Written Answers Nos. 538-550
538. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the beef forum is due to meet next; and the number of meetings to date since the forum was established in tabular form. [53638/17]
View answerThe Beef Roundtable was established in April 2014 in order to bring all the relevant stakeholders together and to facilitate open discussion between industry and farming organisations on the strategic path for the beef sector over the coming years. The forum has been held on ten occasions, the last being held on the 12th July 2017. I will be holding the next meeting of the Roundtable in early 2018.
The information requested by the Deputy is listed in tabular form below.
|
Meeting Number |
Date |
|
First |
17/04/2014 |
|
Second |
03/06/2014 |
|
Third |
29/10/2014 |
|
Fourth |
12/11/2014 |
|
Fifth |
04/02/2015 |
|
Sixth |
21/07/2015 |
|
Seventh |
16/12/2015 |
|
Eight |
21/07/2016 |
|
Ninth |
17/11/2016 |
|
Tenth |
12/07/2017 |
539. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the dairy forum is due to meet next; and the number of meetings to date since the forum was established, in tabular form. [53639/17]
View answerIn 2015 my predecessor as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine established a Dairy Forum comprising relevant stakeholders to act as a vehicle for constructive engagement on issues of strategic importance to the dairy sector. This Forum has met on a number of occasions and has provided a useful platform for discussion on issues such as market developments, sustainability, animal health, milk quality, price volatility, and CAP policy.
My Department and I are committed to working with all players in the sector to address issues as they arise, to ensure that we have a sustainable dairy sector going forward. In this regard I will call a meeting of the Dairy Forum to discuss the relevant issues as they arise.
There have been 5 meetings of the Dairy Forum (see table below).
|
Dairy Forum |
|
25 September 2017 |
|
07 December 2016 |
|
21 June 2016 |
|
09 March 2016 |
|
29 September 2015 |
540. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the review of the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001; and if there is farmer representation on the review committee. [53640/17]
View answer568. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment to review the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001. [53979/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 540 and 568 together.
The Programme for Partnership Government provided for a review of the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001, to ensure the independence and efficiency of the office in dealing with appeals from farmers. In fulfilment of this undertaking, I established a Review Committee comprising three members, Niamh O’Donoghue, former Secretary General, Department of Social Protection (Chair), Padraig Gibbons, a farmer and former chairman of Aurivo Co-operative Society Limited and former President of the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), and Paud Evans, retired Principal Officer, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to carry out the review and furnish its Report to me by the end of this year.
In line with the Terms of Reference and following consultation with relevant stakeholders, the Review Committee will compile and furnish its Report, to include recommendations as regards the legislation governing and the future operation of the Agriculture Appeals Office, to me by the end of December 2017. Following receipt of the Report, I will consider its findings and any recommendations that the Review Committee may make.
541. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria for entry into category 1, 2 and 3 under the newly opened hen harrier scheme; when the first payments will issue for the scheme; the average estimated payment to participants; the budget allocated under the RDP 2014-20 to this scheme; and the amount of funds expended to date under the relevant RDP measure. [53642/17]
View answerAt the outset, I should stress that this is a locally led programme, which is not directly administered by my Department. The design and management of the programme are primarily matters for the local project team.
Information regarding the selection criteria and payments available to farmers can be found in the Terms and Conditions for the Programme. The Terms & Conditions can be obtained from the Hen Harrier project team and are also available on their website www.henharrierproject.ie.
As I have stated above, the management of the programme is undertaken by a local project team. Decisions on issues with regard to payment dates and payable amounts are matters for the local project team. However, funding for the Programme is provided through Ireland's Rural Development Plan and I have allocated a budget of €25 million for the Hen Harrier Programme.
542. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons enrolled in GLAS 1, 2 and 3 who have submitted their nutrient management plans to date; and the number per county who have not submitted their nutrient management plans to date. [53643/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular form below.
|
GLAS1 |
GLAS2 |
GLAS3 |
|||||||
|
COUNTY |
Active |
NMP |
No NMP |
Active |
NMP |
No NMP |
Active |
NMP |
No NMP |
|
Carlow |
281 |
256 |
25 |
129 |
107 |
22 |
126 |
5 |
121 |
|
Cavan |
910 |
875 |
35 |
433 |
414 |
19 |
543 |
25 |
518 |
|
Clare |
1,623 |
1,511 |
112 |
689 |
635 |
54 |
815 |
153 |
662 |
|
Cork |
2,169 |
2,037 |
132 |
1,005 |
905 |
100 |
947 |
15 |
932 |
|
Donegal |
1,944 |
1,887 |
57 |
1,005 |
940 |
65 |
1,411 |
141 |
1,270 |
|
Dublin |
62 |
57 |
5 |
17 |
17 |
0 |
20 |
1 |
19 |
|
Galway |
3,079 |
2,992 |
87 |
1,309 |
1,236 |
73 |
1,587 |
25 |
1,562 |
|
Kerry |
1,771 |
1,587 |
184 |
868 |
764 |
104 |
765 |
12 |
753 |
|
Kildare |
250 |
234 |
16 |
79 |
73 |
6 |
115 |
6 |
109 |
|
Kilkenny |
430 |
401 |
29 |
209 |
187 |
22 |
192 |
2 |
190 |
|
Laois |
372 |
364 |
8 |
193 |
184 |
9 |
236 |
15 |
221 |
|
Leitrim |
1,020 |
988 |
32 |
419 |
405 |
14 |
531 |
21 |
510 |
|
Limerick |
1,054 |
997 |
57 |
302 |
274 |
28 |
407 |
16 |
391 |
|
Longford |
511 |
498 |
13 |
345 |
320 |
25 |
330 |
4 |
326 |
|
Louth |
149 |
140 |
9 |
79 |
67 |
12 |
96 |
3 |
93 |
|
Mayo |
2,555 |
2,500 |
55 |
1,328 |
1,260 |
68 |
1,664 |
24 |
1,640 |
|
Meath |
424 |
377 |
47 |
201 |
172 |
29 |
255 |
3 |
252 |
|
Monaghan |
577 |
557 |
20 |
146 |
140 |
6 |
342 |
24 |
318 |
|
Offaly |
485 |
447 |
38 |
279 |
256 |
23 |
298 |
2 |
296 |
|
Roscommon |
1,527 |
1,481 |
46 |
553 |
528 |
25 |
719 |
18 |
701 |
|
Sligo |
944 |
909 |
35 |
363 |
334 |
29 |
493 |
11 |
482 |
|
Tipperary |
1,140 |
1,044 |
96 |
510 |
446 |
64 |
509 |
14 |
495 |
|
Waterford |
367 |
323 |
44 |
133 |
107 |
26 |
122 |
6 |
116 |
|
Westmeath |
645 |
619 |
26 |
264 |
235 |
29 |
282 |
8 |
274 |
|
Wexford |
777 |
732 |
45 |
265 |
239 |
26 |
303 |
8 |
295 |
|
Wicklow |
332 |
299 |
33 |
153 |
140 |
13 |
203 |
6 |
197 |
|
Totals |
25,398 |
24,112 |
1,286 |
11,276 |
10,385 |
891 |
13,311 |
568 |
12,743 |
543. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to make an amendment to the 2014-20 rural development programme to enable grant aid to the installation of anaerobic digesters on farms (details supplied). [53644/17]
View answerIreland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will deliver funding of some €4 billion to the agricultural sector and rural areas generally over the lifetime of the Programme. The Programme’s content and design was formulated in light of previous experience and performance and reflects the outcome of extensive stakeholder consultation and does not include support for anaerobic digestors on farms under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II (TAMS II).
TAMS II has been very successful to date in terms of uptake with the number of approvals that have issued exceeding 11,600. All of these approvals represent committed expenditure and until such time as these approvals are acted upon or expire the budget for TAMS must include provision for the potential expenditure involved.
Of the applications approved just over 3,000 payment claims have been received to date. Payment claims submitted continue to be paid on an ongoing basis. All participants who have completed approved works have been urged to submit their payment claims immediately to facilitate early payment. Until the approvals issued to applicants are acted upon and payment claims are submitted or expire without a payment claim being submitted the budgetary position is that additional investment items cannot be accommodated within the RDP budget.
Under the Rural Development Programme 2000-2006 a Pilot Waste Processing Facilities Scheme provided funding of €4 million in order to grant-aid the installation of anaerobic digestors on ten Irish farms (i.e. 10 x €400,000). Two projects were completed and a further two have been given extensions to undertake the work by mid 2018. Both projects will be nationally funded if completed.
On the broader issue of supporting renewable energy, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment leads in terms of Ireland’s renewable energy policy and oversees the Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These Schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. The schemes operate by guaranteeing a minimum price for renewable energy generation over a 15 year period. The technologies supported include onshore wind energy, hydroelectricity, landfill gas, waste-to-energy and biomass technologies, including anaerobic digestion. Electricity and heat produced from anaerobic digestion (AD) are supported under the REFIT 3 scheme.
The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is currently developing a Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which is being designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contributions out to 2030. The economic analysis to underpin this scheme included an appraisal of a broad range of renewable electricity generating technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, ocean energy technologies and bioenergy technologies including Anaerobic Digestion. This appraisal will ensure that the new scheme delivers value for money for energy users whilst also delivering on the energy pillars of sustainability and security of supply.
A public consultation on the RESS closed last month and whilst all submissions are currently being considered in informing the final design of the RESS, no final decisions have been made at this point as regards the technologies that will be supported.
544. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a voucher scheme for farmers who are running very low on fodder stocks; and his further plans to draw up a fodder aid fund. [53645/17]
View answerThe weather conditions over much of last Autumn were challenging for farmers and created difficulties for farmers particularly in the Western regions and on heavier land types.
Grass growth rates through the autumn were ahead of last year. However, the poor weather resulted in cattle being housed earlier than normal in places, particularly on the heavier soils; it also affected late cut silage making operations.
I have asked Teagasc to work locally in areas with fodder difficulties to support good budgeting of fodder supplies on farms for the winter.
Following my request, the European Commission agreed to my request for an advance payment of the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme. This has been prompted principally by the inclement weather conditions. This meant an increase from 50% to 70% in the rate for the BPS to those applicants whose applications were confirmed fully clear and 85% payment of our main Agri-environment scheme, GLAS. Issuing of these payments commenced after the 15th October.
Over €1.2 billion in payments has issued to farmers over recent weeks, something that has significantly improved cash flow on these farms.
In order to ensure a co-ordinated approach to addressing the issue of fodder availability on farms in the West and North-West, I recently convened a fodder group which is made up of all the main stakeholders including feed merchants and co-ops, banking, farm bodies etc. and the first meeting took place on Monday 11th December, chaired by Teagasc. The group's objective is to actively monitor the situation and to ensure co-ordinated expertise and guidance is available to all farmers impacted.
Arising from the meeting, Teagasc will begin a survey of fodder availability in the east and south of the country to ascertain what supplies are still available for purchase.
Exploring these avenues means my Department will be fully informed of the situation on the ground and the best possible advice will be provided to farmers re their options which may include sourcing alternative feed, reducing non breeding stock numbers and ensuring they carry out a fodder budget.
I will continue to actively monitor the situation in the impacted areas over the coming period.
545. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the individual allocation to AEOS, GLAS and organics under the €233.8 million announced for agri-environmental schemes in budget 2018. [53646/17]
View answerThe below table provides the individual allocations as requested. The €233.8m also includes locally led schemes approved under the RDP.
|
- |
2018 € |
|
AEOS |
6,000,000 |
|
GLAS |
203,000,000 |
|
OFS |
10,500,000 |
546. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the Exchequer funding given to the world food programme over the period 2010 to 2017; and the amount allocated in 2018. [53647/17]
View answerMy Department leads on Ireland’s engagement with the UN’s World Food Programme. The WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and is funded exclusively from voluntary contributions. It is responsible for the delivery of food assistance to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world and feeds 80 million of the most malnourished people in 80 countries.
In February 2016, Ireland signed its second Strategic Partnership Agreement with the World Food Programme. This agreement contained a commitment to double WFP core funding for 2016, 2017 and 2018 to €20m per year. The increased support for WFP was decided on by the Irish Government as part of its response to the current refugee crisis, including that arising from the conflict in Syria.
From 2010 to 2017 the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provided funding of €110.8m to the World Food Programme, as detailed in the table below.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2010 |
€9.96m |
|
2011 |
€9.96m |
|
2012 |
€9.96m |
|
2013 |
€10.96m |
|
2014 |
€9.96m |
|
2015 |
€20m |
|
2016 |
€40m |
|
2017 |
€14m |
The 2017 allocation includes an advance payment of the 2018 commitment under Ireland’s Strategic Partnership Agreement with WFP. This earlier disbursement is at the request of the World Food Programme’s Executive Director, who wrote to inform me that this funding will significantly contribute to enhance WFP's capability to plan its interventions and better address the several growing humanitarian crises around the world.
The funding, while generally targeted at WFP’s emergency and protracted relief operations, is provided on an un-earmarked basis which gives WFP the flexibility to plan and target this funding in the most strategic, efficient and effective manner.
Other Government Departments, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, also provide funding to the World Food Programme.
547. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of discussions with the European Commission to seek approval to revise the 20% rule under the forestry programme 2014-20. [53648/17]
View answerMy Department has been in ongoing contact with the European Commission to discuss proposals for removing the 20% rule over the last 12 months. An exchange of documents and further correspondence took place culminating in a further meeting on the 23rd November 2017. The Commission is reviewing the documents provided and a further meeting is due to take place later this month to discuss the matter further.
548. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who applied to the 2017 national reserve without having completed a green cert by the May 2017 deadline. [53649/17]
View answerSeventy applications were received under the 2017 National Reserve where the applicant had not completed an educational qualification at FETAC Level 6 or equivalent by the May 2017 deadline.
549. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications to the 2017 national reserve and young farmers scheme, by county, in tabular form. [53650/17]
View answerThe number of applications under the 2017 National Reserve and the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme, by county, is set out in the following table:
|
County |
2017 National Reserve applications |
2017 Young Farmers Scheme applications |
|
Carlow |
20 |
147 |
|
Cavan |
71 |
400 |
|
Clare |
55 |
398 |
|
Cork |
149 |
1116 |
|
Donegal |
50 |
421 |
|
Dublin |
6 |
42 |
|
Galway |
140 |
847 |
|
Kerry |
92 |
533 |
|
Kildare |
22 |
146 |
|
Kilkenny |
42 |
333 |
|
Laois |
43 |
300 |
|
Leitrim |
41 |
259 |
|
Limerick |
56 |
382 |
|
Longford |
19 |
154 |
|
Louth |
13 |
99 |
|
Mayo |
87 |
756 |
|
Meath |
43 |
270 |
|
Monaghan |
18 |
245 |
|
Offaly |
43 |
270 |
|
Roscommon |
53 |
371 |
|
Sligo |
55 |
236 |
|
Tipperary |
88 |
543 |
|
Waterford |
33 |
259 |
|
Westmeath |
31 |
203 |
|
Wexford |
42 |
388 |
|
Wicklow |
28 |
174 |
550. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the 2018 ANC scheme will open for applications; the estimated payment rates in view of the fact additional Exchequer funding has been allocated to the scheme; the latest date of the planned ANC review and timetable agreed at EU level; and the status of the progress of mapping for review. [53651/17]
View answerThe Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme is scheduled to open for applications in early February 2018.
Budget 2018 included an additional allocation of €25 million for the scheme in 2018. This is in keeping with provisions of the Programme for a Partnership Government. There are a number of options in relation to how any additional funding could be allocated under the ANC scheme. These options range from allocating the funds as a flat increase across the current payable rates, to various forms of targeting higher payment rates for particular categories of farmers. The options in this regard are currently being examined. Any changes to the Scheme on foot of this will require agreement with the EU Commission via a formal amendment of Ireland's Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020.
Under the Rural Development Regulation the ANC scheme is subject to redesignation using a set list of bio-physical criteria such as soil moisture, soil drainage, soil texture and slope. My Department has commenced work on the redesignation project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Department officials are in ongoing contact with the EU Commission in relation to technical issues arising. This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process.
It was originally intended that this new approach would be introduced from January 2018 but a proposal for a one year extension of this deadline is currently under consideration at EU level as part of a range of regulatory changes under what is termed the "Omnibus Proposal".
