Written Answers Nos. 1368-1387
1368. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the latest publication by the EU Commission notice of initiation of a partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of ammonium nitrate originating in Russia. [38478/17]
View answerI welcome the European Commission’s notice of initiation to conduct a partial interim review of the anti dumping measures applicable to imports of ammonium nitrate originating in Russia. I have raised the issue of anti dumping duties on imports of fertiliser from Russia a number of times at the Council of Agriculture Ministers, most recently at the meeting of Agriculture Ministers held in Luxembourg in June 2017.
I am acutely aware that fertiliser is a major input cost on farms. Indeed Eurostat estimates that fertiliser is the third most important expenditure item on EU farms, accounting for €19.2 billon of input costs in 2014. In terms of Irish farms, the Central Statistics Office 2016 final estimates of Output, Input and Income in Agriculture identifies fertiliser expenditure at €508 million in 2016.
The anti-dumping duties on Russian fertiliser imports range from €32.83 per tonne to €47.07 per tonne of ammonium nitrate with Nitrogen being the main nutrient used in Ireland relative to Phosphorus or Potassium.
As highlighted, I have raised the issue of anti dumping tariffs on fertiliser imports at Council on a number of occasions, because they impose a significant additional cost on Irish farmers. While the issue has proven quite intractable, because Member States have differing views on the matter, I am pleased that the Commission has announced its intention to conduct this review.
1369. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of Exchequer funding allocated and expended under the emergency flood relief scheme 2015 to 2016. [38480/17]
View answerIn response to the flooding in December 2015 and January 2016, my Department put in place a range of supports for farmers in the areas most affected. As part of this response, a fund of up to €2 million was allocated to cover the associated expenditure for interventions such as the Emergency Flood Relief Measure, the Fodder Aid Scheme and the Emergency Animal Welfare support. From this allocation, €97,909 was paid to applicants under the Emergency Flood Relief Scheme.
1370. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the allocation for farm safety initiatives in each of the years 2011 to 2016 in tabular form. [38486/17]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine supports the work of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) who have primary responsibility for Health and Safety on farms. As such, any allocations by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) are additional to those spent by the HSA.
The figures given relate to allocations for schemes that include significant farm safety elements.
|
Year |
Allocation |
|
2011 |
€1.7m |
|
2012 |
€3.1m |
|
2013 |
€0.5m |
|
2014 |
€2.0m |
|
2015 |
€16.2m |
|
2016 |
€20.62m |
DAFM, in conjunction with the HSA, is focused on changing farmer behaviour in relation to Health and Safety. Research (commissioned by the HSA) has shown that behavioural change is the key to reducing the level of accidents both fatal and non-fatal, on farms. The same research showed that farmers are generally aware of the risks, however, there were problems with farmers implementing basic safety measures.
1371. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the allocation for promoting Irish food abroad by Bord Bia in each of the years 2011 to 2016; and the allocation for 2017 in tabular form. [38487/17]
View answerMy Department provides an annual grant to Bord Bia to carry its role to promote, assist and develop the marketing of Irish food, livestock and horticulture at home and abroad; to develop potential markets; to collect market intelligence, provide advice on trends and opportunities, to engage in promotion and quality assurance schemes, and to administer schemes, grants, and other financial facilities including EU funding.
The Estimates for Vote 30 Agriculture, Food and the Marine show expenditure allocations for Bord Bia.
Marketing and Promotional Expenditure
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
24,596 |
24,529 |
23,957 |
25,558 |
27,288 |
28,773 |
36,282 |
These Programmes together with the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme, the Food Dudes Healthy Eating Initiative, pay and cost of funding Bord Bia main office and 13 offices abroad are funded by Department grant, statutory levies and industry contributions.
Marketing and promotional activities are reported on in detail in the Bord Bia Annual Reports.
1372. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the allocation for promoting Irish seafood abroad by Bord Bia in each of the years 2011 to 2016; and the allocation for 2017 in tabular form. [38488/17]
View answerMy Department provides an annual grant to Bord Bia to carry out its role to promote, assist and develop the marketing of Irish food, livestock and horticulture at home and abroad; to develop potential markets; to collect market intelligence, provide advice on trends and opportunities, to engage in promotion and quality assurance schemes, and to administer schemes, grants, and other financial facilities including EU funding. This includes the promotion of Irish seafood exports.
The Estimates for Vote 30 Agriculture, Food and the Marine show expenditure allocations for Bord Bia. Marketing and promotional activities are reported on in detail in the Bord Bia Annual Reports.
|
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
€000 |
24,596 |
24,529 |
23,957 |
25,558 |
27,288 |
28,773 |
36,282 |
In relation to the years 2016 and 2017, additional funding above the Vote 30 expenditure was provided by my Department under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme 2014-2020. This was co-funded by the Exchequer and EU.
|
Year
|
EMFF Funding € |
|
|
2016 |
833,000 |
Actual expenditure |
|
2017 |
833,000 |
Allocation |
1373. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of an enhanced sheep welfare scheme that would include additional environmental and climate change measures resulting in an increased payment of €5 per ewe in circumstances in which such actions were undertaken. [38489/17]
View answerThe Sheep Welfare Scheme was introduced under the Rural Development Program to contribute to the continued development of animal and health welfare in the sheep sector. The current Sheep Welfare Scheme is based on a menu of actions for farmers where a farmer picks two actions according to their flock and they can receive payment of €10 per breeding ewe.
To introduce new actions and increase payments by €5 per ewe would thus increase the annual cost of the scheme by 50%. Given the number of eligible ewes currently in the scheme, the estimated yearly cost of a scheme with such new measures would be €30 million.
Under the Rural Development Programme payments across schemes are made in recognition of income foregone and costs incurred in undertaking the agreed actions and the payments are agreed with the EU Commission on the basis of costings on this basis. Thus, any such new actions and costs would require the agreement of the EU Commission via the formal RDP amendment process.
1374. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of increasing funding for the beef data genomics programme to allocate an additional €10, €20, €30, €40 and €50 per suckler cow. [38490/17]
View answerThe BDGP is the main support for the suckler sector and provides farmers with some €300 million of funding over the next six years. I will support this programme through the lifetime of the current RDP. However, any increase in the payment under the BDGP would require approval from the EU Commission.
The estimated cost of funding the BDGP to allocate monies per suckler cow as requested are outlined based on current reference number of 545,469 cows in BDGP I and BDGP II is as follows:
€10 = €5,454,690
€20 = €10,909,380
€30 = €16,364,070
€40 = €21,818,760
€50 = € 27,273,450
This would be very difficult in the context of an innovative scheme which has undergone an approval process only recently. Even if such approval was forthcoming, it would require farmers to undertake additional actions to justify any additional payment, making the scheme more complex and compliance more difficult.
On April 13, I announced that the BDGP will be reopened to beef suckler farmers who are not already part of the scheme. This scheme (BDGP II) will provide for six years of payments to farmers for completion of actions which deliver accelerated genetic improvement in the Irish national herd and improvement of its environmental sustainability.
Payment rates and actions for participants in BDGP II will be the same as those in the original scheme, with the exception that the training and carbon navigator actions must be completed by 31st October 2017.
1375. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of the implementation of recommendation 10 of the independent aquaculture licence review report. [38491/17]
View answerMy Department is currently in the process of preparing an Implementation/Prioritisation Plan in respect of the recommendations set out in the Review of the Aquaculture Licensing Process. Pending completion of this process it is not possible to quantify the resources necessary for implementation.
1376. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of establishing and running a new department within the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission that would perform the function of a regulator to deal with allegations of price fixing in the sale of meat and other agricultural produce (details supplied). [38493/17]
View answerThe Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is within the remit of the Department of Business, Jobs and Innovation, which has indicated that any information on allegations of price fixing should be referred directly to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which is the independent statutory authority responsible for the enforcement of national and European competition law in the State.
1377. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the safeguards he envisages being put in place to maintain Common Agricultural Policy payments to persons when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38516/17]
View answerI support the retention of a strong and well funded CAP and my position on this matter has been articulated at official and political level and is well understood in other Member States and in the European Commission. I will continue to work hard with my European colleagues to ensure that the CAP receives the maximum level of available funding post 2020. As regards the UK’s departure from the EU in March 2019, when the two year negotiating period expires, it is important to note that the amount of CAP funding per Member State under Pillar 1, direct payments, and Pillar 2, rural development, is fixed until 2020 in Regulations of the Council and European Parliament.
1378. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cause of deaths of three swans recently on the River Barrow at Bagenalstown, County Carlow, based on the post mortem examination results. [38524/17]
View answerAn adult swan taken from the river Barrow which was in a good state of preservation was the subject of a post mortem investigation by Kilkenny Regional Veterinary Laboratory. While findings as to the cause of death were inconclusive, Avian flu and poisoning were investigated and ruled out. There was evidence of parasitism in the swan submitted which may have contributed to death.
1379. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a targeted agricultural modernisation scheme payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38541/17]
View answerThe applicant in question submitted an application under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme of TAMS II on 8 June 2017. A letter of approval issued to the applicant on the 7th of September 2017. No claim for payment has been received as yet.
1380. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the cost of the health and safety inspection for privately owned sprayers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38544/17]
View answerThe Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive establishes a framework for community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides. It sets minimum rules for the use of pesticides in the Community, so as to reduce the risks to human health and the environment and also promotes the use of integrated pest management.
Implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive relies heavily on both the training of the various people involved at all levels of the industry, and also on the testing programme that has been introduced for all pesticide application equipment.
The need for appropriate training and the requirement for the testing of all pesticide application equipment must be viewed in the context of protecting both human health (operators, bystanders and consumers) and the environment (in particular, by maintaining the high quality of one of our most valuable resources, our water).
The testing of pesticide application equipment must be carried out by a trained and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine-registered Equipment Inspector. The time taken to complete individual inspections will vary depending on the size of the sprayer and therefore farmers who have smaller sprayers will find that this will be reflected in the inspection cost. Each Equipment Inspector operates independently and as a commercial entity, he/she will have his/her own costing structure, my Department does not set any guidelines for charges.
The mandatory maintenance of pesticide application equipment up to the standard required is not only very desirable from a good practice perspective, but it is also very cost effective from the point of view of the farmer by ensuring that the application equipment is applying the correct amount of product and spraying it in an accurate manner.
1381. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided in his Department's Estimates for 2017 for the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme; the expenditure to date; the projected expenditure by the end of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38548/17]
View answerThe funding in this year's estimate for TAMS is €50m. Expenditure to date is €18.3m and since the beginning of August my Department has been making payments at rate of over €1m per week on average. The utilisation of the budget will be dependent on claims submitted by approved applicants and I would urge applicants to submit their payment applications as soon as possible.
1382. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role of Coillte in the visitors' centre proposed by South Dublin County Council in the Dublin mountains at the Hell Fire Club; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38591/17]
View answerCoillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of their forest estate, are the responsibility of the company.
The matter was, however, raised with Coillte who advise that the company is facilitating a proposal by South Dublin County Council to develop the Dublin Mountains Visitor Centre, a new “gateway” to the Dublin Mountains located at the combined Massy’s Wood and Montpelier Hill incorporating the Hell Fire Club site. Coillte advise that these lands are owned by Coillte.
Coillte added that the visitor centre will comprise a dedicated interpretative exhibition and educational facility as well as a café and shop, a rambler’s lounge and toilets and that there will be enhanced access to the site with increased car parking and public transport, road improvements and the construction of a new footpath to the site. The company also advise that the proposal will deliver improved quality and quantity of walks and trails for people of all ages and abilities incorporating a tree-top walkway/bridge from Montpelier Hill into Massy’s Wood, and provides for the enhancement of the mountain landscape around the visitor centre by replacing large areas of commercial coniferous forest on the eastern slopes of Montpelier Hill with broad-leaved woodland and predominantly indigenous native species.
1383. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that has been sought and allocated to projects by Teagasc in Dublin South-West in each of the years 2011 to 2016, and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38592/17]
View answerI can confirm that Teagasc has no research facilities in Dublin South West, has not sought or been allocated any funding in respect of projects in Dublin South West for each of the years mentioned.
1384. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons actively engaged in farming activity in Dublin South-West; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38593/17]
View answerThe CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is the official source of employment statistics in the State. However, although sectoral figures are available, the QNHS is not sufficiently detailed geographically to provide the number of persons actively engaged in farming activity in Dublin south west.
The CSO’s Census 2016 new Geohive Open Data site, however, is a collaboration between that body and Ordnance Survey Ireland, which maps Census of Population 2016 data across a variety of administrative spatial divisions, one of which is electoral constituency.
The data in respect of Dublin South-West indicates that 98 people stated that Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing was their main occupation in April 2016. It should be noted that employment numbers may vary between different data sources, depending on the definition of employment used.
1385. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is possible under the rural development programme to have both a suckler cow welfare scheme and an agri-environmental beef scheme in operation. [38601/17]
View answerSupports for the suckler sector, or indeed any other sector, need to be considered in the overall context of Ireland’s current Rural Development Programme (RDP), taking account of our current budgetary commitments under the programme.
While it may be technically possible to provide assistance to the suckler cow sector through a suckler welfare cow scheme in addition to the agri-environment beef scheme which is currently provided through the BDGP, any such assistance could only be funded on the basis of costs incurred and income foregone, and would have to be funded from within the RDP envelope. It would also require a significant amendment to that RDP and would of course be subject to approval of the European Commission.
The Rural Development Programme already provides significant support for the Suckler sector.
Through Pillar II of the CAP, €300 million of funding over a six year period has been targeted at the Irish suckler herd through the Bovine Data Genomics Programme (BDGP). In response to significant demand, earlier this year I reopened the BDGP programme for new entrants, reflecting the success of this programme, which targets improving both the environmental footprint and also the profitability of the suckler herd through improving the genetic merit in participating herds. The effects of improving the genetic merit of the herds are cumulative and permanent. It is my belief that this type of scheme which sees the application of leading scientific technology applied in a practical manner at farm level is the most appropriate means of providing support to the suckler sector.
While BDGP is the main support, there are a range of further supports provided to suckler farmers under the RDP such as Knowledge Transfer Groups, GLAS, TAMS and supports to ANCs.
1387. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Ireland has formally applied to the European Commission for a Brexit financial support package for farmers during the UK’s two-year exit phase from the EU and subsequent transition phase, including under Article 219 of the Common Market Organisation regulation; if an application has been made to the European Commission for a fund to protect producers impacted by the fall in value of sterling whose produce is exported to the UK market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38603/17]
View answerI am very much aware of the significant challenges Brexit poses for Ireland’s agri-food sector, in particular our beef and mushroom sectors, both of whom have been recently adversely affected due to the fall in value of sterling and given their high dependence on the UK market.
My Department, in conjunction with the Government, has been actively engaged in developing responses to help mitigate Brexit's more immediate effects, particularly those associated with the sterling/euro exchange rate with many of the responses in place to date emanating from last year’s Budget.
In this regard, my Department has submitted a formal request to the European Commission for approval to increase the advance payment rate percentage under Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 to 70% and 85% respectively, as one response to the destabilising impact Brexit is having on farm incomes.
In addition, I am considering a number of other possible measures and have had preliminary discussions with the Commission and a number of other member states in this regard.
