonages is crucial in this regard.
92. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine the agri-environment options scheme application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will ensure that payment is made before Christmas 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48644/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 1) with effect from 1st September 2010 and full entitlements have issued in respect of the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years.
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. During these checks in respect of the 2014 Scheme year it was discovered that two parcels of land included on the AEOS application of the person named were included on the SPS application of another herd owner.
The Species Rich Grassland and Traditional Hay Meadow actions claimed on these parcels on the AEOS application were therefore ineligible for payment under the AEOS scheme. As contracts under AEOS must run for at least five years, the payments which issued in respect of these parcels must now be recouped.
On the 25th November 2014, a letter issued to the person named setting out this decision and providing the option to submit an appeal within 10 days. To date, there is no record of an appeal having been received by officials in my Department. The file will now be processed on this basis with the intention of issuing balancing payment for 2014 as soon as possible.
