Written Answers Nos. 1-25
7. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of ash trees that have been destroyed as a result of ash dieback since January 2013; and the number that were hedgerow, privately owned or planted under the rural environment protection scheme. [16838/15]
View answerTo date, approximately 693 hectares of ash forestry plantations have been cleared and replanted with alternative species. A high proportion of the areas cleared were plantations which were associated with infected imported batches but which were not necessarily infected. These associated plantations were destroyed on a precautionary basis. Out of a total of 59 findings in forestry plantations, all were privately owned apart from one Coillte site. Infected ash has also been destroyed in privately owned non-forestry locations such as horticultural nurseries, gardens and farm /agri-environment plantings. There have also been findings in ash planted along roadsides which have been subject to eradication measures.
In relation to ash planted under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme the data is not available specifically for ash trees. We do know however, that 23 cases of Chalara have been found on Farm planting/Agri-environment sites. With regard to hedgerows I can confirm that 4 cases of infection in hedgerows have been identified, all of which are associated with sites planted with infected imported material.
10. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is committed to introducing a national plan to eradicate infectious bovine rhinotracheitis. [18582/15]
View answerMy Department is aware of moves by certain member states toward the introduction of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) Eradication Programmes. In this regard, I have requested Teagasc to undertake an appropriate cost benefit analysis of the impact of the introduction of an IBR control/eradication programme in Ireland. This analysis will cover a number of areas, including (i) the costs associated with the loss of the live export trade in calves and weanling to EU markets and (ii) the on-farm losses associated with reduced output on farms. I am hopeful that this study will be completed in 2015. In view of the importance attached to the live export trade, Animal Health Ireland has developed a series of information leaflets providing veterinary practitioners, farmers and their advisers with up to date information on IBR and its control. I would urge all concerned to adopt the advice in this leaflet with a view to minimising the impact of this disease.
13. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has, at this late stage, introduced a marking system for the evaluation of applications under tier 3 of the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme; his views that it is proportionate; if he acknowledges the burden it is placing on applicants and their planners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18630/15]
View answerThe use of ranking for selection has always been a requirement of the GLAS Scheme. The ranking system itself has not changed – it remains the case that Tier 1 receives priority over Tier 2 and Tier 2 over Tier 3. The Terms and Conditions of the Scheme have always made specific reference to the use of selection criteria in the ranking process and the most recent communications, which were included in a circular to all advisors, simply makes it clear that for Tranche 1 their use will be confined to Tier 3 applications. This is the minimum required under the terms of the agreed Rural Development Programme.
The selection criteria in question are included in the RDP and were discussed with the RDP Monitoring Committee some weeks ago, which includes representatives of the various stakeholder interests. I am happy that what has been proposed is both fair and proportionate. I do not accept that it lays an undue burden upon applicants or their advisers: in that regard, my Department has provided all advisers with a ready reckoner to allow them to predict the scores for the various applications they have prepared very quickly. This will allow them to confirm that each exceeds the required pass-mark and will also help them decide whether they should make any changes before submission. For example, the selection of key actions that guarantee promotion from Tier 3 to Tier 2 is an established and well-recognised feature of GLAS, and one which both the Department and the Minister have consistently encouraged as a means of significantly increasing the probability of selection in this Tranche.
As we approach the closing date for GLAS it is important that farmers and their advisors critically review their applications to ensure that the best possible projects are presented to the Department.
14. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will detail the representations his Department has made to the European Union in respect of bluefin tuna quotas, with permission to develop a catch-and-release angling tourism sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18628/15]
View answerMy Department has been in communication with the European Commission on this subject since September of last year. The unequivocal advice we have received from them is that a recreational fishery for bluefin tuna is not legally possible in the absence of a national bluefin tuna quota. We do not have such a quota and it is extremely unlikely that we could obtain one as it would involve reducing the share of the Total Allowable Catch of those Member States that do have quota and for whom bluefin is an important commercial fishery. There would be no support from any quarter for any action by Ireland that might lead to an increase in bluefin mortality. The only possible option remaining would be a tag and release programme that would not impact on mortality and would contribute to the overall scientific knowledge of this species. A case would have to be made in the first instance at EU level and only if successful there could it be pursued with ICCAT. Even the most scientifically robust case will be difficult to progress at EU level given the sensitivities around this stock, with those Member States for whom this is an important commercial fishery completely opposed to any activity that could even possibly impact on the stock.
Consequently, careful consideration needs to be given to how a case can be put together to, in the first instance, reassure our EU colleagues that there would not be any negative impact on the stock. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who have responsibility for angling, are currently examining the proposal from the Irish Big Game Angling Association and I look forward to hearing their views.
My Department will continue to liaise closely with DCENR and relevant stakeholders on this matter to consider who would be in a position to undertake the detailed work required to prepare a case on how a possible tag and release scheme might work in practice which will need to cover issues such as the possible scope of the scheme in terms of seasons and numbers, how fish are handled etc.
15. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding the research carried out by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, which found there is a need to upskill young persons to facilitate the 10,000 new jobs to be created by 2020, the supports he will put in place to facilitate new entrants in the marine economy; if he will increase supports for those on the new farmer's scheme in aquaculture, in view of the fact that according to new entrants, the €25,000 currently allocated to them is not sufficient to facilitate new farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18631/15]
View answerUnder the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs committed to undertaking an assessment of the profile and diversity of the occupations and skills requirements of enterprises in the different sectors that make up the Marine economy. Its April 2015 report – ‘A Study of the Current and Future Skills Requirements of the Marine/Maritime Economy to 2020’, notes that in the seafood sector in particular, the workforce is ageing and this will present a skills difficulty unless measures are put in place to attract and upskill younger workers. On 27 March 2015, I announced plans for a new €241 million development programme for the seafood sector for the period up to 2020, co-funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. A public consultation on the draft Programme closed on 1 May 2015 and I am now working to finalise the Programme with a view to bringing the Programme to Government shortly for approval. Through Food Harvest 2020 and this new Seafood Development Programme, I am targeting growth of the seafood industry to €1 billion by 2020, with growth in employment of 3,000 to 14,000 people employed in our coastal communities.
The draft Programme recognised the ageing profile of fishermen in particular and more generally recognised the need for tailored supports for new entrants and for supports for training and advice. The draft Programme proposed a New Fishermen Scheme to provide aid to new entrants to purchase their first fishing vessel and a New Farmers Scheme for new aquaculture enterprises to provide aid for start-up capital investment. It also proposed a special scheme of training for the aquaculture sector and the final Programme will provide for similar training for fishermen. Of course BIM has been providing training to new entrants to the seafood sector for many years, including training for the fishing, aquaculture and processing sectors.
In relation to the New Farmers Scheme, this is a new initiative included in the draft Seafood Development Programme and has not previously operated. The draft Programme makes no reference to any cap of €25,000 on the level of support that will be provided through the Scheme. I have not yet made any decision on the detail of that new Scheme, which will in any event require to be approved by the Monitoring Committee of stakeholders to be established under the Programme.
16. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's estimate for the development of the protected crops sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18585/15]
View answerThe value of the Protected Food Crop Sector in 2014 was estimated at € 85.3 million which was a 4.1% increase on 2013. The main products involved are strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes. Crops which have lower energy and capital requirements, such as lettuce and, in particular, strawberries, continue to expand.
Crops, like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, which require more sophisticated growing facilities and higher energy requirements have remained relatively static over the past few years. These crops are also subject to intense competition from imports.
The Department continues to support the sector through the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. This scheme is intended to assist development of the horticulture sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised plant and equipment as well as emerging technologies specific to commercial horticulture production. The Scheme aims to facilitate environmentally friendly practices, promote the diversification of on-farm activities, improve the quality of products and improve working conditions.
In March 2015, approvals of grant aid, totalling €5.7m, issued to 158 applicants; this has the potential to support capital investments exceeding €14m. Of the €5.7m approved, €1.7m related to the protected crops sector.
17. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the next tendering process will begin for properties at Howth fishery harbour in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18457/15]
View answerHowth is one of six Fishery Harbour Centres managed and operated by my Department. Each centre is a working fishery harbour which has unique features which facilitate a broad range of other diverse activities which are important from both an economic and social perspective. This diversity is reflected in the range of properties managed by my Department in each of the Fishery Harbour Centres.
My Department’s aim, working within the Government Framework for the management of State property and relevant legal frameworks, is to ensure that the sites within this diverse portfolio generate a competitive economic return while fostering a diverse range of maritime activities. In this context my Department reviews the portfolio of properties on an ongoing basis in order to maximise those returns to the Exchequer.
There are a small number of vacant sites in Howth that are in a position to be made available and preparations in this regard are well advanced. My Department expects to announce details of a competitive public tender process in respect of Howth sites in the coming weeks.
18. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the continued culling of badgers and the impact on the badger population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18655/15]
View answerIn my earlier response to Deputy O’Sullivan, I outlined the underlying reason for introducing the badger removal programme, which was in response to research, which showed that badger removal had a significant beneficial impact on the risk of future breakdowns, with areas where badgers were not removed being some 14 times at greater risk than badger removal areas.
Capturing of badgers only takes place in areas where serious outbreaks of TB have been identified in cattle herds and where Department veterinarians have found, following an epidemiological examination, that badgers are the likely source of infection. Badgers are removed in accordance with the conditions of a licence issued by the Department, Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the 1976 Wildlife Act which requires that the total area under capture is maintained below 30% of agricultural area in the country. Approximately 6,000 badgers are culled annually by trained contractors and the process is monitored and supervised by Department staff. Research conducted within UCD has shown that damage or injury to captured badgers is absent or minimal and is lower than with other capture methodologies. Finally, I should point out that the Council of Europe has found that Ireland’s badger population is not being threatened by the removal programme.
In tandem with the badger removal programme, my Department continues to sponsor research and trials into developing a vaccination programme to control Tuberculosis in badgers, thus improving the overall health status of that species, and breaking the infection link to cattle. The research to date has demonstrated that oral vaccination of badgers in a captive environment with BCG vaccine generates high levels of protective immunity against bovine TB. Current research is aimed at confirming that such a protective effect holds true in the wild population.
My Department’s ultimate objective is to incorporate badger vaccination into the TB eradication programme when data is available to ensure that it can be incorporated in an optimally effective and sustainable manner. A number of field trials are ongoing with this objective in mind, but it is anticipated that it will be a number of years before a viable oral delivery method can be put in place and, therefore, targeted badger removals will continue in the medium term in the interests of ensuring that the progress achieved in recent years in combating TB in cattle is maintained.
It is also notable that there has been a significant improvement in the disease situation in Ireland both in the cattle and badger populations since the badger removal programme was put on a more structured footing in 2004. The incidence of TB in cattle has fallen by almost 40% since 2008 and is currently at record low levels. It is particularly interesting that the incidence of TB in Northern Ireland, where badger removal is not practised, is approximately twice as high as on this side of the Border.
19. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will assist Fingal County Council with the Howth public realm assessment that is currently being undertaken, with the aim of better integrating the Howth Harbour area in County Dublin with the rest of the village and peninsula; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18458/15]
View answerHowth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres, which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute. All six Fishery Centres are first and foremost working fishery harbours. However each centre has unique features which facilitate a broad range of other diverse activities which are important from both an economic and social perspective.
Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is no exception to this diversity, while first and foremost a working fishery harbour, my Department is conscious that it is also a very important tourist destination in addition to being a major venue for leisure activities with a wide range of recreational users of the harbour, including the yacht club, sport fishermen, walkers, tourists and other social users. The Deputy will be aware that there are also a significant number of businesses, particularly restaurants, operating in the Harbour. With that in mind my Department is anxious to increase the profile of the Harbour for the betterment of the wider community.
My Department engages and co-operates with Fingal County Council on an ongoing basis in regard to issues of joint interest in Howth. In the context of the Council’s Public Realm Consultation Process, the Harbour Master for Howth attended the Public Consultation Participatory Workshop on 22nd October 2014 organised by the Council. I welcome publication of the resultant Howth Public Realm Stakeholder Consultation Draft Report and note the various potential Public Realm Projects detailed therein.
The Draft Report lists my Department as one of a number of key stakeholders whose input may be required in terms of subsequent Project prioritisation, initialisation and delivery. I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue, where appropriate, to facilitate initiatives to promote Howth and to liaise with Fingal County Council and other stakeholders on an ongoing basis as required.
20. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when approvals will be provided under the farm safety scheme announced in 2014; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18461/15]
View answerFarm Safety is a critical issue facing farming today and is something that I am seriously concerned about. The current Safety Scheme has been designed to overcome some of the particular hazards which may be present on farms. A total of €12.2m has been allocated to this scheme offering a 40 per cent rate of aid, up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of €20,000, i.e. a maximum grant of €8,000. As this scheme was introduced under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme, very tight time-limits are applicable as far as the completion of work by farmers is concerned. All work must be completed by farmers and a payment claim lodged with the Department by the 31st August 2015. There can be no extension to this deadline. A total of 6,299 applications for aid were received before the final closing date in January.
Over 3,100 approvals to proceed with proposed investments have already issued to applicants and the remaining applications continue to be processed to approval stage, as appropriate, on an ongoing basis.
Processing of the applications for the Farm Safety Scheme involves a series of checks, including checking of farm building sketches to ensure that no internal slurry agitation points, which are a major safety concern, exist in buildings where investments are planned. This is a time-consuming exercise and the quality of many of the sketch-plans submitted has been poor. However, this is an extremely important check to make and where the plans submitted are not clear, my Department’s officials have been contacting farmers individually to clarify the situation on the ground.
There has been no undue delay in processing applications and I am very pleased with the progress made by my Department in the issuing of approvals for what has proved, and rightly so, a very popular scheme among farmers.
21. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to reform the on-farm inspection regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18465/15]
View answerIn the context of delivering the Direct Payment Schemes and Rural Development measures my Department is required to carry out on-the-spot inspections covering such issues as eligibility under the Scheme and compliance with Cross Compliance requirements, as set down in EU legislation, and the standards for Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC), in the areas of the environment, climate change and good agricultural condition of land; public, animal and plant health and animal welfare. These inspections are mandatory and there are certain minimum numbers and types of inspections that must take place annually. Eligibility checks, including checks on the eligibility of land declared for aid, must be carried out on at least 5% of applicants. My Department has made every effort to respond to concerns about the impact of on-the-ground inspections on farmers and arising from this some 85% of these inspections are initially carried out without the need for a farm visit, as the information needed is acquired using the technique of remote sensing via satellite.
The rate of inspections for cross-compliance is a minimum of 1% of applicants to whom the Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) and Good Agricultural Environmental Condition (GAEC) standards apply. However, 3% of farmers must be inspected under the bovine identification and registration requirements while 3% of sheep/goat farmers must be inspected covering 5% of the flock.
These inspections are a necessary requirement in order to draw down approximately €1.6 billion of EU funds annually and to avoid EU disallowances. The inspections are subject to repeated audits by the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Office and this ensures an independent verification that inspections are conducted in full compliance with the legal requirements.
My Department continuously reviews the inspection process to take account of changes in the governing regulations and also to reflect comments and findings contained in the various audit reports. Inspecting officers in my Department are regularly trained in inspection procedures, with a process of continuous oversight by supervisors and random verification inspections to ensure a consistent approach. In addition, the Inspection Unit participates fully at various meetings and workshops organised by the European Commission, where Commission experts and experts from other EU member states share their knowledge. In this way the Inspection Unit has and continues to build up extensive corporate knowledge on inspection requirements. This ensures that the EU regulatory requirements are being fully met and also that the training of the inspecting officers on inspection procedures is kept up-to-date.
As part of the current consideration of CAP simplification at EU level Ireland has proposed a rationalisation of the inspection regime. Other Member States have done likewise and we hope that progress can be made on this issue when the Commission comes forward with its final simplification proposals in the Autumn.
22. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that Bord na gCon is following through on its commitments to attract more owners, breeders and trainers to the greyhound industry, particularly in view of the recent 20% cut to prize money and the deductions from race grants for breeding incentives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18672/15]
View answerFollowing the publication of the Indecon Report in July, 2014, Bord na gCon submitted an action plan with timelines for implementing the 27 recommendations in the Indecon Report dealing with governance, finance, regulation and welfare. Bord na gCon has assured my Department that it has diligently followed up on the undertakings included in its response to the Indecon Report.
Indecon suggested that BnG consider if resources permit, organising a further breeding incentive that is not linked to its prize money structure in order to ensure support for the breeding of greyhounds.
Bord na gCon is considering the introduction of an incentive scheme in response to the Indecon report on the greyhound industry. The intention is to develop, resource and implement an ownership programme to stimulate the level of breeding and training through increased ownership. Targeting ownership has the effect of increasing breeding, growing the greyhound population and also increasing the number of greyhounds in training.
In advance of settling on any particular ownership scheme and to ensure the optimum use of resources the BNG intend to consult with all industry stakeholders on the development of an incentive scheme to grow and develop ownership and greyhound pools in Ireland. This is also intended to ensure that the scheme will deliver on its objectives and be both an effective and efficient use of public funds.
The following are the objectives for any new incentive scheme to be introduced into the industry:
1. To increase the size of the dog pool in Ireland while also improving the quality of greyhound within the pool ;
2. To increase the number of owners involved in greyhound racing;
3. To promote responsible breeding; and
4. To promote the welfare of greyhounds in Ireland before, during and after the racing career.
23. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the criteria blocking young farmers who are under 40 years of age but who have been farming for more than five years from accessing measures under the new Common Agricultural Policy programme for young farmers, including applying for the national reserve, and top-up entitlements; the reason they are currently excluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18676/15]
View answerIn accordance with the EU Regulations governing the National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme, a young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. Priority under the National Reserve is given to ‘young farmers’ and to ‘new entrants to farming’. A new entrant is defined as a farmer who commenced their agricultural activity during the previous two years.
The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve also include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a ‘Specific Disadvantage’. Following my Department’s consultation with the EU Commission, I announced in March 2015 that the group commonly known as “Old Young Farmers”, who established their holding between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009, and who, due to the timeframe of setting up their holding did not benefit from either the Installation Aid or the Young farmer category of the National Reserve, can be considered as a ‘group suffering from specific disadvantage’. The result is that this group is eligible to apply to the National Reserve under Phase 2 which opened for applications on 1 st April 2015.
Eligibility for the Young Farmers Scheme is clearly defined in the EU Regulation and is restricted to farmers who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting the Basic Payment Scheme application. My Department has no discretion in the implementation of this aspect of the Regulation and in this regard farmers who commenced their agricultural activity prior to 1 January 2010 are not eligible for the Young Farmers Scheme.
With regard to access under Pillar 2 to the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) for young farmers who established their holdings prior to 2008, I intend to prioritise their applications under TAMS, with grant-aid payable at 40%.
24. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to revise the rules on tuberculosis testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18464/15]
View answerThe Bovine TB Eradication Programme, as is the case with any programme of its nature, is not static and has and will continue to be revised in light of developments in the disease situation, improvements in scientific knowledge and so on. However, annual round testing of animals, restriction of affected herds and removal of reactors will continue to be central elements of the Programme.
The Programme has delivered considerable success, particularly in recent years, with, for example, numbers of reactors in 2014 at virtually half the levels of 2008. In the same period, herd incidence of TB has fallen from 5.9% to 3.6% and has continued to decline further in the current year to 2.5%. This has already brought significant benefits to farmers due to a significant reduction in the number of herds being restricted with, for example 2,700 fewer herds restricted in 2014 compared with 2008.
The reduction in the incidence of the disease reflects the fruits of the various improvements which have progressively been made to various elements of the Programme in recent years, including the badger removal programme which was put in place a decade ago in its current form. The badger removal programme, while protecting the viability of the badger species, has contributed significantly to the sustained improvement in disease levels by reducing spillback from badgers to cattle. The Deputy may be aware that my Department plans to replace the current badger removal programme with a vaccination programme as soon as possible and research and field trials are being conducted to make this a reality.
As I have said earlier, the TB eradication programme is subject to on-going review, including by the EU Commission who provide significant funding towards the programme. Our objective in any review is to make the TB Programme more effective with a view to bringing disease levels down further and driving on towards the goal of eradication. We must draw from lessons learned in other areas, for example, brucellosis, where sustained focus on problem areas delivered the prize of eradication which has brought very significant savings to farmers through reductions in testing costs and trade restrictions. In this context, in light of contacts with the EU Commission and following consultations with the farming organisations, I am proposing to make some very minor changes to the testing regime which applies to herds after they have passed the clearance test. As part of the on going review process, my Department will continue to engage with the farming sector so that the positive engagement and co-operation which has delivered such encouraging outcomes over the last decade or so can continue.
25. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will request that the European Commission Competitions Office investigate, as requested by farming organisations, the soaring price of fertiliser. [18581/15]
View answerNo fertilisers are now manufactured in Ireland, resulting in indigenous fertiliser companies being price-takers, dependent on global supply and demand and subject to Euro exchange rates against the US dollar and other currencies. Fertilisers (as with crude oil and gas) are mainly traded in US dollars and are thereby subject to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. A weak euro means increased costs for fuel and fertiliser imports and this has impacted on recent price trends.
Currently, Europe is only 80% self-sufficient in fertiliser production and must import 20% of its requirements. As such, European and Irish fertiliser prices are strongly linked to global prices and heavily influenced by supply and demand.
With global demand outstripping supply, Irish fertiliser prices have increased by 6-8% so far in 2015. It is anticipated that world demand will continue to increase into the future maintaining upward pressure on prices to the final consumer in Ireland.
I understand that the issue of price of fertilisers is an important issue for farmers and the advice from Teagasc is for farmers to keep in contact with merchants as prices often spike at periods of high demand when European order books are full. Purchasing fertilisers at off-peak periods will help minimise prices.
