Kevin O'Keeffe
Question:683. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application under a specific scheme has been accepted in respect of a person (details supplied). [11414/17]
View answerGLAS Applications
Questions (683)
Written answers
An application to the third Tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) for the person named was received in my Department on the 15 December 2016. The application is one of almost 14,000 applications submitted as part of this third Tranche of the GLAS scheme.
During the pre-approval validation checking process an issue was identified in relation to the Low-Input Permanent Pasture action. Department officials are examining this issue with a view to finalising the pre-approval validation process as soon as possible. The person named will be notified in writing of the outcome of their GLAS 3 application.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (684)
John Brady
Question:684. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount his Department spent on public relations consultants and all matters relating to public relations costs in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11422/17]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not employ External Public Relations firms. Public Relations advice is provided by my Department’s Press Office.
TAMS Administration
Questions (685)
Brendan Griffin
Question:685. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 508 of 7 February 2017, the progress that has been made on the upgrade of his Department's targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, information technology systems to allow the deletion of overclaims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11441/17]
View answerWritten answers
The facility for the correction of obvious errors on payment claims submitted to the TAMS II online payment system is currently undergoing final testing.
The work required to deal with over claims and resultant penalties is in progress.
Agriculture Industry
Questions (686)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:686. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, based on the latest information available, the annual amount of fertiliser used by farmers in County Donegal; the annual amount of animal feed used by primary producers in County Donegal; the annual amount of seed potatoes grown in county Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11454/17]
View answerWritten answers
My Department does not gather or collate information on the usage of either fertiliser or animal feed by primary producers/farmers on a county-by-county basis.
Rather my Department compiles information on the amount of compound animal feed produced on a national basis based on the annual production figures from all business operators involved in the manufacture of animal feed. Similarly, my Department collects data on the quantity of fertilisers sold on a quarterly basis through-out the year from fertiliser manufacturers/blenders.
With regard to seed potatoes, the total area of seed potatoes that was entered for certification in Donegal under the 2016 Seed Potato Certification Scheme was 53.06 hectares.
Organic Farming
Questions (687)
Clare Daly
Question:687. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 251 of 15 February 2017, his plans to investigate the organic status of the fish produced at those fish farms under investigation by his Department for overstocking. [11503/17]
View answerWritten answers
From an organic regulatory perspective, my Department has initiated an investigation into one such case. Pending completion of the investigations by my Department for overstocking in similar cases, the appropriate action will be decided on a case by case basis.
Departmental Functions
Questions (688)
Clare Daly
Question:688. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 250 of 15 February 2017, the way he can claim that his Department's regulatory function is separate from its industry development function when both functions operate within the fisheries and marine section of his Department. [11504/17]
View answerWritten answers
Parliamentary question no. 250 of 15 February 2015 asked which division of my department has responsibility for governance of the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
The answer provided was that the Sea-fisheries Policy and Management Division of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine has responsibility for oversight of Corporate Governance of the Marine Institute & The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
The Marine Institute and the SFPA operate completely in accordance with the legislation under which they were established. My Department equally operates completely within its responsibilities under law. If the Deputy thinks otherwise I will, of course, address any query she may have.
Aquaculture Licence Data
Questions (689)
Clare Daly
Question:689. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his decision not to revoke the aquaculture licence held by a company (details supplied) for its Lough Altan site in view of the serious commercial consequences for the company and in order to provide a proportionate response from his Department, the specific sections of the 1997 Act that allowed these considerations to inform his decision. [11505/17]
View answerWritten answers
The decision not to revoke the aquaculture licence in the case referred to by the Deputy was taken in accordance with Section 68 of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and followed detailed examination of the key issues of the case.
Aquaculture Licence Data
Questions (690)
Clare Daly
Question:690. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to his decision not to revoke the aquaculture licence held by a company (details supplied) for its Inishfarnard site in view of the fact his Department cannot provide a definition of a smolt, if all smolt licences issued by his Department are now void. [11506/17]
View answerWritten answers
Applications for aquaculture licences are assessed under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act which provides for extensive consultation with stakeholders and also a period of general public consultation. Licence decisions in each case are made following detailed advice from my Department’s scientific and technical advisers.
An appropriate amendment in the case of Inishfarnard is, as previously advised under consideration by my Department at present.
GLAS Payments
Questions (691)
Lisa Chambers
Question:691. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, payments to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11521/17]
View answerWritten answers
The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full entitlements in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue presented on the computerised
crosscheck of Department databases. Department officials are actively working to resolve this issue with a view to further processing the application for the 2016 payment as soon as possible.
GLAS Payments
Questions (692)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:692. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11526/17]
View answerWritten answers
The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received a first payment instalment in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
During the 2015 balancing prepayment checking process an issue presented on the computerised crosscheck of Department databases. Department officials are actively working to resolve this issue with a view to further processing the application for the 2015 balancing payment as soon as possible.
Following the issue of payment in respect of the 2015 scheme year, the 2016 scheme year payment will be processed.
Construction Industry
Questions (693)
Joan Burton
Question:693. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of construction inflation that has been experienced by his Department in each of the past six years and to date in 2017 in respect of construction projects and other capital projects; the way in which he monitors construction inflation and the mechanisms he employs to establish this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11529/17]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is responsible for the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Ros an Mhíl and Killybegs. This Department is also responsible for North Harbour at Cape Clear Island and for maintaining a range of piers, lights and beacons around the coast in accordance with the 1902 ex-congested Districts Board Piers, Lights and Beacons Act. The Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme which the Department administers on an annual basis provides for works relating to the maintenance and development of the above located harbour infrastructure.
From 2011 to 2016 the Department has invested €52.8m in capital developments on this marine infrastructure. See the following table for details.
|
YEAR |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
Total |
|
EXPENDITURE €m |
8.1 |
4.4 |
5.7 |
6.6 |
15.7 |
12.3 |
52.8 |
Capital works and works related services, are generally commissioned by means of an open competitive tendering process achieving best value for money based on prevailing market rates.
Other construction related services and materials are acquired having first considered what is available under the Office of Government Procurement Framework.
My Department is informed in its’ management functions by the relevant bodies who monitor inflationary impacts on construction projects.
Grant aid for capital work on farms usually involves construction of farm buildings. On-farm investment schemes such as Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) are designed so that the construction work is paid for by the applicant and the Department then pays the applicant the appropriate level of aid. The Department operates a system of reference costs for farm construction to deal with construction inflation. Reference costs for various types of building work are set periodically by the Department and these act as a cap on the amount of grant aid payable. Reference costs are published by the Department and are freely available to applicants and builders. They are reviewed periodically.
Question No. 694 answered with Question No. 677.
Beef Data and Genomics Programme
Questions (695)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:695. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a reply, as promised in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 226 of 9 February 2017, will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11558/17]
View answerWritten answers
The previous parliamentary question from the Deputy had sought costings on the approximate additional annual increase in funding needed for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme if compensation were to be fixed at €200 for the first 10 animals, first 20 animals and first 30 animals in each participating herd (and the balance at the current rate of €80). This data has now been compiled by my Department and is set out in the table.
At current participation rates of 24,500 herds, the additional cost in each of the above scenarios is set out in the following table.
|
Payment Rate |
Additional cost per annum |
|
€200 for first ten animals in each herd with the balance at €80 |
€23m |
|
€200 for first 20 twenty animals with the balance at €80 |
€40m |
|
€200 for first thirty animals in the herd with the balance at €80 |
€49.1m |
It must be remembered of course that compensation is only payable on the basis of costs incurred or income foregone. It would therefore not be possible to increase the level of funding without requiring farmers to undertake additional actions which would increase the burden on the farmer, necessitate an amendment to Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and require additional national funding to be made available. In addition the above figures only cover existing participating herds and do not cover any new entrants to a revised scheme.
Agrifood Sector
Questions (696)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:696. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will immediately implement recommendation 21 and review Food Wise 2025 following the publication of the all-party report by the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the effect of Brexit on Irish agriculture and fisheries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11559/17]
View answerWritten answers
Food Wise 2025, the ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July 2015 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.
If these recommendations are implemented, the expert committee which drew up the Food Wise 2025 Strategy believed that ambitious growth projections were achievable by 2025; including
- increasing the value of agri-food exports by 85% to €19 billion; and
- the creation of 23,000 additional jobs in the agri-food sector, all along the supply chain from primary production to high value added product development.
With regard to the Oireachtas Committee’s recommendation to review the strategy in the light of Brexit, it is important to understand that Food Wise 2025 is a living and evolving strategy. I chair quarterly meetings of the High Level Implementation Committee (HLIC), with high level representatives from all the relevant Departments and State agencies. The committee reviews progress on detailed actions on a quarterly basis, in order to identify and solve problems quickly. Brexit has now been included as a standard item on the agenda of each meeting of the HLIC. It is clear that driving the implementation of the Food Wise recommendations, particularly those related to market development, competitiveness and innovation, will assume even greater importance in the light of the UK decision.
Beef Data and Genomics Programme
Questions (697)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:697. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional actions required by participants if current funding levels were increased over the amount that has been ring-fenced for the 2014-2020 rural development programme window under the beef data and genomics programme in order to increase payment rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11560/17]
View answerWritten answers
The BDGP was agreed with the Commission as part of Ireland’s RDP (2014-2020) alongside a number of other schemes such as ANCs, GLAS and TAMS, which also benefit suckler farmers. I am very conscious of the positive effect that the programme is having on the Irish suckler herd. It will help to improve productivity, profitability and carbon efficiency in the national herd.
The BDGP was introduced under Article 28 (Agri-Environment Climate measures) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for rural development. Any actions paid under this measure can only be paid, in accordance with the regulation, on agri-environment climate commitments. Furthermore payments may only be paid on the basis of income foregone or costs incurred.
As can be seen from the foregoing it is not simply a matter of saying that farmers would have to complete action X or action Y if the current funding levels for the BDGP were increased over the amount which has been ringfenced for the 2014-2020 RDP window under the BDGP to increase payment rates. Any additional actions which participants would be required to undertake would have to be designed taking into account both their environmental impact the costs incurred or income foregone as a result of carrying out those actions.
In relation to any possible reopening of the scheme, this is currently being considered in the context of an assessment of budgetary priorities, the operation of the RDP and the potential impact upon the scheme itself and other schemes. Even if it were possible to reallocate resources from within the RDP, any increase in the level of payment to scheme participants would require the Department to submit an amendment of the RDP to the Commission, and an evaluation and approval by the relevant Directorates General.
The Department will continue to keep expenditure under the RDP under review on an ongoing basis. As with all such programmes, there are inevitably issues of timing around the scheduling of payments. Savings in one year do not necessarily imply savings over the lifetime of the programme.
The suckler sector is a vital component of Ireland’s rural economy and the provision of support for the suckler sector is critically important. The range of supports as currently configured represents a balance between direct income support for the sector and rural development measures designed to improve its competitiveness and sustainability. I believe that it is entirely appropriate to maintain this balance of developmental and income supports into the future.