Written Replies Nos. 657 to 671
661. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has plans to impose an outright ban on the operation of wild animal circuses here in view of the fact that similar bans are now being imposed in many countries across Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37318/16]
View answerThe conditions under which circus animals are kept and managed come under the scope of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which contains rules relating to the welfare of all animals and requires a person having an animal under his or her control to safeguard and not endanger the health and welfare of the animal. My Department continues to engage with stakeholders, including circus groups, animal welfare organisations, in relation to the welfare of wild animals in circuses. According to the information available to my Department, there are in fact very few wild animals currently performing in Irish circuses. I have no plans at this juncture to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.
662. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the number of persons that have applied under the young farmers scheme in each of the past five years. [37419/16]
View answerThe Young Farmers' Scheme was introduced in 2015 as a measure to support young farmers under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. The number of applications received under the Young Farmers' Scheme, by county, in 2015 and 2016 is set out in the following table.
|
County |
2015 Number of Applications |
2016 Number of Applications |
|
Carlow |
150 |
144 |
|
Cavan |
370 |
372 |
|
Clare |
379 |
377 |
|
Cork |
1067 |
981 |
|
Donegal |
434 |
407 |
|
Dublin |
44 |
42 |
|
Galway |
777 |
771 |
|
Kerry |
508 |
524 |
|
Kildare |
143 |
140 |
|
Kilkenny |
328 |
282 |
|
Laois |
279 |
277 |
|
Leitrim |
255 |
245 |
|
Limerick |
383 |
338 |
|
Longford |
154 |
157 |
|
Louth |
95 |
92 |
|
Mayo |
747 |
734 |
|
Meath |
292 |
278 |
|
Monaghan |
236 |
238 |
|
Offaly |
257 |
258 |
|
Roscommon |
380 |
358 |
|
Sligo |
208 |
212 |
|
Tipperary |
520 |
455 |
|
Waterford |
252 |
243 |
|
Westmeath |
185 |
186 |
|
Wexford |
399 |
327 |
|
Wicklow |
178 |
170 |
|
Total |
9020 |
8613 |
663. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts currently under way to make Irish farming more environmentally sustainable in view of Ireland's difficulty in reaching the climate change targets of the Paris Agreement due to agricultural production of greenhouse gases. [37432/16]
View answerThe Paris Agreement, which recently entered into force, clearly recognises that efforts to limit global temperature increases must do so in a manner that does not threaten food production.
This reflects the need for a coherent approach to the twin challenges of climate change and food security that does not force us to reduce our sustainable production of food.
The extent of the challenge to reduce GHG emissions, in line with Ireland’s EU commitments, is clearly understood by Government, as reflected in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 provides a statutory basis for Government policy on climate change. As required by the Act, a National Mitigation Plan (NMP) is currently being prepared and I understand that this will be released shortly for a period of public consultation by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Agricultural sectoral mitigation measures have been prepared for input to the NMP.
A range of actions are currently being undertaken to make Irish farming more environmentally sustainable, including measures under the Rural Development Programme (RDP), which is worth almost €4 billion over 7 years. The Programme is strongly targeted towards environmental benefits, including knowledge transfer programmes, which will bring the latest innovative sustainability research and practices direct to farmers.
Other measures include GLAS, the Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme which offers opportunities to support emission reductions and carbon sequestration through various actions such as hedgerow and tree planting, minimum tillage and encouraging the sustainable management of upland peatlands, while at the same time addressing other environmental threats such as biodiversity and water quality.
The Beef Data and Genomics Programme is directly targeted at the climate emissions of 30,000 beef farmers. Its objective is to lower the intensity of GHG emissions by improving the quality and efficiency of the national beef herd
Furthermore, the establishment and maintenance of landscape features (for example, Ecological Focus Areas under CAP Pillar I) can assist with achieving other environmental objectives which are expected of land, such as water and biodiversity management, in addition to carbon sequestration benefits.
Ireland is a world leader in areas such as sustainable auditing and carbon foot-printing under the Origin Green programme. Origin Green is a strategic priority in Food Wise 2025, the ten year strategy for the agri-food industry.
Also the Pasture Profit Index, the Carbon Navigator Tool and the Agricultural Catchments Programme help to reduce carbon emissions per unit of output produced and help protect our rivers.
All of these efforts are being implemented alongside an extensive afforestation scheme. Afforestation is the main cost effective land based climate mitigation tool available to Ireland, followed by the above mentioned mitigation technologies in agriculture itself. Climate change mitigation by forests, forest fuels and wood products is one of the principal drivers of the policy to expand forest cover out to mid century. Agriculture and afforestation are intrinsically linked in Ireland. Every new hectare of afforestation comes directly from agriculture.
664. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if full approval will be given under TAMS II for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37441/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for grant-aid under the Dairy Equipment Scheme in TAMS 11 on 26 August 2015. The applicant has completed the investment works and has submitted his claim for payment. My Department is awaiting an outstanding document in relation to the application for payment. The Applicant's Agricultural Advisor had advised the Department local office that it will be forwarded as soon as possible and once received the claim can be processed for payment.
665. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review a matter (details supplied) regarding entitlements under the basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37463/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements under the ‘Scottish Derogation’ measure of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.
This application was initially deemed unsuccessful as the applicant held entitlements under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme which was not permitted under the conditions of the ‘Scottish Derogation’ measure of the Basic Payment Scheme. However following a recent clarification from the EU Commission, this applicant is now deemed successful and the person named will receive an allocation of entitlements under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.
A letter will issue in the coming days to the person named informing them of this decision and payment will issue shortly thereafter.
666. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm payment will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37473/16]
View answerAn application under 2016 Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 16 May 2016. Processing of the application has recently been finalised and payment will shortly issue, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
667. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will open the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, SBCI, agricultural fund to farmers; the operational breakdown of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37522/16]
View answerI announced earlier this month that the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) had invited financial institutions to take part in the "Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme". This Scheme will enable farmers to improve the management of their cash flow and reduce the cost of their short-term borrowings. This loan scheme forms part of a “three pillar strategy” in response to income volatility, which I announced as part of the recent Budget. Along with tax measures and farm payments, it will alleviate some of the pressures being caused by the current market difficulties.
The SBCI is targeting that the loans will be available in the market by the end of January 2017. I am encouraging farmers to consider their cash flow and borrowings situation now, and if appropriate to their circumstances, to be prepared to apply for these loans when they become available.
The Scheme is being developed by my Department in partnership with the SBCI. The Department’s funding of €25 million includes €11 million made available under the EU’s exceptional adjustment aid for milk and other livestock farmers and €14 million in national funding. This provides leverage for the €150 million scheme, which will support highly flexible loans for up to six years, for amounts up to €150,000, at an interest rate of 2.95%.
668. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reports commissioned by his Department since 2006 which, while completed or in final draft form, have not been published; the reason they have not been published; the expected publication date; the cost to date of each such report; if tenders were invited; if it is not intended to publish any such report, the reason for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37541/16]
View answerDue to the volume of the information requested by the Deputy, it was not possible to provide it within the required time. I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
669. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify a situation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37572/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for grant-aid under the Dairy Equipment Scheme of TAMS II on 6 October 2015. The applicant has completed the investment works and submitted an application for payment. A prepayment inspection will be undertaken shortly. When this inspection has been satisfactorily completed, the application will move to payment stage.
670. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue for the Green Low carbon Agri-environment Scheme, GLAS, Areas of Natural Constraint, ANC, scheme, and hen harrier scheme for 2016 to a person (details supplied). [37577/16]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2016 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 10 May 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 eligibility inspection. This inspection has been processed and the person named was notified of the findings on 23 November 2016. The notification issued outlines the options available at this stage, namely to accept the findings or to submit comments to my Department for consideration. On completion of this process, any payments due will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named as soon as possible.
My Department is currently in the process of recruiting a Project team for the administration of an European Innovation Partnership Locally Led Scheme for the Conservation of the Hen Harrier. This scheme will offer a novel and complementary approach to the action-based approach which has been adopted for the broader GLAS scheme. Once this team is in place the Scheme will be opened to famers that have hen harrier designated land in any of the six Special Protection Areas that will be covered under the Scheme.
The person named has also been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015 and full payment has issued in respect of the 2015 Scheme year. Payment in respect of the 2016 scheme year is currently being processed and once the prepayment validations have been successfully completed, the first instalment due will issue to the person named.
671. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of dredging works in Dingle harbour (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37581/16]
View answerDingle Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.
The possibility of a dredging project in Dingle has been mooted for some time and in that regard my Department had previously carried out investigations in relation to dredging the main navigation channel into Dingle Harbour.
I am happy to advise the Deputy that funding of €1.225 million was made available for new capital works and the maintenance of Dingle Fishery Harbour Centre during 2016. Of importance in the context of a possible future dredging project at Dingle is the allocation of €500,000 for preparatory elements required before such project could commence.
To progress this, my Department engaged the services of a consultancy firm with expertise in civil and marine engineering earlier this year. The objective was to prepare a preliminary report, detailed design and tender documentation for the Dredging of Navigation Channel at Dingle. Part of that process included a geotechnical site investigation and a vessel simulation study, together with environmental studies and archaeological studies.
The Consultant's report is currently being finalised, however my Department's engineers are moving ahead with the preparation of application documents for the necessary statutory consents required before any project can proceed.
The Deputy should note however, that as with all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, a possible future dredging project at Dingle FHC will be considered under future Capital Programmes on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing priorities.
