Tuesday, 8 Nov 2016

Written Answers Nos. 447-465

Basic Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (447)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

447. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will expedite a payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [33707/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named submitted a 2016 transfer application seeking the transfer of entitlements by lease. This application has been fully processed and an acceptance letter has issued to the person named. Payment under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme will issue shortly.

Transfer of Entitlements

Questions (448)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

448. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will expedite payment to persons (details supplied) in County Cork. [33724/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The persons named submitted a 2016 Transfer of Entitlements application seeking the transfer of entitlements by gift from their mother. This application has been fully processed and acceptance letters issued to both transferor and transferees on 2 November 2016. The persons named have also submitted two 2016 Transfer of Entitlements applications seeking the transfer of entitlements by lease to two separate farmers. These applications are currently being finalised and the persons named will receive written confirmation of these transfers shortly.

As all entitlements held by the persons named have been leased out in 2016 in line with the Transfer of Entitlements applications submitted to my Department, there are no remaining entitlements held by the persons named on which a 2016 Basic Payment Scheme payment can be made.

Agricultural Colleges

Questions (449)

Brendan Smith

Question:

449. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase Teagasc education staff at colleges such as Ballyhaise Agricultural College, County Cavan, in view of the increased demand for the green cert programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33726/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The delegated sanction arrangements for Teagasc permits them to fill vacancies through recruitment and/or promotion in designated grades up to and including Principal Officer or equivalent, subject to an overall Pay bill ceiling. The multi-annual pay ceiling is binding and it falls on Teagasc to deliver services within the agreed ceiling. This includes responding to emerging expenditure pressures without recourse to additional Exchequer allocations and involves commitment to ongoing reform and efficiency measures as appropriate.

The arrangements enable Teagasc to replace staff when they retire and to make 75 new permanent appointments, subject to compliance with the pay ceilings. The specific arrangements to allocate available staff resources to Teagasc research, advisory and/or education services are matters for Teagasc management to determine. I understand that a number of appointments have been made in the education area. While Teagasc must remain within its overall pay budget, the flexibility provided by the new arrangements will allow them to fill critical vacancies and to react faster when such vacancies arise in the future.

In addition to the above measure, my Department in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, approved the appointment of 70 education officers and 7 administrative staff on two year contracts to enable Teagasc dramatically increase enrolments for the Green Cert Programme. The allocation of those resources to the different agricultural colleges etc. is an internal operational matter for Teagasc and not my Department. I understand that most of the teachers have been recruited and are helping to deliver record numbers of Green Cert enrolments, which are forecasted to top 4,500 for the period 2014 to 2016.

My Department has asked Teagasc to explore other staffing measures, beyond further temporary recruitment, to ensure that any residual demand for the Green Cert can be accommodated within a realistic time-frame. My Department will continue to monitor the Green Cert situation in Teagasc closely.

Agriculture Scheme Administration

Questions (450)

Eamon Scanlon

Question:

450. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the national reserve and young farmers scheme will be open again for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33735/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In 2015 the National Reserve fund was based on a 3% cut to the Basic Payment Scheme financial ceiling and provided some €24 million in funding which was the maximum financing rate available under the relevant EU Regulations. There were some 6,250 successful applicants under the 2015 National Reserve.

There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding of €24 million had been utilised under the 2015 scheme. In order to provide for a National Reserve in 2017 funding is required to replenish the Reserve. EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that funding for the replenishment of the National Reserve may be obtained by means of surrender of entitlements that remain unused by farmers for two consecutive years and by clawback derived following the sale of entitlements without land. It is envisaged that funding derived from these two sources in 2017 will be very limited. The Regulations also provide for the application of a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements to replenish the National Reserve. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding has been established.

The Young Farmers Scheme is a separate annual scheme which provides an additional payment for ‘young farmers’ on activated entitlements. The closing date for the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 was 16 May. Applications for the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme will be made available well in advance of the 2017 closing date. 

Brexit Issues

Questions (451)

David Cullinane

Question:

451. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the impact Brexit and currency fluctuations between sterling and the euro are having on the food and agri-business sectors in the southeast; the action he is taking to help the industries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33737/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I am fully aware of the impact that Brexit and the sterling exchange rate are having on our agri-food exporters, including those located in the southeast of the country.

A number of actions are being taken to try to mitigate these impacts.

Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland have been providing practical guidance to SMEs. Bord Bia recently announced a number of measures, covering areas such as managing volatility impacts, providing consumer and market insight, deepening customer engagement and extending market reach, all of which are aimed at helping companies maintain their competitiveness. Similar support is being provided by Enterprise Ireland through their 5-point plan for exporters to the UK and through engagement on a one-to-one basis with affected companies.

In addition, I announced a comprehensive set of measures in Budget 2017 which financially underpin my Department's Brexit mitigation efforts through strategic investment in key areas of the Department, its agencies and in the agri-food sector.

The measures include access to an innovative low interest agri-cash flow fund of €150 million. The loan fund will support highly flexible loans for up to six years, for amounts up to €150,000, at an interest rate of 2.95%, and is available to farmers across the livestock, horticultural and tillage sectors. Other measures include agri-taxation initiatives aimed at tackling income volatility, significant additional spending on farm gate schemes through the Rural Development programme, increased funding of Bord Bia and BIM, investment in research & development and innovation, and increased expenditure on the Seafood Development Programme.

The currency volatility issue is of course one that is constantly evolving, and I am continuing to keep the situation under review. 

Fishery Harbour Centres

Questions (452)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

452. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a case (details supplied) regarding permission to berth a second vessel in Howth Harbour; the reason this permission has not yet been granted; when permission will be granted for this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33776/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department. All six Fishery Centres are first and foremost working fishery harbours. However each centre has unique features which facilitate a broad range of other diverse activities which are important from both an economic and social perspective.

The issue raised by the Deputy refers to the conditions whereby passenger ferry licences, and associated moorings and berths are granted. The individual referred to has not submitted any application in respect of 2017.

Applications for passenger ferry licences, moorings and berths are approved on an annual basis having considered health and safety, the operational probity of Howth Fishery Harbour Centre, the available infrastructure and capacity at the Harbour at any given time.

I can tell the deputy that for operational and strategic reasons it has been decided to relocate all passenger ferry activities from the East Pier, Howth to dedicated pontoons on the West Pier. Construction of theses pontoons will commence in Mid November with the expectation that they will be in place early in 2017.

When operational the Department will be able to reconsider the limits on the number of passenger ferry vessels operating from Howth.

GLAS Applications

Questions (453)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

453. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS application in respect of a person (details supplied); when payment will be processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33855/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application for Tranche 2 of the GLAS Scheme for the person named was received on the dedicated GLAS online system on the 14 December 2015.

The unprecedented level of applications to GLAS 2 meant that priority is being given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods.

Farmers had been urged to present the highest standard environmental plans under GLAS 2, and to adopt actions that would promote them from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. Over 80% of applicants in the second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available were approved.

The application for the person named was ranked as a Tier 3 application and it was therefore not selected into the scheme.

A third Tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) is currently open for applications and the person named has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan, in consultation with their advisor, and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection into GLAS 3.

Bord na gCon

Questions (454)

Willie Penrose

Question:

454. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his department has addressed the issues highlighted in the Morris report; if the recommendations therein will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33862/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Bord na gCon  is a commercial State body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry.

Bord na gCon has informed me that it has systematically worked through the recommendations contained in the Morris Report, addressing those that it can within the current legislative framework. In addition it has introduced out of competition testing at kennels, publication of adverse analytical findings, a prohibition on racing following an adverse analytical finding until the result of the test is negative, together with the publication of Control Committee decisions and the reasons for those decisions.

I will shortly be bringing forward the heads of a greyhound racing bill to address certain aspects of the report and to ensure that the principles of good governance and regulation are clearly and unambiguously laid down in primary legislation. 

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (455)

Willie Penrose

Question:

455. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to have the single farm payment paid to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33867/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 11 May 2016. This application has been fully processed and payment has issued to his nominated bank account.

Basic Payment Scheme Applications

Questions (456)

Willie Penrose

Question:

456. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that the single farm payment is paid to a person (details supplied). [33869/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named submitted a 2016 Basic Payment Scheme/Areas of Natural Constraint scheme application on 11 April 2016. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases remote sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.

The application of the person named was selected for a remote sensing inspection. This inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payments due as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise, officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.

Fishing Industry

Questions (457, 458, 459)

David Cullinane

Question:

457. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy of his Department in respect of maintaining fish weirs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33600/16]

David Cullinane

Question:

458. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the maintenance grants available to the owners of active and inactive fish weirs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33601/16]

David Cullinane

Question:

459. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy with regard to the paying of commercial rates on fish weirs; if rates still apply if they are inactive; if any exemptions apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33602/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 to 459, inclusive, together.

I understand that the weirs referred to by the Deputy are in the Waterford Estuary and are essentially “fishing engines” within the meaning of the Fisheries Acts. Waterford Estuary has been closed as a salmon fishery since 2006, as the requirement, that each individual stock originating in the three contributing rivers (Suir, Nore and Barrow) must all exceed their individual conservation limits (CL), is not being met.

I am advised that the maintenance and repair of such weirs is the responsibility of the owner of the weir. There is no voted funding provision in my Department for such matters nor are there any grant schemes relating to the maintenance of historical fish weirs. There is no public funding resource to facilitate maintenance and repair of privately owned infrastructure.

The owner of a fishery should apply to the Valuations Office for a revaluation of their rated fishery.

Community Development Initiatives

Questions (460)

Brendan Smith

Question:

460. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if national lottery funding is available at present through his Department to support the work of community groups; if so, if there are specific programmes eligible for grant assistance; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33268/16]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

My Department does not receive funding from the National Lottery.

Energy Policy

Questions (461)

Joe Carey

Question:

461. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position with respect to the introduction of feed in tariffs as they apply to electricity generation through hydro, solar, wind and biomass technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33281/16]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The 2015 Energy White Paper sets out a vision to promote the development and diversification of renewable energy in Ireland in a competitive and sustainable manner. A well balanced fuel mix that provides reliable and sustainable energy, minimises costs and protects against supply disruptions and price volatility, is essential to Irish consumers and businesses. The existing Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for energy exported to the grid. While the REFIT schemes are now closed for new applications, they have proven successful at encouraging an increase in the level of renewables in Ireland. In 2015, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has estimated that 25.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources.

The existing REFIT support schemes are underpinned by detailed economic analysis to ensure long-term certainty for investors and overall value for money for consumers. The REFIT schemes assure a minimum price for each unit of electricity exported to the grid over a 15 year period and cover a range of different renewable energy technologies, including wind energy, biomass and hydro-generation.

My Department is currently working to develop a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). While no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported, the cost and technical viability of a variety of technologies - including wind, solar photovoltaics (PV), hydro and biomass - are being examined as part of the on-going assessment process.

Once the economic analysis is complete, a further public consultation on the new scheme will be published. This consultation is expected in the first half of 2017 and details will be advertised on the Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie. It is expected that the new scheme will be announced in late 2017 subject to Government approval and State aid clearance from the European Commission.

Angling Season

Questions (462)

Peter Burke

Question:

462. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to any additional regulation that will be imposed on Lough Sheelin, County Westmeath, regarding the reduction in the number of months in which anglers can fish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33291/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I have been informed by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that the fishery management rule currently in place for Lough Sheelin prohibits fishing for any species by rod and line from 13 October to the end of February. This rule does not represent any change in practice. It has been in place for twenty years and has been promoted through angling guidance leaflets and signage erected at Lough Sheelin.

IFI recently conducted a public consultation with a view to introducing a local by-law on Lough Sheelin that would give this rule a legislative basis, thereby ensuring that it can be enforced more effectively.

Fishing for all species on Lough Sheelin has always been allowed during the open season from 1 March to 12 October each year.

Exploration Licences Data

Questions (463)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

463. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of all existing applications to frack; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33343/16]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Three onshore licensing options were granted for the two year period from 1 March 2011 to 28 February 2013, over parts of the North West Carboniferous (Lough Allen) Basin and parts of County Clare to:

i. Tamboran Resources PTY Ltd over 986 km2 in the Northwest Carboniferous Basin;

ii. Lough Allen Natural Gas Company Ltd over 467 km2 in the Northwest Carboniferous Basin; and

iii. Enegi Oil Plc over 495 km2 in the Clare Basin.

 These ‘options’ were valid for a period of up to a maximum of 24 months and gave the holder the first right, exercisable at any time during the period of the Option, to an Exploration Licence over all or part of the area covered by the Option. The licensing options awarded were preliminary authorisations and were designed to allow the companies assess the shale gas potential of the acreage largely based on desktop studies of existing data.

Exploration drilling, including drilling that would involve hydraulic fracturing was not allowed under these Licensing Options. Two of the three companies, which had been granted onshore licensing options in February 2011, have submitted applications for a follow-on exploration licence. 

In coming to a view on whether unconventional gas exploration and extraction could be permitted in Ireland, it was considered necessary in the first instance to establish if this technology could be carried out in a manner that would not negatively impact on the environment and human health. Having consulted publicly on the terms of reference for a research programme, the issues identified on foot of this process have been included in the scope of the research programme being administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with oversight from a broad based Steering Committee that includes my Department. It is anticipated that an Integrated Synthesis Report concluding on the research programme to date will be finalised in the coming weeks. 

There is no unconventional gas exploration or extraction in Ireland. Since the Joint Research Programme on the Environmental Impacts of Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction was commissioned, no application to engage in unconventional gas exploration has been received in my Department, nor would any such application, if submitted, be considered until the Integrated Synthesis Report has concluded and there has been time to consider its findings.

Wind Energy Generation

Questions (464)

Timmy Dooley

Question:

464. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will confirm that offshore wind is being considered in helping Ireland reach its renewable targets for 2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33421/16]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

The EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy demand from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland is committed to achieving this target through meeting 40% of electricity demand, 12% of heat and 10% of transport from renewable energy sources.

The Government has a range of policy measures and schemes to incentivise the use of renewable energy and although good progress towards the target has been made to date, meeting the 16% target remains challenging. The Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff schemes support the development of a range of renewable electricity technologies including hydro, biomass combustion, biomass combined heat and power, landfill gas and onshore wind. Figures provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for 2015  indicate that 9.1% of the overall 16% target was met and that 25.3% of electricity was generated by renewable sources, of which 22.8% was generated by onshore wind. 

In addition to our onshore wind resource, bioenergy, solar, offshore wind and other technologies may play a role in diversifying our renewable generation portfolio over the period to 2030. The 2014 Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) sets out Government policy in relation to the sustainable development of our indigenous offshore wind, wave and tidal energy resources.

My Department is currently developing a proposed new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). In-depth economic analysis is underway to inform the actual cost of a new scheme and, while no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported, the cost and technical viability of solar photovoltaic (PV), bio-energy and offshore wind are being examined as part of the assessment process.

The latest report provided by Ireland to the European Commission - the Third Progress Report on the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) - shows that 8.6% of our energy was met from renewable sources at end 2014, which was ahead of the indicative trajectory of 6.98% set out in Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 483 of 2014.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), has estimated that the cost to Ireland of not meeting our overall renewable energy targets may be in the range of €100 million to €150 million for each percentage point Ireland falls short of the overall 16% renewable energy target.

Waste Management

Questions (465)

Barry Cowen

Question:

465. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he will publish the reports of the interdepartmental group that was established under A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland on the possible introduction of a household waste collection waiver scheme; if he does not publish these reports, his views on whether the Houses of the Oireachtas can make an informed decision on issues pertaining to waste waivers without knowing the contents of his Department's reports; the way he proposes to resolve the issue of waste waivers by July 2017 when the voluntary agreement with waste sector companies on pay-by-weight charging ends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33610/16]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

An interdepartmental working group, established in line with national waste policy to report to Government with options to minimise the impact of waste charges on low income households, submitted two reports to the previous Government.

It should be noted that there has never been a national waiver scheme for household waste collection. During the period in which local authorities were directly involved in the collection of household waste, a minority of individual Councils offered different levels of discount to selected households, based on different qualification criteria. As local authorities exited the waste collection market, some required the private operators which took on the Councils’ customers to provide a level of discount for existing waiver customers only, and even then, for only a limited time.

The vast majority of such contractual commitments for private operators to provide a waiver have now expired. In that context, the number of households in receipt of waiver discounts is likely to decline over time, especially as some householders were able to take advantage of special reduced offers elsewhere which actually undercut the waiver price. However, selected private operators still offer some level of discount to former waiver customers on a voluntary basis.

In addition, a very limited number of local authorities make financial contributions towards the cost of, or pay for, the collection of waste from certain households. Again, the qualification criteria and level of support differ from area to area.

With the exception of one or two municipal districts, local authorities no longer collect waste. Waste collection is now serviced by a diverse range of private operators, where the fees charged are a matter between service provider and customer and the range of services and fees offered vary amongst providers and across the country. In that regard, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a national waiver scheme could not be imposed in the context of an open market for waste collection.

Notwithstanding the above, as previously stated, a review of the way households are charged for the collection of waste, with a focus on encouraging households to prevent, separate and recycle waste and to reduce residual waste going to landfills, is due to be completed by July next year.