Written Answers Nos. 14 - 21
14. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who have received approval under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2 to date; the number it is expected to approve between now and the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41249/15]
View answerThe new TAMS measure will make €395 million available to Irish farmers for investing in on-farm infrastructure, facilities and equipment. All TAMS schemes have been opened and the applications received under the first tranches of both the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme and the Dairy Equipment Scheme are now being processed. The first tranche for the Pig and Poultry Scheme closed on the 30th October and for the Low Emission Slurry Spreading scheme on the 20th November. The first tranches for the Organic Capital Investment Scheme and the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme will be closing on the 30th November. Interest in TAMS to date has exceeded expectations and clearly many Irish farmers are looking once again at the benefits of investing in their enterprises and expanding production. Under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme a total of 520 applications have been received, while over a thousand applications have been submitted for the Dairy Equipment Scheme.
All applications received are being examined and approvals will commence when all of the required checks have been undertaken. This is a complex process and as all applications for TAMS 2 must be made under a tranche-based approach, we are required to evaluate, rank and assess all applications received together. My Department is working to ensure approvals issue at the earliest possible juncture.
15. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the funding made available to dairy and pig farmers by the European Union due to the distressed state of the market in 2015 will be paid; the reason for the delay; the amount of money to be paid to each farmer; if there will be a national top-up to this money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41247/15]
View answerThe relevant EU legislative provisions providing for this direct aid payment came into force in mid-October and provide that Member States have the flexibility to distribute this aid through the most effective channels at their disposal. Any decision on distribution obviously had to await the adoption at EU level of the relevant legislative provisions. In order to effectively address the existing market disturbance in the dairy sector, the European Commission deemed it appropriate to provide aid to Member States in the form of a one-time financial grant as part of its recent announcement on a package. The aim of this is to support farmers in the relevant sectors who are experiencing the most acute price fall and consequences of the prolongation of the Russian import ban.
As the Deputy is aware Ireland has been granted an allocation of €13.7 million from an overall fund of €420 million. The relevant Commission Regulation, as revised at the request of Member States, including Ireland, provides scope for a national top up of up to 100% to this EU payment. Member States are afforded the flexibility to distribute this aid through the most effective channels at their disposal. It is a clear requirement of the provisions regarding this aid that the funds need to be distributed on the basis of objective and non-discriminatory criteria and also needs to ensure that farmers in the relevant sectors are the ultimate beneficiaries of the targeted aid.
In conjunction with stakeholders, I have been considering how best to utilise these funds to support Irish farmers. I have discussed these matters with representatives of the dairy sector, most recently at the dairy forum. I took the opportunity to update stakeholders regarding progress to date and to seek their opinions regarding how best to distribute this aid. In addition my Department have also had discussions with representatives of the Irish pig sector. I am currently finalising consideration of various options and intend to announce final decisions regarding the aid levels and mechanisms in the very near future.
16. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the review which he authorised following the European petitions committee’s recommendation to conduct a fresh and independent inspection into the Keelderry commonage lands was sufficiently fresh and independent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41240/15]
View answerRegarding an independent inspection of the lands which the petitioner has sought through the European Petitions Committee, it should be noted that my Department is the competent authority for the implementation of the regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme. As the competent authority, it is the only body which is lawfully authorised to carry out any inspections of lands. Notwithstanding this, I requested the Director of Agriculture Appeals to carry out a review of the findings of the Department in relation to the eligibility of the land parcels in Keelderry. Officers of the Agriculture Appeals Office conducted a visit to the Keelderry Commonage 23 January 2014. The officers of the Agriculture Appeals Office as a result of their visit and having examined all evidence available to them recommended that the findings of the Department in relation to the eligibility of this land be upheld. I understand that all applicant shareholders have been provided with a copy of this report by the Agriculture Appeals Office.
I am satisfied therefore that the review which was carried out by the statutorily independent Agricultural Appeals Office was fair, in-depth and comprehensive.
17. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the attainability of the targets in Food Harvest 2020 and Food Wise 2025; if any adjustments are likely to be required in order to ensure the realisability of the targets in any particular area of the food sector; the extent to which he expects employment throughout the sector to grow throughout the period in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41353/15]
View answerThe main targets set out in the Food Harvest report published in 2010 were, by 2020, to increase the value of:
- Primary output in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector by 33% (from a 2007-09 average baseline),
- Agriculture, food (including seafood) and drink exports by 42% (from a 2007-09 average baseline),
- Value added production by 40% (from a 2008 baseline).
In addition to these value increases, the dairy industry targeted a 50% increase in milk production by 2020, to be progressed following the abolition of milk quotas in April this year.
Progress on these targets is monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The fourth annual report “Milestones for Success 2014” , published in September 2014, showed that the sector had achieved very significant progress on these targets and illustrated the manner in which the Food Harvest 2020 vision of ‘smart, green, growth’ is being attained. The Milestones report showed that, compared to the Food Harvest baseline:
- primary output had increased by 32% in 2014;
- Agri-food exports had increased by 27% in 2014;
- and value added had increased by 29% in 2012 (latest data available).
Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July this year, builds on the successful vision of Food Harvest 2020. It identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 380 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.
If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise Strategy believes that the following growth projections are achievable by 2025:
- Increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion;
- Increasing the value added in the agri-food, fisheries and wood products sector by 70% to in excess of €13 billion;
- Increasing the value of primary production by 65% to almost €10 billion;
With regard to employment, Food Wise foresees the creation of 23,000 additional jobs in the agri-food sector all along the supply chain from primary production to high value added product development.
Realising these growth projections will be challenging, but I am confident that they can be achieved.
I chair the High Level Implementation Committee, including senior officials from relevant Departments and State agencies, which will drive implementation of the Food Wise recommendations. The HLIC met for the first time in September. The second meeting will take place later this morning, dealing specifically with sustainability, which will be at the core of the strategy’s implementation. The implementation of Food Wise will be influenced by the final Environmental Analysis Report on Food Wise, which will be presented to the HLIC today.
18. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide automatic access to the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme plus to farmers who were previously within the Twelve Bens and Maumturks scheme in County Galway and the Nephin and Owenriff schemes in County Mayo, given the large destocking that took place in both areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41360/15]
View answerFarmers in these areas who manage Natura land or have commonage already have automatic access to GLAS and are guaranteed priority entry to the scheme as Tier One candidates. Destocking of commonage land in the Twelve Bens/Maumturk complex and the Owenduff/ Nephin Beg complex commenced in the year 2000 when all shareholders were required to reduce sheep numbers by 30% due to serious overgrazing problems pending the preparation of Commonage Management Plans (CMPs ). In June 2002, implementation of site-specific CMP s commenced with many commonages within these sites requiring destocking in excess of 50%. Compliance with CMP requirements was recognised through REPS payments, while farmers outside of REPS were entitled to claim compensation under a national scheme operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Following a Judgment against Ireland by the European Court in 2002 for failure to protect the habitat of the Red Grouse in these areas, the European Commission required further destocking of the hills in 2006. As this was seen as an additional requirement over and above what was being compensated for under existing REPS contracts, the National Parks and Wildlife Service made a top up payment to the farmers concerned under the national scheme operated by them.
As I said at the outset, the farmers concerned already have automatic access to GLAS. In relation to GLAS Plus, the increased payments available under this measure are also automatically applied where the annual cost for a farmer of addressing a combination of Tier 1 Priority Environmental Assets (PEAs) exceeds €5,000 per annum. In such cases, these farmers move into the GLAS Plus category, where the ceiling for annual payment is €7,000. However, it is important to note that, with the exception of those managing bird habitats, farmers hoping to benefit from GLAS Plus must have more than one Priority Environmental Asset. For example, if a farmer has both commonage and privately-owned Natura land, he or she is a candidate for GLAS Plus if the cost of addressing both actions exceeds €5,000. My Department will automatically identify such cases and will automatically calculate the additional GLAS Plus payment. There is no need for a separate application.
20. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce stiffer penalties for persons convicted of animal cruelty, given the frequent and increasing reports of instances of this. [41254/15]
View answerThe Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 is a major updating of our laws in this area going back to 1911. The provisions of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 are designed to encourage the development of a climate which supports the optimum protection of the health and welfare of all animals, irrespective of species, whether kept for commercial, domestic, sport, show or for other purposes. Under the Act, penalties for offences have been increased significantly. On summary conviction, a person may be fined up to €5,000 for each offence and/or sentenced to up to 6 months imprisonment, on conviction on indictment, a fine of up to €250,000 for each offence and/or imprisonment for up to 5 years may be imposed. The Act provides a framework within which the welfare of animals can be safeguarded and I am hopeful that the significantly increased levels of penalties for offences of animal cruelty provided for under the Act will act as a deterrent to animal welfare abuses. The imposition of penalties in a particular case, is a matter for the Courts and I have no function in the matter. I am satisfied that the penalties set down in the Act in respect of cruelty offences should provide a sufficient deterrent. I have no plans to increase penalties further.
A wide range of offences have been detected and prosecuted since the Act came into operation on 6 March 2014. Such offences include acts of overt cruelty as well as neglect, failure to feed animals and keeping animals in an unsuitable environment. As well as my Department, both ISPCA and DSPCA have officers authorised under the Animal Health and Welfare Act. These officers are bringing forward cases through the Garda Síochána and the Chief State Solicitors Office.
21. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications under the areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payment scheme that have not been paid in 2015; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41248/15]
View answerMy Department has received approximately 121,000 applications under the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) from applicants who currently hold entitlements. In addition, over 102,350 applications have been received under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC ) scheme from applicants with eligible designated lands. Under EU Regulations, all these applications are subject to robust administrative checks prior to payment. The main element of the administrative check is an area assessment. This is achieved by using the Land Parcel Identification System which currently records some 1 million individual land parcels.
The work of my Department in this critical area must meet demanding EU and national audit requirements. Only valid applications under the BPS and ANC that fully comply with the requirements of the EU legislation are paid. Consequently, all applications under the Schemes are subject to administrative checks. Cases that do not pass the validation process go into error and cannot be paid until the error concerned is resolved. These errors include over-claims, dual claims and incomplete application forms. In addition, applicants under the ANC scheme must fulfil a 7 month minimum stock retention period and an annual stocking density requirement. My Department enters into correspondence, mainly through the issuing of query letters to farmers, in order to resolve these error cases.
In relation to the BPS and Greening Payment, I am pleased to confirm that advance payments began issuing in Ireland on 16 October 2015. This is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. In addition, I can confirm that the level of the advance payment was set at 70% for 2015 rather than the normal 50%. The increase in the advance payment for 2015 is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors.
It should be noted that Ireland is among the earliest to pay the BPS /Greening in the European Union and, to date, 114,372, farmers have received payments totalling €725.7 million. In relation to the ANC Scheme, I can confirm that payments commenced, on schedule, on 23 September 2015 and that to date, 83,294 farmers have received payments totalling €177.5 million. There are no advance payments under this scheme and, as previously stated, many farmers cannot be paid until early 2016 when they comply with the stocking requirements of the scheme.
As outstanding cases under the BPS and ANC are processed and are cleared of any outstanding error, they will be sent for payment. My Department is prioritising the processing of all such outstanding cases with regular payment runs continuing over the coming weeks for all fully processed cases. In addition, balancing payments under the BPS and Greening are scheduled to commence from 1 December.
