Wednesday, 8 Jun 2016

Written Answers Nos. 530 - 544

Cross-Border Co-operation

Questions (530)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

530. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the State bodies under his remit which have developed memoranda of understanding with their counterparts in Northern Ireland with regard to the efficient delivery of services on the island of Ireland; if he has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the development of further memoranda of understanding; the details of the cost-benefit analysis; and the new memoranda of understanding he will create between State bodies under his remit through the lifetime of the Government. [14275/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

There are twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. Of these, Teagasc has a Memorandum of Understanding entitled Scientific Collaboration Agreement with the Agri-Food Bio-Sciences Institute (AFBI), its counterpart in Northern Ireland.

There are no current plans for further Memoranda of Understanding between the other State Bodies and their counterparts in Northern Ireland.

TAMS Applications

Questions (531)

Pat Breen

Question:

531. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied). [14293/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The applicant in question has applied in the first tranche of the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme of TAMS II. The application has passed the administration checks and has been ranked and selected for approval. Final technical checks are being carried out on the application and if in order approval will issue in a matter of days. The Payments module of the TAMS II IT System is currently under development and payments will be made once the system is in place.

Aquaculture Licences

Questions (532)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

Question:

532. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason, even though the aquaculture licensing section is unable to renew licences in a timely manner, the aquaculture food business operators cannot avail of grant aid while awaiting the renewal of their licences, albeit they are permitted to operate as normal during this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14301/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The €240 million EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 provides almost €30 million for investment in the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector, in line with the actions and targets specified in Ireland’s 2015 National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development.

The Operational Programme specifies that all supports to the aquaculture sector under the EMFF OP will be confined strictly to aquaculture enterprises that are fully compliant with the terms and conditions of their aquaculture and foreshore licences. Aquaculture enterprises that have not been licensed in compliance with EU law could not receive EU co-funded aid or other aid and the licensing decision in relation to those enterprises cannot be pre judged. The EU Commission has confirmed this position to the industry at the EU Operational Programme Monitoring Committee. The Operational Programme also specifies that supports for productive investments in aquaculture will be available only to sites that are fully licensed in compliance with the Habitats and Birds Directives. This provision affects only aquaculture sites located in Natura 2000 areas.

In January 2016, Minister Coveney announced the launch of two dedicated EMFF support schemes for the aquaculture sector. A Knowledge Gateway Scheme is providing grants of up to €200,000 to aquaculture enterprises for projects relating to innovation, animal welfare and disease management, training and advisory services. A Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme is providing grants of up to €500,000 to aquaculture enterprises for capital investments in their sites. Last month, I was delighted to announce grants under these two schemes to 12 aquaculture enterprises and I expect to announce further grants as the year progresses.

I fully realise that aquaculture sites located in Natura 2000 areas where licensing decisions have yet to be made in accordance with the EU Habitats and Birds Directives are not in a position to access supports for productive investments pending a determination of their aquaculture and foreshore licence applications and in particular pending completion of the required Habitats Directive Appropriate Assessments. My Department is engaged in an extensive process with the Marine Institute and National Parks and Wildlife Service to complete those Appropriate Assessments. The Appropriate Assessment process has now been completed in respect of sixteen bays and my Department is progressing licence determinations having regard to the conclusions of those assessments and other relevant factors as required under law. The €30 million EMFF funds are available for the full period of the EMFF OP and I expect that as licence determinations are made, these funds will be fully invested by the sector.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Appeals

Questions (533)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

533. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a non-productive payments capital investment claim by a person (details supplied); if a further appeal can be made into this person's appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14302/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department wrote to the person named on 14 October 2015 informing him that a determination had been made that, with the information to hand, all payments made to him under the Non-productive Capital Investment action of the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) should be recouped and he should be excluded from payment under all agri-environment measures for two years. This determination arose because it was deemed that the claim for the reimbursement of costs for the purchase of trees under the scheme was greatly inflated.

The person named was offered an opportunity to have this determination reviewed within the Department by submitting further information and documentation, if they wished. A letter requesting a review was received from the person named on 23 October 2015.

A further letter issued from my Department on 24 February 2016 upholding the original determination. The person named was offered the opportunity to appeal this decision to the independent Agricultural Appeals Office (AAO), within three months of the date of this letter. There is no record of an appeal having being made to the AAO in this case.

GLAS Payments

Questions (534)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

534. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive the balance of a GLAS payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14338/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015. GLAS applicants with a start date of 1 October 2015 are eligible for a 2015 part-year payment in respect of 2015 eligible actions, for the three month period 1 October 2015 - 31 December 2015.

The first instalment of the payment issued to the person named on the 23 December 2015. The balancing payment due to the person named for 2015, will issue after all required regulatory checks are fully completed.

Fishery Harbour Centres

Questions (535)

John Deasy

Question:

535. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the design process for the proposed breakwater extension at Dunmore East Harbour, County Waterford. [14344/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.

I am happy to advise the Deputy that, notwithstanding the prevailing economic environment in which we operate, in excess of €9.8 million has been invested in maintenance, development and upgrading works at Dunmore East FHC as part of my Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme from 2011 to 2015.

The Deputy will be aware that the flagship project under the 2015 Fishery Harbour Capital Development Programme run by my Department was the €6.3m dredging project at Dunmore East.

I have allocated €1.66 million for works at the Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre under the 2016 Capital Development Programme. Significant works in this year’s capital programme include the West wharf upgrade, Harbour Office Upgrade and Harbour Road re-surfacing.

Also included in this years’ programme is a €160,000 project to design a breakwater in Dunmore East. It is envisaged that a new breakwater would protect the existing harbour, and provide a safer haven for fishing and leisure vessels alike. My Department advertised for Consultants on eTenders on 17th April 2016. The tender deadline was extended to 23rd May following a request from one of the consultants. The tenders are being assessed at present.

The intention is that a consultant will be appointed in the coming weeks to advance the design. The consultancy work is to examine various breakwater options to give protection to the present harbour.

As the Deputy is aware, all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, including a possible future breakwater project, at Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre will be considered under future Capital Programmes on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing priorities.

Fishery Harbour Centres

Questions (536)

John Deasy

Question:

536. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken by his Department on foot of the 2015 report of the Committee of Public Accounts and its recommendations in regard to improving commercial management and better utilisation of resources within the State fishery harbour centres. [14345/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Committee’s report on the Fishery Harbour Centres was launched in June 2015 and followed on from my Department's attendance at the Public Accounts Committee on 16 October 2014 and subsequent correspondences with the Committee. The issues addressed by the Committee were in the main subject of a special report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (special report no. 82) in April 2014.

My Department has accepted the recommendations of the Committee’s report. The report itself acknowledged the strategic importance of the Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned and managed by my Department under Statute. The fact that 84% of all fish landings into the State are landed into the six Fishery Harbour Centres emphasises how critical this infrastructure is for the ongoing development and management of our Seafood Sector.

The report also noted that improvements have taken place in the management of the FHCs since the Department took over responsibility for them in October 2007.

My Department has over recent years substantially restructured its administrative staffing, structures, procedures and operational management of the harbours and I am confident these changes will continue to generate improvements in the functioning and management of the harbours. This revised structure serves to provide a clear segregation of the Department’s Fishery Harbour Centres control and development responsibilities as enshrined under the Fishery Harbour Centres Act, 1968.

A Fishery Harbour Centre Management Committee, at Principal Officer Level has been established. The Management Committee comprises representation from the Sea Fisheries Administration Division, the Marine Engineering Division and the Accounts Division of the Department.

Officials from my Department have met with Enterprise Ireland, most recently on 20 January 2016, to discuss potential cooperation opportunities by making vacant Harbour properties available to facilitate the delivery of suitable Enterprise Ireland projects. These meetings are now a normal part of operations and it is intended for the next meeting to take place in July.

The majority of Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC) properties are leased to a variety of public and private sector tenants which support the FHCs’ role as working fishery harbours in addition to a broad range of other marine and leisure activities. My Department is working closely with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office to regularise existing complex legacy property arrangements, and to gain vacant possession of other properties with a view to making them available by means of Public Tender. Reviews of the FHCs’ property portfolio (213 properties) take place on an ongoing basis in relation to maximising returns to the Fishery Harbour Centre Fund. Six vacant FHC properties were put out to public tender in 2015/2016 and leases have now been signed for four properties.

Basic Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (537)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

537. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has only received a quarter of a payment under Scottish derogation; when the person will receive the rest of the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14422/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named submitted an application for allocation of entitlements under the ‘Scottish Derogation’ measure of the Basic Payment Scheme on 22nd May 2015.

Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment scheme, processing of applications involves administrative and on farm checks and verification of land details submitted. These checks have now been completed. The person named has received his full allocation of entitlements under Scottish Derogation measure which gives a total value including greening of €1,542.01. 97% payment issued to the person named on 11 April 2016 and the 3% balancing payment will issue shortly. An official from my Department will be in direct contact with the person named regarding the methodology for calculating his entitlements.

TAMS Applications

Questions (538)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

538. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive a grant to get four extra units in a milking parlour, a water heater and feeders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14423/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The applicant in question got part approval to commence with the installation of urgently required milking equipment under the Dairy Equipment Scheme in TAMS II. Full approval will issue shortly. The Payments module of the TAMS II IT System is currently under development and payment claims may be submitted once the system is in place.

Beef Imports

Questions (539)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

539. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of live cattle imported into Ireland since 1 January 2016, and from what countries; the equivalent figures for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14424/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Between 1 January 2015 and 3 June 2016, my Department’s data show that a total of 7,768 cattle have been imported into this state. By way of comparison on the basis of available figures from 2015, imports into Ireland at the end of April 2016 were 6,013 compared to 5,723 in 2015. The vast majority of these have been sourced from Britain and Northern Ireland, with smaller numbers coming from Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Austria. The majority of these cattle were female animals who went for immediate slaughter.

Yearly total figures for 2015 show that 17,431 cattle were imported, with Britain and Northern Ireland again accounting for the overwhelming majority of these. The total number of cattle in the national herd on 31 December 2015, was 6.32 million head, showing that for the year 2015 the number of cattle imported into Ireland, represented as a proportion of the total number of cattle in Ireland at the end of 2015, was less than 0.3%.

All cattle imported into Ireland are required to be properly registered on my Department’s Animal Identification and Movement system (AIM) and accompanied by its passport in addition to complying with all relevant regulations regarding the importation of live animals. AIM provides all processing plants with the animal’s date of birth, sex, breed, movement history and TB test records.

Beef Exports

Questions (540)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

540. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of roll-on, roll-off ships and walk-on, walk-off ships currently approved to export cattle from Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14425/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

There are currently three vessels approved for walk on walk off carriage of livestock by sea from Irish ports. They are the MV Express 1, the MV Atlantic M and the MV Holstein Express. A further three vessels are going through various stages of the application process for approval to carry livestock.

There are three vessels approved for the roll on roll off carriage of livestock from Ireland. Two of three vessels approved operate from Rosslare (servicing Fishguard and Cherbourg) and one operates from Dublin servicing Cherbourg.

Live exports continue to be a vital component of Ireland’s livestock industry and provide alternative market outlets for certain categories of livestock, thereby serving a market demand and providing increased competition in the marketplace for cattle.

Food Labelling

Questions (541)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

541. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the labelling regulations on imported animals slaughtered here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14426/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Rules on country of origin labelling are determined at EU level. Regulation 1760/2000 of the European Parliament and Council and Regulation 1825/2000 of the Commission made provision for the compulsory labelling of beef marketed in the Community, including animals imported into Ireland for slaughter.

Under these rules, food business operators are required to label fresh, frozen or minced beef with details of the slaughterhouse and de-boning hall in which the animal was processed as well as the country in which it was born, reared and slaughtered.

Last year my predecessor signed into law a Statutory Instrument No. 113 of 2015, to give effect to new European Regulations extending mandatory country of origin labelling to meat from sheep, pigs, poultry and goats. This requires labelling with the Member State or third country of rearing and the Member State or third country of slaughter for these meats. The term ‘Origin’ can only be used where the country/member state of birth is the same as the country of rearing and slaughter.

My Department is liaising with the Department of Health with a view to extending the legislation to include “loose meats” e.g. meat cuts that are sold through butcher counters.

Farm Inspections

Questions (542)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

542. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if departmental inspectors are given guidelines on the number of penalties they should be imposing on average; if action is taken against inspectors whose penalty rate is below average; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14427/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

There are no guidelines in place regarding the number of penalties to be applied by my Departments Inspecting Officers. Inspecting Officers are trained to identify breaches and to apply the appropriate weightings and sanctions as and where they find them.

TAMS Applications Data

Questions (543)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

543. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received for TAMS 1 and TAMS 2 from County Tipperary; the number of applications which have been approved; the works which have been completed and which have been paid to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14428/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The details for TAMS 1 for County Tipperary are as follows:

Applications Received: 1086,

Applications Approved: 873.

Payments issued on receipt of claims: 604. The remaining applicants who had approval did not submit a claim for payment.

491 applications from County Tipperary have been received in tranches 1 and 2 of the TAMS II Scheme. The applications received for TAMS II across the various schemes are as follows:

County	Young Farmer Scheme	Pigs and Poultry Scheme	Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage Scheme	Dairy Equipment	Low Emission Slurry Spreading	Organic
Tipperary	87	2	120	217	40	25

167 approvals and part approvals have issued to date and approvals are issuing on an ongoing basis. The payment claim module of the TAMS II IT System is currently under development and payments will be made once the system is in place.

TAMS Applications

Questions (544)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

544. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by persons (details supplied) under TAMS 1; when they will receive a decision on their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14429/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The applicants in question have submitted an application in Tranche 1 of the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme. Their application has passed the administrative checks and has been ranked and selected for approval. Final technical checks are being carried out on the application and it is expected that if in order approval will issue in a matter of days.