Tuesday, 24 Oct 2017

Written Answers Nos. 291-303

Agriculture Scheme Applications

Questions (291)

Barry Cowen

Question:

291. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44803/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application under the 2017 Basic Payment (BPS) and Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 18 April 2017. Processing of this application is now completed and payment under both BPS and ANC has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Greyhound Industry

Questions (292)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Question:

292. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that will be spent on welfare related issues in view of the fact that €16 million was provided to the Irish Greyhound Board in budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44834/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

State funding to the horse and greyhound racing industries is provided through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund. Monies are disbursed from this fund in the ratio of 80% to Horse Racing Ireland and 20% to Bord na gCon.

While the issue raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon, I have been informed that Bord na gCon recognises that the welfare of the greyhound is paramount and it adopts the best identified practices to ensure that the highest welfare standards are achieved both in the treatment of greyhounds but also ensuring safe surfaces where these animals run.

During 2016 circa €1.8m was incurred by Bord na gCon in support of regulatory and welfare efforts. Bord na gCon will continue to enhance all aspects of greyhound welfare and ensure that the highest standards of performance and consistency are delivered when formulating strategy and appropriate policies.

A full-time Veterinary Director is now employed by Bord na gCon to further develop and strengthen its integrity functions particularly in the areas of doping and medication control and in the welfare of greyhounds.

As reported on the Bord na gCon website www.igb.ie during 2016, Bord na gCon through its Welfare Officers, conducted 571 kennel inspections resulting in 22 sanctions being imposed. Bord na gCon will provide additional financial resources towards a number of welfare related projects in 2018 and it is anticipated that there will also be additional financial resources directed towards the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust Fund. The resources of the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust, which is jointly funded by Bord na gCon and contributions from owners, are primarily focused on the preparation of greyhounds for rehoming, including transportation to the various European and U.S. rehoming agencies along with providing assistance to private greyhound rehoming agencies.

During 2016 the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust was successful in securing homes for 891 retired greyhounds with 374 of these greyhounds rehomed through private rehoming agencies assisted by the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust.

Agriculture Schemes

Questions (293)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

293. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding land designation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44904/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I would like to clarify at the outset that my Department has no role in the designation of lands.  That function is exercised through the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.  The question of compensation for designation does not arise, therefore, in the context of any schemes or measures introduced by my Department. That is entirely a matter for the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to decide upon.

That said, many of these designations are for species or habitats whose conservation is encouraged under various schemes operated by my Department, such as GLAS, the Burren Programme or some of the newer locally led schemes being rolled out at present.  This is the case for the Hen Harrier where affected farmers can attract payments of up to €7,000 per annum under GLAS. The new Locally Led Hen Harrier Programme will also reward participating farmers working to save this endangered bird. 

However, all such schemes operated by my Department are aimed at active farmers and therefore the landowner mentioned in this case is not, unfortunately, eligible or indeed equipped to participate in the type of conservation work envisaged.

Fish Farming

Questions (294)

Clare Daly

Question:

294. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the organic label awarded to salmon farms has been damaged in view of ongoing investigations by his Department into breaches of licence conditions by a company (details supplied) across a range of sites. [44925/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

At the request of my Department, the relevant Organic Control Body undertook a comprehensive audit of all sites operated by the company named.  I can confirm that the outcome of these audits indicate that the company named is compliant with the rules governing the organic sector. I am satisfied therefore that the integrity of the organic label is protected. As with the performance of all operators, my Department will be keeping the matter under close review to ensure that the highest standards are maintained.

Aquaculture Licence Appeals

Questions (295)

Clare Daly

Question:

295. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his attention was drawn to a major disease outbreak at a site (details supplied) in Bantry Bay, County Cork; and the reason this information was not made available to the aquaculture licence appeals board oral hearing in September 2017. [44926/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board hearing took place in Bantry on 19th and 20th September, 2017.

As the Deputy is aware, on 21st September my Department received an inquiry from Inland Fisheries Ireland concerning large quantities of dead fish at the site referred to by the Deputy. Subsequent inquiries by my Department’s Marine Engineering Division indicated that substantial mortalities had occurred.

Aquaculture Licences

Questions (296)

Clare Daly

Question:

296. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 422 of 26 September 2017, his views on whether the number of licence approvals by his Department relative to licence refusals demonstrates further the in-built prodevelopment bias in the licensing regime at the expense of environmental concerns. [44927/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

All applications for aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and (in the case of marine aquaculture) the 1933 Foreshore Act. The assessment process takes full account of all National and EU legislative requirements and reflects the full scientific, environmental, legal, public policy and engineering aspects of each application.

Fish Farming

Questions (297)

Clare Daly

Question:

297. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 424 of 26 September 2017, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that salmon farms which are the subject of numerous investigations by his Department for breaches of licence conditions are included by his Department in the Origin Green promotion; and if the problem of illegal salmon farm activity reflects the situation in the food production sector in general. [44928/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

As I indicated in my reply to parliamentary question number 424 of 26 September 2017, Origin Green members are required to be authorised by the relevant competent authority, and must confirm that they are compliant with the key food safety and environmental regulations governing their sector.  Operational matters in relation to Origin Green are a matter for Bord Bia. For further information on Origin Green the Deputy is referred to the agreed Oireachtas contact address [e-mail].

Young Farmers Scheme

Questions (298)

Willie Penrose

Question:

298. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has been refused the young farmer entitlements and benefits, and additional entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44932/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named submitted an application to my Department under the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme.  This scheme provides for a payment to successful applicants per eligible activated payment entitlement, subject to a maximum of 50 entitlements.  The person named did not submit an application under the 2017 National Reserve.  The National Reserve provides for an allocation of payment entitlement at national average value on land for which the applicant holds no entitlements and/or a top-up to the value of existing entitlements held where such entitlements have a value below the National Reserve national average.

 Under the EU Regulations governing the operation of the Young Farmers Scheme, a young farmer is defined as a person under 40 years of age in the year of submission of their first application under the Basic Payment Scheme, and who is setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the Basic Payment Scheme application.

Records held by my Department show that the person named was allocated a herd number separate to the one shown above on the 10th June 2002 and there was farming activity carried out by the person named under this separate herd number following its allocation to him in 2002.  On that basis the person named is deemed to have commenced agricultural activity more than five years prior to the submission of his first application under the Basic Payment Scheme.  The person named was notified of this decision in writing on 28th September 2017 and was offered the opportunity to appeal this decision within 14 days.  To date there is no record of such an appeal having been received by my Department.

Among the eligibility criteria to qualify for the 60% grant rate in the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS II, an applicant must meet the requirements of set-up for the first time within five years of the date of receipt of an application under this scheme and be not more than 40 years of age.  No application has been submitted by the person named under any of the TAMS II schemes to date.

Agriculture Scheme Appeals

Questions (299)

Tom Neville

Question:

299. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made on an appeal relating to an agriculture scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44958/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Agriculture Appeals Office has confirmed that an appeal was received from the person named and that a decision letter regarding the appeal issued to the appellant on the 19th October 2017.

Coillte Teoranta Activities

Questions (300)

John Brassil

Question:

300. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the development of Coillte walking and cycling trails in the Clydagh Valley and in the south County Kerry area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44968/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Coillte 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 Coillte is Ireland’s largest provider of outdoor recreation with 12 forest parks, 290 recreation sites and more than 3,000 kilometres of waymarked trails nationwide.  The company added that it published, in 2012, an ‘Off-road Cycling Strategy’ that sets out the criteria for selecting suitable sites for off-road cycling and how those sites could be developed and managed in the future.

I am advised that one of the candidate sites identified as having potential for mountain bike trails was Rossacroo forest close to Killarney, but that, upon examination in 2016, this site was deemed unsuitable as it is constrained by environmental designations.  The company add that a further two sites were assessed in the South Kerry area but did not reach minimum criteria for scale and access to meet the criteria, set out in the Strategy.  The company advise, however, that there are many recreation sites available for walking in South Kerry and that, in its view, additional sites are not necessary to meet demand or projected demand at this time. I understand that information on all recreation sites is available at www.coillte.ie.

Fishing Industry Data

Questions (301)

Pat Casey

Question:

301. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of fishing boats decommissioned from 2008 to 2014; the reasons for the decommissioning; the length and tonnage of each fishing boat; the sectors they fished; the cost per boat to decommission; the amount of money given to each owner to decommission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44973/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I have asked my Department to compile the information requested by the Deputy and this will be forwarded to the Deputy at the earliest possible date.

Flood Relief Schemes

Questions (302)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

302. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if compensation is available for a person who spent €17,000 on remedial work on their land following damages caused by flooding of the River Slaney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44998/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1995 provide the Office of Public Works with powers for drainage and improvement of agricultural land and the undertaking of localised flood defence schemes to reduce flood risk in urban areas. The Arterial Drainage Acts and SI 122 of 2010 Regulations also introduced OPW consent requirements for the creation and modification of watercourses, embankments, weirs and bridges. As such, any request for funding to assist in remedial works following flooding should be made to the Office of Public Works. 

Broadband Service Provision

Questions (303)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

303. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that broadband is being rolled out in an area and that a school (details supplied) is not benefiting from this roll-out. [44571/17]

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I refer to my reply to Questions 457 and 459 of 17 October 2017.    

In that reply I advised the Deputy that the school referenced falls within an AMBER area on my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map available at www.broadband.gov.ie and is now part of my Department's ongoing procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network for those areas that will not be served by commercial operators.

By way of additional information, my Department's specialist National Broadband Plan (NBP) team are now engaged in evaluating the ‘Detailed Solutions’ received from the two bidders as part of that competitive procurement process, with the expectation that every early in 2018, bidders will be invited to submit final tenders.

With regard to the deployment of broadband infrastructure close to the referenced premises, decisions to invest in network upgrades or the timing of providing public access to such upgrades are commercial decisions and not one in which I have a role.