Written Answers Nos. 695-709
695. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 601 of 5 July 2016, the proportion of the referenced €1 billion per annum that is applicable to the Irish farming sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21112/16]
View answerAs referred to previously, the figure of up to €1 billion in gains for the agriculture sector is taken from the report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, which was published in February of this year. The report evaluated the potential impact of an elimination of import duties on the conditions of competition in the EU market, based on what is known as a partial equilibrium model using data characterising the world and EU fertiliser markets. The EU was considered as a single entity, with no provision made for country-by-country breakdown. I am therefore not in a position to indicate the proportion of the gains that would accrue to the Irish agriculture sector.
696. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcomes he achieved following the dairy forum on 21 June 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21117/16]
View answerIn 2015 Deputy John Deasy and I proposed the establishment of a dairy forum comprising relevant stakeholders to as a vehicle for constructive engagement on issues of strategic importance to the dairy sector. This forum met for the first time in Autumn 2015 and since then has provided a useful platform for discussion on issues such as market development, sustainability, animal health, milk quality, the availability of liquidity and price volatility. The forum has also served as an extremely useful mechanism for stakeholder engagement in advance of meetings of the Council of Agriculture Ministers. As the Deputy will be aware, approximately €26M in EU aid for the sector was disbursed towards the end of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016 following the agreement of a dairy package at Council.
At my first dairy forum meeting I launched a tool developed under the aegis of the forum to assist farmers with cash flow farming. This was the result of a collaborative effort by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc, the banks and the processors, and was a direct response to a critical need identified by forum participants.
The fortunes of the dairy farmers and processors are of course affected by economic, demographic, climate, currency and other factors which are outside the control of participants in the forum. However, I regard it as critically important that the policy responses to some of these challenges are informed by positive collaborative engagement among stakeholders, and I very much look forward to continued cooperation through the forum in the future.
697. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was declined a lease on another person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21119/16]
View answerThe persons named submitted a Private Contract Clause application to my Department seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease, with the first person named as Lessee and the second person named as Lessor. Under the Terms and Conditions governing the Transfer of Basic Payment Scheme Entitlements by way of Private Contract Clause, the lessor must have established an Allocation Right into the Basic Payment Scheme in 2013. My Department has accepted a 2013 Single Payment Scheme application from the lessor in this case in order to establish his Allocation Right. However, the lessor must also meet the definition of an ‘active farmer’ in 2015 and must submit a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application on which he/she declares at least one hectare of eligible land. The lessor in this case did not submit a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application. On this basis the Private Contract Clause application cannot be processed. If the lessor considers that the reason for non-submission of a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application was due to force majeure circumstances, he may now submit an application to my Department for consideration, on which he declares at least one hectare of eligible land. He must also provide verifiable evidence regarding the force majeure circumstances that were applicable to his case in 2015.
698. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he has not yet processed an application by a person (details supplied) under the single payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21120/16]
View answerMy Department has no record of the person named having submitted an application under the 2015 National Reserve. The person named submitted an appeal to have an application accepted by way of a 2015 Review of Entitlements application. This appeal has been considered and was unsuccessful and the person named has been notified of this decision in writing and has been offered an opportunity to submit a further appeal to the Independent Appeals Committee.
699. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of salmon farming licences which his Department has issued since 2006; the reason a decrease has occurred since 2006; if he is aware of the effect this decline is having on the salmon farming industry, that jobs are under threat, due to the lack of fish being produced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21139/16]
View answerMy Department’s records indicate that since 2006 three new aquaculture licence applications for the cultivation of salmon have been received. Of these, one has been approved by my Department and is currently the subject of appeals to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board. One has been withdrawn by the applicant. One is the subject of ongoing detailed assessment by my Department. The application currently under assessment was received in 2015. Existing salmon farming operations are conducted in accordance with the applicable aquaculture licences or, under the provisions of Section 19A (4) of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act where a decision on the renewal of the licence is pending.
700. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2015 basic payment scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21199/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme which was received in the Department on 18 April 2016. As the application was not submitted within the prescribed period, a 100% late penalty applies and therefore no payment is due. The person named has been informed of this decision and advised of the appeal option available to him.
701. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will respond to a query from a person (details supplied) regarding forestry. [21202/16]
View answerWhere a landowner wishes to remove trees after completion of a forestry contract (i.e. after all grants/premiums have been paid) there is no repayment obligation. However, a valid Felling Licence is required before commencement of felling operations. Replanting of the same or an alternative area will be a condition of the Felling Licence. Any site proposed for planting in lieu of a felled site must be of good quality and equivalent size to the proposed felling site, and must be approved by the Forest Service under the Department’s Afforestation scheme before a felling licence can issue. Grants and premiums are not payable for sites planted as a condition of a Felling Licence.
702. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to assemble a cross-Border forum with all farming stakeholders to discuss the possible consequences for farmers North and South of the Border following the Brexit referendum result; the measures if any he is taking on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21209/16]
View answerThe result of the UK referendum has the potential to give rise to significant challenges for the Irish agri-food sector, particularly in a north-south context, and these are very much to the fore of the analysis that my Department has been conducting in the lead-up to, and in the period since, the referendum. Areas that will be affected include the veterinary, trading and animal health arrangements between North and South. There will also be very significant implications for the fishing fleet in both jurisdictions. I met my Northern counterpart, Michelle McIlveen, MLA, Minister for Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs, at the North South Plenary Ministerial meeting which took place in Dublin Castle last week. I agreed with her that our officials should meet at the earliest opportunity to work through some of the potential issues involved, and I am committed to ensuring that our Departments work well together in the coming months in the best interests of farmers and the wider industry.
It is important also to emphasise that the trading relationship remains unchanged, and that the precise impact of a UK exit will not be apparent until the post-exit relationship has been agreed. In the meantime I look forward to ongoing dialogue in the context of the Government’s co-operation with its counterparts in Northern Ireland and in the UK more generally.
703. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to report on the involvement of his Department officials at a farm (details supplied) where cattle were reportedly killed. [21237/16]
View answerThe actions in question, which were exceptional, were undertaken under the overall control of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy acting as an Officer of the Court who has stated publicly that the decision to proceed in the way he did in relation to the cattle was made very reluctantly and was made in the interests of the public safety of the local community. It should also be noted that the cattle were at the time in the ownership of the Official Assignee, into whose name the herd number had been transferred. Significant efforts had been made to contain the animals, however these proved futile because of their feral nature. In the interests of public safety, the Official Assignee, in consultation with the Gardaí and the Department, considered that the most optimal course of action to be taken was that the animals be euthanised. The protocol agreed between this Department and the Department of Defence was invoked and the animals were subsequently killed by skilled army personnel in line with the agreed protocol.
It is the view of the Department that the actions taken were the most humane in the circumstances.
I am advised that there was no alternative action available to the Official Assignee in the circumstances taking account of the fact that the interest of public safety was the primary consideration at all times.
704. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the compensation available to a person (details supplied) who had to cull sheep; if compensation is available to restock the flock and for the period until the restocking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21254/16]
View answerIreland implements surveillance and control measures in relation to BSE in bovines and scrapie in sheep in accordance with the terms of Regulation (EC) 999/2001. These measures include the testing of 20,000 sheep over the age of 18 months for the presence of scrapie each year. Tests are carried out on 10,000 fallen (knackery) animals and 10,000 animals slaughtered for human consumption. Control measures in Ireland have been effective as evidenced by a decreasing trend in the number of classical scrapie cases, with just one in 2015 and one to date this year. In cases of classical scrapie, genotyping of the flock and depopulation of sheep most susceptible to scrapie is practised. All animals in the flock found to have reduced resistance to scrapie are removed for destruction outside the food chain and compensation at market value is paid to the flock owner. A top up payment of €84 is also made to the flock owner for each breeding ewe destroyed, to take account of loss of future income. This is paid when all affected sheep have left the holding and are destroyed.
705. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo under the rural environment protection scheme. [21270/16]
View answerThe issue holding up this payment has now been resolved and outstanding payments due will be issued to the person named shortly.
706. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the recent culling of cattle on a farm in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan (details supplied); if he is satisfied that the slaughter of the animals was humane; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21276/16]
View answerThe actions in question, which were exceptional, were undertaken under the overall control of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy acting as an Officer of the Court who has stated publicly that the decision to proceed in the way he did in relation to the cattle was made very reluctantly and was made in the interests of the public safety of the local community. It should also be noted that the cattle were at the time in the ownership of the Official Assignee, into whose name the herd number had been transferred. Significant efforts had been made to contain the animals, however these proved futile because of their feral nature. In the interests of public safety, the Official Assignee, in consultation with the Gardaí and the Department, considered that the most optimal course of action to be taken was that the animals be euthanised. The protocol agreed between this Department and the Department of Defence was invoked and the animals were subsequently killed by skilled army personnel in line with the agreed protocol.
It is the view of the Department that the actions taken were the most humane in the circumstances.
I am advised that there was no alternative action available to the Official Assignee in the circumstances taking account of the fact that the interest of public safety was the primary consideration at all times.
707. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of transfer of entitlement cases that are not completed due to suspension; the reason for the suspension; the length of time of same and when it will be lifted. [21306/16]
View answerUnder EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme Member States were obliged to definitively establish Entitlements for all farmers prior to 31 May 2016. In this regard the definitive establishment of Entitlements was completed for 127,000 farmers in Ireland on 31st May 2016. In order to definitively establish Entitlements for a farmer all their Transfer of Entitlement applications must be processed to completion. In a small number of cases, 106 in total, it was not possible to complete a Transfer of Entitlements application by the May deadline, mainly due to outstanding documentary evidence pertaining to the Transfer. Following the definitive establishment of entitlements, clarification was required from the EU Commission regarding the methodology for processing remaining entitlement related applications, including transfer cases. This clarification has now been received and arrangements are being made to process the remaining transfer applications as soon as possible.
708. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the 42% of our beef exports that go to the British market are under threat as a result of a British exit from the European Union; and his plans to combat losses in beef exports. [21307/16]
View answerThe decision of the UK to leave the EU is one that creates considerable challenges for the agrifood sector as a whole, including the beef sector. The UK is by far our largest trading partner. Last year we exported almost €5.1 billion worth of agricultural products. This included more than €1.1 billion in beef products, which comprises approximately 50% of Irish beef exports. Ireland is also the UK’s largest destination for its food exports - worth €3.8 billion last year. This bilateral trade takes place on the basis of harmonised EU rules on animal and public health and labelling, without complex certification, quota limits or customs duties and tariffs. And it is underpinned by the vital support of the CAP budget, to which the UK is a significant net contributor.
Given these linkages, and as the UK is a net food importer, both countries have a strong interest in maintaining a close agrifood trading relationship. In addition, the resilience of the Irish agrifood sector, and of the beef sector in particular, is well recognised, and this, together with the strong commercial relationships built up over years of trading, will help us to negotiate our way though the challenges ahead.
It is important also to bear in mind that the precise implications of the UK’s decision depend on the trade and other arrangements ultimately negotiated between the EU and the UK. These negotiations may take up to two years, and perhaps longer, and over that period existing arrangements will continue to apply.
Nevertheless, my Department has engaged in detailed contingency planning for the possibility of this result, and has published a summary of the key actions we will now take to address the contingencies arising from the UK’s decision.
The most immediate concerns for agrifood exporters centre on Euro-Sterling exchange rates. It should be noted that the fall in the value of Sterling against the Euro, while significant, is not unprecedented. Nevertheless, a sustained period of currency volatility could be of concern. In that regard, the Central Bank of Ireland has pre-established contingency plans to deal with market volatility surrounding the referendum result. The Bank will engage with the Department of Finance and individual financial institutions regarding potential risks. Actions by ECB and other global actors will be monitored closely.
In addition, I asked Bord Bia to provide practical guidance to SMEs to assist them in dealing with marketing challenges arising in the short term, and last week it announced a number of measures to support food and drink businesses. These measures cover areas such as managing volatility impacts, the provision of consumer and market insight, deepening customer engagement, and extending market reach, with the aim of helping companies maintain their competitiveness. Similar support is also being provided by Enterprise Ireland.
The other areas in which potential impacts are foreseen are in relation to tariffs and trade, the EU budget, regulations and standards, and customs controls and certification, while complex issues also arise for the fisheries sector.
However, we must remember that our trading relationship with the UK is not altered in any way until the negotiation process that will dictate the terms and conditions of the UK’s departure is completed. In the meantime, and as part of our overall contingency planning, I have established a dedicated unit in my Department to work on all of the issues that I have mentioned. I have also convened a consultative committee of stakeholders, which met for the first time last week, to ensure a full exchange of information as the negotiations proceed. In addition, I am ensuring that my Department is keeping in touch with the relevant agencies through a contact group established under the Food Wise 2025 High Level Implementation Committee. And of course, the Department will continue to feed into the central Contingency Framework being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach.
709. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to actively pursue a voluntary all-Ireland agrifood label which would be of benefit to farmers North and South of the Border. [21308/16]
View answerIreland has been a strong proponent of origin labelling as a means of providing consumers with clear and transparent information about the food they consume, including as regards the origin of that food. It is important to state that the rules on origin labelling are determined at EU level and require a label to state the Member State where the animal was reared and slaughtered. They do not operate on a regional, multi member state or all-island basis.
With regards to Northern Ireland and an all-Ireland agrifood label, my Department has been in regular contact with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland staff on labelling issues that affect both jurisdictions. With regards solely to beef my predecessor, Minister Coveney, was proactive in supporting the traditional trade of live cattle between the North and South and met on a number of occasions with his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA. He also signed a joint letter to the three UK retailers which stock Irish beef asking them to consider a new mixed label for animals born, reared or slaughtered in both jurisdictions on the island. Minister O’Neill also approved a voluntary beef label in Northern Ireland for cattle born in the Republic of Ireland, raised in the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland, and slaughtered in Northern Ireland. This label would have facilitated the sale of beef from animals born in the South and slaughtered in the North. However no retailers expressed an interest in using this label on their products as there is a commercial preference at UK retail level, for a simple origin labelling process bearing the name of a single country of origin only. It is important to remember that retailers will only make such commercial decisions based on their customers’ needs and preferences and until there is a clear preference for an all-island agrifood label at customer level I do not foresee retailer demand for such labels.
It is important that we continue to monitor the impact of labelling rules carefully. I will continue to work to ensure that mandatory labelling laws provide clear and transparent information to consumers, are practicable, and do not negatively impact on Ireland’s agrifood exports.
