Robert Troy
Question:570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32324/17]
View answerGLAS Payments
Questions (570)
Written answers
The person named approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2016.
The person named has requested a reduction in the length of new hedgerow to be planted as set out in his commitments in his original application. This has resulted in the delay in issuing payment.
As stated in my reply to the Deputy on Tuesday last 4 July, my Department is actively working to resolve the issue with a view to further processing the application for payment at the earliest opportunity.
Brexit Issues
Questions (571)
Micheál Martin
Question:571. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the announcement by the British Government on accessing British waters as per the 1964 treaty, his views on the potential impact this will have on Ireland's fishing industry; if he and his departmental officials have met to discuss the issue; if he has sought a meeting with his British counterpart; the actions he will be taking to protect Ireland's fishing industry; the extra supports that will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32338/17]
View answerWritten answers
The action by the UK in announcing its withdrawal from the 1964 London Fisheries Convention was not unexpected. The UK Government had been intimating this decision for some time now. It is nonetheless unwelcome and unhelpful as it suggests a signal of the UK intent to take a hard line on fisheries in the context of Brexit.
There are no immediate direct impacts for the Irish fishing industry from this action as it will not take effect for two years. Any longer term impacts will only become clear in the overall context of the Brexit negotiations. It is the message of intent and the potential implications of that intent in the wider 12 to 200 mile zone that causes concern for the negotiations to come.
As Michel Barnier noted after the UK announcement, the decision to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention will not trigger any immediate change and he is focused on prioritising the fisheries interests of the EU 27.
This will not be a piecemeal negotiation with fisheries isolated from the wider negotiations on a post Brexit EU/UK relationship. There is a long way to go yet and nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed.
For this Government there are two clear objectives when it comes to fisheries and Brexit – the maintenance of our existing quota shares and our existing rights of access. These have, and will continue to be, my overriding priorities.
To achieve these objectives, we must have unity of purpose across the Member States directly concerned and across the fishing industry. Disunity will only strengthen those in the UK that seek to exclude all EU fleets.
I spoke with Secretary of State Michael Gove last week and stressed to him the importance of long established fishing patterns by the Irish fishing fleet and the importance of these being acknowledged and protected in the context of Brexit. I have previously discussed fisheries issues amongst other matters with his predecessor as Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, on two separate occasions. I have also discussed Fisheries, with a particular focus on the London Fishing Convention along with general access issues with Minister George Eustice during a meeting at the Luxembourg Agriculture Council on 3 April.
In terms of support for the sector, my Department’s €240 million EMFF Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector will assist the seafood sector to develop Brexit mitigation measures. The Programme provides €5 million to Bord Bia to supplement its normal seafood promotion work programme and this is allowing Bord Bia to have an Irish pavilion at many additional seafood trade fairs internationally. This can be expected to lead to new export markets for seafood enterprises, particularly in Asia, thus assisting the companies concerned in diversifying their market outlets.
Last October, as part of Budget 2017, I announced measures aimed at alleviating the pressures of income volatility and the potential impact of Brexit. These measures included an additional allocation of €1.6m in 2016 and €2m in 2017 to Bord Bia to ensure that they are in a position to provide Brexit-related supports to affected companies. I also provided for increased funding under the Rural Development Programme and Seafood Development Programme.
Earlier this year I awarded over €1.8 million in grants to 19 seafood enterprises under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector. The aim of these grants is to incentivise seafood innovation and new product development as a means of meeting the Brexit challenge.
As part of overall work on Brexit, my Department, in conjunction with Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, are currently modelling the potential impacts Brexit might have on the seafood trade under the different possible scenarios’. As part of this analysis, BIM are conducting a survey of seafood enterprises in Ireland to ascertain their dependence on trade directly with the UK and the use of the UK as a land bridge to continental markets.
I am working closely with our fishing industry and held a detailed public discussion with stakeholders just the other week in Galway. I will remain in close contact with fisheries stakeholders as the issues develop and work with them and my fellow fisheries Ministers in the EU to ensure that we are all fully prepared for what are likely to be extremely complex negotiations.
I strongly believe that a unified front on these matters is best for Ireland, the EU and the continued sustainability of our stocks.
GLAS Administration
Questions (572)
Niamh Smyth
Question:572. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a scheme (details supplied) will be open to applicants; the details in relation to this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32408/17]
View answerWritten answers
The second tranche of GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme closed for applications on 18 November 2016. The scheme is administered by The Heritage Council on behalf of my Department. A total of 93 applications were shortlisted for offers of grant aid.
It is planned to open a further tranche of this very successful scheme later this year for applications for works to be undertaken in 2018.
Brexit Issues
Questions (573, 574)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:573. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department or Bord Iascaigh Mhara completed an analysis on the effects of the fishing trade since the Brexit vote in June 2016; and the details of all such documents and publication dates. [32418/17]
View answerCharlie McConalogue
Question:574. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific EU Council of Fisheries ministers meetings at which he made the case for the need of a Brexit financial support package for fishermen during the UK’s two year exit phase from the EU and subsequent transition phase since taking office; the date of every such meeting at which this was raised, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32419/17]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 574 together.
Discussions on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy and its funding component have not yet commenced within the Council. The size and distribution of the future marine & fisheries budget will be determined as part of the process for agreeing the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the post-2020 period, discussions on which are not expected to commence until early 2018.
Given the significant contribution the UK makes to the EU budget, its departure from the EU will have implications for future spending decisions in what is already a very tight budgetary framework. The current European Maritime and Fisheries Fund amounts to €6.4 billion in total, and there may be pressure from some Member States to reduce this amount and to divert EU spending to other policy areas.
It is vitally important that a strong EMFF budget is maintained for the future of fishing and the seafood industry in Ireland and Europe. This is something that I will be actively pursuing at Council level when discussions on funding levels commence.
My Department’s €240 million EMFF Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector was launched in 2016. The Programme is implemented through 18 schemes, a number of which may directly assist the seafood sector to develop Brexit mitigation measures. The Programme provides €5 million to Bord Bia to supplement its normal seafood promotion work programme and this is allowing Bord Bia to have an Irish pavilion at many additional seafood trade fairs internationally. This can be expected to lead to new export markets for seafood enterprises, particularly in Asia, thus assisting the companies concerned in diversifying their market outlets.
Last October, as part of Budget 2017, I announced measures aimed at alleviating the pressures of income volatility and the potential impact of Brexit. These measures included an additional allocation of €1.6m in 2016 and €2m in 2017 to Bord Bia to ensure that they are in a position to provide Brexit-related supports to affected companies. I also provided for increased funding under the Rural Development Programme and Seafood Development Programme.
Earlier this year I awarded over €1.8 million in grants to 19 seafood enterprises under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector. The aim of these grants is to incentivise seafood innovation and new product development as a means of meeting the Brexit challenge.
As part of overall work on Brexit, my Department, in conjunction with Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, are currently modelling the potential impacts Brexit might have on the seafood trade under the different possible scenarios. As part of this analysis, BIM are conducting a survey of seafood enterprises in Ireland to ascertain their dependence on trade directly with the UK and the use of the UK as a land bridge to continental markets.
Brexit Staff
Questions (575)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:575. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff recruited since the Brexit referendum in June 2016 in all individual State agencies and bodies under his aegis including Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the National Milk Agency, Teagasc and the Marine Institute; the number of staff in each such agency and body recruited since 1 January 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32420/17]
View answerWritten answers
Staff hires within State agencies under my Department's auspices are a matter for the State Agencies themselves once they remain within their budget set in their Delegated Sanction.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (576)
John McGuinness
Question:576. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a payment has been issued to a person (details supplied) in relation to their 2015 and 2016 single farm payment. [32458/17]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the 2015 Basic Payment scheme was received from the person named on 13 April 2016, thus incurring a 100% late penalty as it was outside the timeframe allowed under the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme.
Following the submission of an appeal the late penalty was waived.
A review of the entitlement position is now underway. Following the conclusion of this review, the above named person will be notified by an official from my Department.
GLAS Payments
Questions (577)
John McGuinness
Question:577. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will be paid their entitlements under the GLAS scheme. [32460/17]
View answerWritten answers
The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of the 1 October 2015 and has received full payment in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue was identified with the Planting New Hedgerows and Traditional Orchards actions. Department officials contacted the person named directly to resolve the issues and the application is now being further processed for payment in respect of the 2016 scheme year.
Control of Horses
Questions (578)
John McGuinness
Question:578. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a system of licensing and regulating the use of horse drawn vehicles that would include an age restriction on those that operate horse drawn vehicles (details supplied). [32504/17]
View answerWritten answers
My colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport on 2 May 2017 (Parliamentary Question No. 1319) advised the Deputy that drivers of horse-drawn vehicles, like all vehicles used in a public places, are required to comply with road traffic legislation, and are responsible for behaving in a safe manner.
The Control of Horses Act 1996, enforced by Local Authorities includes provisions (Section 46 of Act) on the making of bye laws, concerning the protection of horses, persons and property. It is a matter for each Local Authority to determine the bye laws that are appropriate to its functional area. Section 20 of the Act includes provisions for Local Authorities to grant horse licences to horse owners entitling the owner to keep the horse in a control area and provision is made for the revocation or suspension of the licence if the holder is in breach of the Act. This section also includes a provision that a Local Authority shall not grant a horse licence to any person under the age of 16 years.
The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 regulates sale of animals to minors and makes it an offence to sell an animal to persons under the age of 16 years.
Brexit Issues
Questions (579)
Brendan Smith
Question:579. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to meet with the British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in relation to his recent announcement that Britain will withdraw from the London fisheries treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32535/17]
View answerWritten answers
The action by the UK in announcing its withdrawal from the 1964 London Fisheries Convention was not unexpected. The UK Government had been intimating this decision for some time now. It is nonetheless unwelcome and unhelpful as it suggests a signal of the UK intent to take a hard line on fisheries in the context of Brexit.
There are no immediate direct impacts for the Irish fishing industry from this action as it will not take effect for two years. Any longer term impacts will only become clear in the overall context of the Brexit negotiations. It is the message of intent and the potential implications of that intent in the wider 12 to 200 mile zone that causes concern for the negotiations to come.
The Convention deals primarily with the right of a number of countries to fish in each other's 6 to 12 mile fishing zones based on historic fishing activity. Most of these rights were later incorporated into the Common Fisheries Policy.
Under the Convention, the Irish fishing fleet has access to parts of the UK 6-12 mile zone while the UK fleet has similar access to parts of the Irish zone. The Irish fleet is not significantly dependant on this limited access. We do however catch significant quantities of fish in UK waters outside of the 12 mile zone.
As Michel Barnier noted after the UK announcement, the decision to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention will not trigger any immediate change and he is focused on prioritising the fisheries interests of the EU 27.
This will not be a piecemeal negotiation with fisheries isolated from the wider negotiations on a post Brexit EU/UK relationship. There is a long way to go yet and nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed.
For this Government there are two clear objectives when it comes to fisheries and Brexit – the maintenance of our existing quota shares and our existing rights of access. These have, and will continue to be, my overriding priority.
In theory, the UK could indeed restrict access to their waters and or seek to gain larger quota shares at the expense of others. However, that could only happen if the UK were content to ignore the potential repercussions that would certainly arise from the EU side.
To achieve these objectives, we must have unity of purpose across the Member States directly concerned and across the fishing industry. Disunity will only strengthen those in the UK that seek to exclude all EU fleets.
I spoke with Secretary of State Michael Gove last week and stressed to him the importance of long established fishing patterns by the Irish fishing fleet and the importance of these being acknowledged and protected in the context of Brexit. I have previously discussed fisheries issues amongst other matters with his predecessor as Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, on two separate occasions. I have also discussed Fisheries, with a particular focus on the London Fishing Convention along with general access issues with Minister George Eustice during a meeting at the Luxembourg Agriculture Council on the 3 April.
As the negotiations develop, unilateral sectoral announcements, like this one on the London Convention, will be dealt with, as this will be, within the Brexit negotiation process and there will be no room, or indeed intent, to address issues in isolation.
I am working closely with our fishing industry and held a detailed public discussion with stakeholders just the other week in Galway. I will remain in close contact with fisheries stakeholders as the issues develop and work with them and my fellow fisheries Ministers in the EU to ensure that we are all fully prepared for what are likely to be extremely complex negotiations.
I strongly believe that a unified front on these matters is best for Ireland, the EU and the continued sustainability of our stocks.
In conclusion, I would like to assure Deputy that I aim to ensure that fisheries are inextricably linked to overall trade discussions during the negotiations. I will also be unequivocal in opposing any dilution of our existing EU quota shares, including protecting the benefit to Ireland of the Hague Preferences, and any limitations on our existing rights of access.
Milk Prices
Questions (580)
Brendan Smith
Question:580. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are plans under consideration at European Union level in relation to the need to provide adequate market supports for the dairy sector to counter volatility resulting in poor milk prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32536/17]
View answerWritten answers
Whilst dairy markets are currently broadly stable, the Deputy will be aware that between mid 2014 and the end of 2016 dairy markets experienced significant difficulties. This was due to a combination of factors including increased global supply, the effects of the Russian ban on the import of EU agri-food products and reduced global demand, notably for dairy products in China.
During that phase of downward price volatility, the EU Commission, prompted by Ireland and other Member States, responded to these difficulties through the deployment of support measures. These measures included the extension and broadening of more ‘traditional’ support measures such as intervention and aids to private storage, as well as more flexible, targeted, direct aid allocated to Member States to spend in accordance with their national circumstances.
Ireland welcomed and used many of the options provided in the various packages. These included the private storage of dairy products, the buying of skimmed milk powder (SMP) into intervention and the payment of direct aid of €26.4 million to dairy producers. The advance payment of annual direct payments to all farmers was also a welcome provision of cash flow for farmers at a difficult time. In addition, a Milk Production Reduction Scheme allowed almost 44,000 farmers across the EU (circa 4,000 from Ireland) to agree voluntarily to reduce their milk production. These measures, taken as a whole represented significant market stabilising efforts.
Global supply and demand dynamics evolved more favourably as 2016 progressed with a better market environment emerging as a consequence. In spite of these signals of market recovery, the situation remains uncertain in particular product sectors, such as SMP. The long-term fundamentals of the global dairy market are strong. However it is necessary to be cognisant of the on-going challenge of price volatility, which will continue to be a feature of international markets. The CAP's Common Market Organisation Regulation provides for the full range of supports deployed in 2015 and early 2016. Dairy processors also have a significant role to play, with instruments such as fixed price and margin contracts a useful addition to the suite of public support measures that can be deployed to mitigate the impact of price volatility.
I will continue to work with industry, with other member states and with the EU Institutions to consider how we can refine and improve mechanisms to help farmers to cope with downward price cycles when they arise.