Written Answers Nos. 229-237
229. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has taken to address the concerns of the agrifood sector arising from the decision of the United Kingdom European Union referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21751/16]
View answerThe decision of the UK to leave the EU is one that creates considerable challenges for the agrifood 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 and almost €970 million in dairy products. 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 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 referendum outcome will 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 are taking to address the contingencies arising from the UK’s decision.
The most immediate concerns for 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.
I have also asked the relevant agencies, including Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland, to provide practical guidance to SMEs. Last week Bord Bia announced a number of measures to support food and drink businesses. These measures cover areas such as managing volatility impacts, providing 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.
Aside from currency fluctuations, the main 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 taken a number of measures to ensure a sensible, coherent approach is adopted, namely:
- I have established a dedicated unit in my Department to work on all of the issues that I have mentioned;
- I have 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;
- I am also ensuring that the response of the relevant agencies is fully coordinated through a contact group established under the Food Wise 2025 High Level Implementation Committee, and
- The Department will continue to feed into the central Contingency Framework being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach.
230. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on drug use in the greyhound industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21775/16]
View answerBord na gCon has informed me that it has carried out an extensive review of procedures for regulatory control with many new standard operating procedures either finalised or close to finalisation. New secondary legislation is now in place with the result that any adverse analytical finding from a greyhound tested for prohibited substances after October 1st 2015 will be published and the greyhound immediately banned from racing until a further test is undertaken which yields negative results. In addition the findings of all new cases initiated after the October 1st 2015 and coming before the Control Committee and the Control Appeals Committee which, adjudicate on any possible breaches of regulation, will be published as will the reasons for their decision. A Scientific Committee on Doping and Medication Control has been established. Its task will be to advise Bord na gCon on an ongoing basis on scientific matters relating to doping and medication control in greyhounds. In particular it will review the current list of substances which are prohibited or controlled and, where applicable, their associated thresholds or limits, and it will advise Bord na gCon on any changes considered necessary from a scientific point of view.
Also an intelligence lead testing regime has been developed targeting its resources at the areas of greatest risk. Targeted testing has included testing in competition, at trials and also at greyhound sales. Bord na gCon has confirmed that it has also adopted an inter-agency cooperation strategy in their anti-doping and medication control policy, insofar as legislation permits, to ensure intelligence-led mechanisms with other enforcement agencies are in place to police this area of risk for the industry whilst making the best use of the limited resources available.
As an indication of how seriously Bord na gCon take this mater they commissioned a report by Professor Tim Morris, who is currently the Independent Scientific Adviser to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain on Anti-doping and Medication Control, to examine the use of doping and medication in the greyhound sector in Ireland. The Morris report will enable Bord na gCon to further develop its policy and regulation. It is my understanding that the board expect to publish the report in the coming weeks. Once the Morris report is published I will examine its recommendations to determine whether any further measures are required.
Both the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 and Bord na gCon’s Welfare Code of Practice provide a strong framework for regulation and enforcement. I will also be bringing forward the heads of a Greyhound Amendment Bill shortly to deal with issues of governance, regulation and enforcement. In this context, I will have an opportunity, through the pre legislative scrutiny process, to hear the views of stakeholders and take them into account in determining the final shape of the Bill.
It is my firm belief that the future of the greyhound industry is dependent on the stakeholders having trust and confidence in the industry and regulation is central to the reputation of the sector. Indecon made a number of recommendations to strengthen regulatory processes and procedures. As already outlined a number of firm actions have already taken place and I am determined that Indecon’s recommendations in this area will be fully implemented.
231. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will change the regulations governing the flight of dogs into Ireland to allow owners as distinct from airlines to email his Department not less than 24 hours before landing here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21778/16]
View answerMy Department currently allows for the notification of the carriage of mobility and other service type animals by their owners. However in order to mitigate the risk of the incursion of rabies into Ireland and to maintain our rabies free status the Department must implement rules to minimise the illegal importation of non compliant animals. This can only be achieved by placing the obligation of reporting the carriage of live animals into Ireland on the transport operators. There are no plans to change the legislation in this regard.
232. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the Scottish derogation scheme. [21783/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements under the ’Scottish Derogation’ measure of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme. Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment scheme, processing of applications involves administrative and on farm checks and verification of land details submitted. In order to complete these administrative checks additional documentary evidence is required which has been requested from the person named but not yet submitted to the Department. Upon receipt of this documentary evidence the application for ‘Scottish Derogation’ will be finalised and the person named will be notified in writing.
233. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive payment under the 2015 green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21818/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 11 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment which is expected to issue shortly.
234. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why he is, on the tender for the supply of Bovine Identification Tags, insisting on a single supplier framework which will deny farmers the right to chose in who they give their business to upon the basis of price or quality of service; if, in that context he is concerned, that the current tender in its wording discriminates against new entrants and makes it extremely difficult for such new entrants to secure the tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21826/16]
View answerMy Department has confirmed that it has decided to withdraw a Request for Tenders (RFT) seeking a single supplier for the provision of a service to supply a suite of bovine eartags which was published in May. The Department has decided to withdraw the RTF in light of representations received from a number of interested parties. The issues raised had the potential to delay the adjudication of tenders beyond the expiry date of the existing contract.
The Department will now consider the adoption of an approval system which would enable approved suppliers, meeting specified standards and conditions, to supply tags in Ireland for the official bovine ID system. The details of the approval process will be announced shortly.
The new approach, which will permit multiple suppliers to supply eartags, will be based on a robust approval system both of tags and suppliers. Approved suppliers will be required to meet minimum standards relating to the quality of tags, quality of service, issuing of birth registration documents etc. thereby ensuring that there would be no diminution in service standards to Irish livestock farmers.
235. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding avenues available to farmers to enhance safety measures on their farms; his plans for farmers to be able to claim back VAT on this equipment if they purchase it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21884/16]
View answerThere is a range of investments available under Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II measures to enhance safety of farms. Farmers can, in certain cases, claim back the VAT from the Revenue Commissioners except in the case of mobile equipment.
236. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21900/16]
View answerThe person named has submitted an appeal against the decision to refuse his application under the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme and the matter is currently under consideration. He will be notified of the outcome as soon as the appeal is determined.
237. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the early retirement scheme, including its criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21902/16]
View answerBPS is payable to applicants who are farming, have an active herd number and have eligible land which is used for an agricultural activity. The eligibility requirements for qualifying for an Early Retirement Pension is that an applicant must have definitively ceased farming, have divested himself/herself of all UAA lands, including lands rented out and have cancelled or made dormant their herd/flock or cereal numbers. Early Retirement pensioners cannot return to farming at any stage unless they repay all monies received by way of pension.
