Written Answers Nos. 238-246
238. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the area aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21907/16]
View answerThe correspondence regarding the appeal concerning the person named is currently being examined in the Agriculture Appeals Office having recently been received from the Office of the Ombudsman. It is anticipated that the examination will be concluded shortly.
239. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his Department’s efforts in gaining market access for Irish beef in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21916/16]
View answerI was delighted to announce last week the decision of the US authorities to extend their approval for Irish beef to include manufacturing beef/beef intended for grinding (BIFG). This marks the culmination of over a year of intensive work between my Department and its US counterparts on a range of technical matters.
The new US decision paves the way for industry to undertake the steps necessary to trade to commence. In relation to market access for the USA, Ireland had initially received a major reputational boost in 2015 as the first EU Member State to gain access to the US market for beef and six plants are currently approved to export. By the end of December 2015 approximately 1,800 tonnes of beef, with an estimated value of €14 million, had been exported from Ireland to the US. This represents an exceptionally strong start to this trade considering that the first exports only went in March 2015 and some of the plants were only approved for export in September. That amount looks likely to be surpassed in 2016, as by the end of June, almost 1,200 tonnes had been exported.
The recent announcement by the US on our enhanced access is a huge endorsement of Irish beef and our production and regulatory systems. Ultimately the volume and value of trade will depend on a range of factors such as currency exchange rates, relative commodity prices and global supply and demand patterns. However, this recent extension of our access in the US has the capability to be a significant boost to the sector over a period of time.
US consumption of beef is estimated at 11 million tonnes, approximately 1 million of which is imported. The potential prize for Irish operators is therefore, subject to the variables already outlined, very significant, particularly in circumstances where grass fed hormone free beef is gaining traction in the market place.
It complements the other market outlets we have secured in the last two years, the development of which is a key element of our Food Wise 2025 strategy. There has also been significant progress in facilitating trade in other international markets for Irish beef. My Department continues to push strongly for market access to other Third Countries and we are currently in the process of trying to secure beef access to other third countries including China, Korea, Israel, Ukraine and Vietnam. It is my intention to continue to focus on developing as many third country markets as possible in order to provide exporters as many commercial opportunities as possible in a competitive global market place.
240. Deputy Peter Burke 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. [21917/16]
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.
241. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date in terms of achieving market access to Turkey for Irish live exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21918/16]
View answerOn 13 June 2016 Ireland was added to the list of Countries approved to export live cattle to Turkey. The market was opened following a period of detailed engagement by DAFM with the Turkish authorities, which culminated in a visit to Ireland by a Turkish Veterinary team in May 2016. A Veterinary Certificate allowing live exports of cattle from Ireland to Turkey is now in place in relation to cattle for breeding, fattening and slaughter.
242. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts he is making to open market access for Irish beef inside and outside the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21919/16]
View answerThere is a strong demand for beef globally and my role as Minister is to facilitate market access and to enable Irish exporters to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. In 2015 Ireland exported an estimated €2.2 billion, or approximately 500,000 tonnes of beef, to almost 80 countries around the globe. Food Wise 2025 acknowledged that there is a rising global population together with the growing middle classes in a number of rapidly growing economies and changing dietary patterns to incorporate increased protein consumption. Taken together these provide a great opportunity for increasing the exports of high quality, safe and sustainably produced Irish beef.
As a member of the European Union, Ireland already has full market access to the 27 other EU Member States for beef and other commodities produced. Therefore Ireland has ready market access to a population of over 500 million inhabitants, which indeed is one of the many benefits that comes with being a Member of the EU. The majority of Irish beef exported is to other EU Member States. According to Bord Bia, in 2015 some 52% of Irish beef exports went to the UK and 36% went to other EU markets. Recent events in markets close to home have highlighted once again the importance of diversifying our international beef markets. As an exporting country, accessing new markets is crucial to the long-term sustainability of our beef sector.
The balance of our beef exports was to non EU markets including the USA, Middle East, Philippines, Hong Kong, Ghana and Switzerland amongst others. These Third Country markets are increasingly an important alternative outlet for the industry. My Department engages on an ongoing basis with many Third countries, in collaboration with Bord Bia, the meat industry, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and the European Commission on various market access issues. My Department continues to push strongly for market access to other Third Countries.
In 2015 Ireland had some notable successes including becoming the first EU Member State to gain beef access to the USA, having a BSE ban lifted by the Chinese authorities and negotiating an extension to our market access to the Philippines, where we are now the second largest supplier of beef. More recently beef markets in Canada, Oman and the Maldives have also been opened. Significantly our access to the US market was recently further extended to incorporate manufacturing beef, as a testament to our beef production and regulatory systems. It is expected that similar extended beef access to Saudi Arabia will be achieved shortly. We are currently in the process of trying to secure beef access to other third countries including, inter alia, China, South Korea, Israel, Ukraine and Vietnam. It is my intention to continue to focus on developing as many third country markets as possible in order to provide exporters as many commercial opportunities as possible in a competitive global marketplace.
243. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of boat fishermen fishing in rivers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21748/16]
View answerThe setting of quotas for salmon is governed by the National Salmon Management Program. The total allowable catch on the River Feale for 2016 was set at 944 for the commercial sector. This represents 65% of the overall quota of 1452 for the River Feale, which is divided between the angling and commercial sector.
The commercial fishing season commenced on 1 June 2016 and closes on Saturday 30 July 2016. There were 30 public licences and 2 private licences available for issue in 2016. To date there have been 28 public licences and 1 private licence issued, bringing the total to 29 licences.
Initially each licence holder was given 10 tags with their licence. Tags are issued in batches of 10, and as the total number of tags to be issued was nearing the quota they are issued in groups of 5. Currently all 944 tags have been issued to commercial licence holders.
Based on a review of logbooks, as at 12 July 2016, there have been approximately 647 salmon caught and tagged. This means that there are a further 297 tags which have yet to be used by licence holders.
Included in this figure are 5 licence holders who have not yet commenced fishing and are holding their initial issue of 10 tags. There are also licence holders that are fishing periodically and not fishing regularly enough to use up their tags completely.
The challenge for IFI Officers is to ensure that all fish caught are tagged. This requires increased Fisheries Patrols on fishermen for the remainder of the season .
In addition to the above, there were 441 brown tags issued to anglers on the River Feale, and the total allowable catch for the angling sector on the river is 508.
244. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of electrical charging points that are now installed here; and his plans for advancing the further deployment of electric vehicles here. [21832/16]
View answerThe 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that at least 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. Though Ireland aims to meet this target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels, the increasing use of electric vehicles will also make a small contribution.
Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory based regulator. While I as minster have no function in the matter of charging infrastructure, I understand that the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), through its ecars programme, is continuing to roll out both publicly accessible charging infrastructure and domestic charge points for electric vehicles. I am advised that at 12 July 2016, 911 public charge-points have now been installed nationally. These include 79 DC fast chargers, most of which have been installed mainly on the inter-urban roads. The location of these charge-points is available on the ‘ecars’ section of the ESB’s website at www.esb.ie. In addition, ESB ecars has installed 1,229 domestic chargers and 542 chargers in commercial premises.
The Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme supports and incentivises, through grants of up to €5,000, the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in Ireland. These grants are in addition to the Vehicle Registration Tax reliefs of up to €5,000 which apply to EV and where technically feasible, customers who qualify for support under the scheme also qualify for a free domestic charge point installed by the ESB. The grant scheme commenced in 2011 and, to date the purchase of 1,438 new EVs has been supported.
In addition, work is underway in my Department to establish a taskforce, as set out in the Programme for Government, involving relevant Government Departments, agencies, industry and representative groups, to further examine the potential for the take-up of electric and other low emission vehicles.
245. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the details of grant aid or supports available to persons who wish to develop solar parks for connection to the national grid; if none exist, the proposals which are being developed in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21691/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects. This commitment builds on the Energy White Paper published in December 2015 and recognises that solar photo voltaic (PV) also has the potential to provide a community dividend, thereby enhancing citizen participation in Ireland's energy future.
It is widely recognised that solar photo voltaic (PV) technology has become more cost competitive for electricity generation over the last few years, not only compared with other renewable technologies but also compared with conventional forms of generation. With these significant changes in the cost of the technology, the deployment of solar PV in Ireland has only recently become a potential cost-effective option to increase energy security, contribute to our renewable energy targets, and support economic growth and jobs. It is also recognised, however, that while the cost competitiveness of solar PV has improved, it would still require a subsidy in order to be developed on a commercial basis.
In-depth economic analysis is now underway to inform the actual costings of a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) scheme. While no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported - and the appropriate level of tariffs are still under consideration - the cost and technical viability of a range of renewable technologies is being assessed, including solar PV. The new scheme will also examine how communities can have a greater involvement than in previous schemes.
Designing and implementing a new scheme is a complex task and it is expected that the broad details of the new scheme will be available early next year. Before these details are announced, the Department will run a second public consultation, which will give all interested parties an opportunity to input into the development of the proposed support scheme. Ultimately, the introduction of any new scheme will be subject to Government and State aid approval from the European Commission.
246. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when a final reply will issue further to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21755/16]
View answerWhile I cannot comment on an individual Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (REFIT) application, I can confirm that my Department is still working to assess the viability of a number of REFIT applications received up to the closing date of the REFIT scheme on 31 December 2015.
It is normal practice that a REFIT applicant would liaise directly with officials in my Department to receive updates on the status of any application, and my officials will follow up with the REFIT applicant identified by the Deputy.
