Written Answers Nos. 242 - 254
242. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 741 of 21 July 2016, when he will issue a reply regarding permitting young farmers who are under 40 years of age, who have been farming for five years or more, to qualify for an intermediary grant aid level of 50%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35675/16]
View answerThere are no current proposals to introduce an intermediary grant of 50% to farmers who fall into the category of being less than 40 years of age who have been farming for five years or more under TAMS II. However, such farmers do receive priority in the current TAMS II Schemes through the marking and Ranking and Selection System.
243. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will appoint a chairperson to the independent commonage appeals committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35676/16]
View answerProposals regarding the terms of appointment of a new independent chairperson have been submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and it is expected that a chairperson will be appointed shortly.
244. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of 2016 GLAS commonage farmer payments that are being held up due to the fact that planners assigned to a commonage are no longer able to complete such plans as they have been released from contract or moved on; the number of farmers this concerns who are in GLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35677/16]
View answerGLAS payments in respect of 2016 are due to commence in December for all applications which meet all of the regulatory checks and validations.
I am aware that in some instances issues have arisen concerning the preparation of the commonage management plan for a number of Commonages. My Department is actively managing the issue to ensure that all GLAS participants, including those who may be affected by this issue, will be paid at the same time as other GLAS participants who meet the regulatory checks.
245. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will enable 2016 GLAS payments to be made to farmers by accepting GLAS commonage plans where the planner assigned to a commonage is no longer doing plans due to reasons outside of the control of affected farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35678/16]
View answerI am aware that in some instances issues have arisen concerning the preparation of the commonage management plan for a number of Commonages. My Department is actively managing the issue to ensure that all GLAS participants, including those who may be affected by this issue, who meet all regulatory checks and validations for 2016 will be paid at the same time.
246. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers participating in the beef data genomics scheme that have completed a beef carbon navigator, on a county basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35679/16]
View answerThe information requested by the deputy is set out in the following table. I have extended the deadline for the completion of the carbon navigators by one month to 30 November to enable all participants to complete the navigator in order that payment can issue to them in December, subject to all other requirements having been met.
|
County |
|
|
Carlow |
248 |
|
Cavan |
1017 |
|
Clare |
1404 |
|
Cork |
1568 |
|
Donegal |
1183 |
|
Dublin |
43 |
|
Galway |
2233 |
|
Kerry |
1028 |
|
Kildare |
273 |
|
Kilkenny |
452 |
|
Laois |
497 |
|
Leitrim |
840 |
|
Limerick |
614 |
|
Longford |
559 |
|
Louth |
198 |
|
Mayo |
2034 |
|
Meath |
389 |
|
Monaghan |
768 |
|
Offaly |
476 |
|
Roscommon |
1227 |
|
Sligo |
857 |
|
Tipperary |
820 |
|
Waterford |
326 |
|
Westmeath |
637 |
|
Wexford |
484 |
|
Wicklow |
336 |
|
Total |
20511 |
247. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a mid-term review of the present CAP will be envisaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35680/16]
View answerThe current CAP is still in the early stages of implementation, and discussions until now have focused on simplification rather than on a formal mid-term review. This simplification process is ongoing, and Ireland has been actively contributing to the process over the past 18 months.
Commissioner Hogan has recently indicated his intention to undertake a wide public consultation on the CAP in the first half of 2017, following which he is likely to table a communication aimed at addressing Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's commitment to modernise and simplify the CAP.
248. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the latest timetable and information at hand concerning negotiations around the CAP post-2020 at EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35681/16]
View answerA number of informal discussions on the CAP post 2020 have taken place at EU level in recent months, including at the Informal Council of Agriculture Ministers in the Netherlands in May, at an informal gathering of Ministers in Chambord in France in early September, and at the Cork Rural Development Conference, which also took place in early September. More recently, the future of the CAP was discussed over lunch at this week's Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels.
This debate is still in its very early stages. The discussions so far have been very preliminary and exploratory in nature. Commissioner Hogan has indicated his intention to undertake a wide public consultation in the first half of 2017, following which he will table a communication that will address Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's commitment to modernise and simplify the CAP.
I am very much of the view that the CAP is a progressive policy that can make a critical contribution to addressing the strategic challenges faced not only by the European agricultural sector in the coming years, but also those facing the EU itself. One of the key challenges will be to facilitate an increase in food production by up to 70% by 2050 in order to meet the requirements of a growing global population, while doing so in an environmentally sustainable way that also facilitates adaptation to climate change. The CAP has been increasingly effective in this regard in recent years as it has evolved and responded to the consumer and environmental demands placed upon it, while at the same time helping farmers to deal with price and income volatility. I will be working to ensure that it continues to do so, and to ensure that it provides a solid and effective foundation for the development of the sector into the future.
249. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a Government study around the feasibility of introducing a voluntary farm building relocation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35682/16]
View answerResponsibility for flood risk management lies with Mr. Sean Canney, TD, Minister of State for OPW & Flood Relief.
Following consideration of Flood Risk Management at Cabinet recently, the Government announced a number of initiatives. It indicated that further examination is ongoing by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, OPW and Local Authorities in evaluating on an individual basis if any alternative remedial works can be undertaken to protect those at risk farm buildings that flooded again last winter in order to determine the feasibility of any future once-off targeted scheme for Voluntary farm Buildings relocation.
250. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the EPA report, Ireland's Environment - An Assessment 2016, regarding meeting climate change targets including greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35683/16]
View answer251. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the EPA report, Ireland's Environment - An Assessment 2016; if Food Wise 2025 targets are still achievable in view of the analysis outlined on meeting climate change responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35684/16]
View answer252. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the EPA report, Ireland's Environment - An Assessment 2016, and the analysis on economically viable farms in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35685/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 252, inclusive, together.
I welcome the publication of the EPA report "Ireland's Environment: An Assessment 2016", which underlines the vital importance of agriculture, forestry and land use to environmental sustainability.
Food Wise 2025, the ten year strategy for the agri-food sector, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as well as specific sectoral recommendations.
In July this year, I launched the first annual progress report of Food Wise 2025: Steps to Success 2016. Food Wise Steps to Success showed that, of the 330 detailed actions which were due to commence in 2015 or 2016, 28% have been achieved or substantial action has been undertaken; and a further 67% have commenced and are progressing well.
I believe that this is a good start and I will press on to get as many actions as possible completed within the next year.
Environmental sustainability is at the heart of Food Wise, which states that “environmental protection and economic competitiveness are equal and complementary: one cannot be achieved at the expense of the other”. An Environmental Sustainability Subgroup was established under the auspices of a high-level implementation committee, HLIC, to monitor and drive the sustainability actions outlined in Food Wise 2025.
Ireland’s whole of Government approach to sustainability includes development of coherent and cost-effective policies to meet the twin challenges of sustainable food production and climate change in the agriculture and land use sector. The EPA report will help to inform the development of coherent and cost-effective policies to meet these challenges. The national policy position is based on an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. Officials from my Department work very closely with other Departments and, in particular, with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment which is the lead in this area.
Through the deployment of innovative and efficient practices at farm level, combined with the application of emerging scientific knowledge, Ireland is taking the necessary steps towards addressing the challenge of greenhouse gas emissions in the Irish agriculture sector. The Rural Development Programme, worth almost €4 billion over 7 years, is strongly targeted towards environmental benefits, including knowledge transfer programmes, which will bring the latest innovative sustainability research and practices direct to farmers.
My Department is also contributing to the National Mitigation Plan, which is being prepared under the 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. The work on the national plan is overseen by Government through a hierarchy of committees and sub-groups, with independent advice from the Climate Change Advisory Council. These committees and groups include the Cabinet Committee and the Senior Officials' Group on Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Action, a Technical Research and Modelling Group and a Domestic Climate Finance Group.
DAFM is a key stakeholder in the implementation of the National Regulations referred to as the Nitrates or the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Regulations. These regulations protect water through the implementation of specific controls and are aimed at minimising the loss of Nutrients from Agriculture. Substantial investments has been made both by my Department and the farming community to implement the GAP measures under the Nitrates Action Programme since their introduction in 2006. Additionally, under our Agri-environment scheme, GLAS, farmers in areas of high water status and vulnerable water bodies have priority entry to the scheme whilst measures such as 'Fencing of Watercourses' within the scheme are designed specifically to enhance water quality. The scheme is therefore very much targeted at improving water quality and this objective is supported by both the Knowledge Transfer and the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes.
The effectiveness of the Nitrates regulations is monitored by the Agricultural Catchments Programme. This is an integrated research/advisory programme established in 2008 with over 300 participating farmers in six catchments, funded by my Department. The Nitrates Regulations provide a considerable environmental baseline which all Irish farmers must achieve. The next review of these regulations will take place in 2017.
With regard to the economic viability of farms outlined in the EPA report, this analysis is based on research by my Department and Teagasc. The overarching emphasis of Food Wise is to support increased competitiveness and profitability on farms with a view to delivering sustainable growth. In that regard the three pillar strategy I announced as part of the recent Budget - comprising payments, agri-taxation measures and the innovative Agri Cashflow Support Loan Fund - is designed to alleviate the difficulties caused to farmers by current market difficulties and the uncertainty engendered by the UK decision to leave the EU, and to provide them with longer-term financial stability.
253. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers enrolled in the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, whose contracts will end in 2018, by county, in tabular form; if he will permit such farmers to join GLAS under a fourth round; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35686/16]
View answerThe third tranche of GLAS was recently launched with a view to bringing participation in the Scheme to at least 50,000 farmers and to utilise the full budget allocated to the Scheme. It is now open to current AEOS participants to apply to join GLAS under tranche 3 and avail of a 5 year contract under that scheme. The table below gives the number of current AEOS 3 participants per county that have contracts which are due to expire on 31 December 2018.
|
County |
AEOS 3 |
|
Carlow |
23 |
|
Cavan |
118 |
|
Clare |
272 |
|
Cork |
184 |
|
Donegal |
807 |
|
Dublin |
5 |
|
Galway |
736 |
|
Kerry |
361 |
|
Kildare |
11 |
|
Kilkenny |
23 |
|
Laois |
22 |
|
Leitrim |
251 |
|
Limerick |
87 |
|
Longford |
32 |
|
Louth |
18 |
|
Mayo |
815 |
|
Meath |
28 |
|
Monaghan |
56 |
|
Offaly |
56 |
|
Roscommon |
251 |
|
Sligo |
188 |
|
Tipperary |
63 |
|
Waterford |
42 |
|
Westmeath |
44 |
|
Wexford |
22 |
|
Wicklow |
34 |
254. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of farmers who completed the crop damage assessment form in 2010, in tabular form; the way the scheme operated; if he will provide a breakdown of national Exchequer and EU funding; the timeline for getting EU approval for this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35687/16]
View answerThe Aid Scheme for Potato and Vegetable Crops Damaged by Frost was launched in February 2010. The scheme aimed to provide compensation for damage to potatoes and vegetables on foot of heavy frost in January 2010. Application for the scheme was via a “Crop Damage Assessment Form” and each applicant was required to provide details of their holding and the damage incurred to their crop. This form provided the basis for on farm verification visits to establish any losses arising due to the frost.
The scheme was paid in accordance with the Agriculture Block Exemption Regulation (EC) No. 1857/2006 on the application of articles 87 and 88 of the Treaty to state aid to small and medium-sized enterprises active in the production of agricultural products. At the time of the launch of the scheme, applicants were advised that payment would not issue until EU clearance under this regulation had been received.
The Block Exemption Regulation required the frost damage to have destroyed more than 30% of the average annual production and provided the basis for this scheme to be funded from national funds.
The scheme applied to primary producers in the potato and vegetable sector, and the maximum aid intensity was 80% (90% in Less Favoured Areas). In all, 180 farmers received compensation under the scheme. A total of some €4 million was paid in compensation under the scheme with payments commencing in September 2010.
