Written Answers Nos. 480-500
480. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for delays in GLAS and beef genomics scheme payments; the number of persons affected by these delays in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3960/18]
View answerGLAS payments cannot issue until all regulatory requirements are met. Each GLAS payment claim must be put through a suite of checks for each action and where any individual check fails the issues must be investigated and resolved before being cleared for payment.
2017 advance payments commenced on schedule in November 2017 and to date the Department has issued advance payments to 41,676 farmers totalling €149m. This represents over 90% of all eligible farmers. GLAS pay-runs are continuing on a weekly basis with further payments scheduled to issue this week as cases are cleared for payment.
In addition to the checks outlined above, in approximately 3,000 cases, applicants remain ineligible for payment until they complete the steps they must take before the Department can process their payment. The general issues preventing payments taking place include the non-submission of nutrient management plans, commonage management plans, low emission slurry spreading forms, rare breeds forms and 2017 BPS application issues that remain to be resolved.
Details of GLAS payments to Donegal applicants as follows
|
GLAS 1 |
GLAS 2 |
GLAS 3 |
|||||||
|
County |
Cases |
Advance |
Advance Not Paid |
Cases |
Advance |
Advance Not Paid |
Cases |
Advance |
Advance Not Paid |
|
Donegal |
1,934 |
1,690 |
244 |
1,002 |
842 |
160 |
1,410 |
1,191 |
219 |
Payments have not yet issued to 192 herds in Donegal under the Beef Data and Genomics
Programme (BDGP) for a number of reasons. The reasons include participants who sought to change their reference year from 2014 to 2017 and which can only be finalised in the coming weeks, herds who have not yet completed all of the actions required under the BDGP and some inspection cases. Payments will continue to issue as cases are finalised and compliance achieved by applicants.
481. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of new forestry that were planted in County Leitrim in each of the years 2013 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3968/18]
View answerMy Department publishes annual afforestation statistics, which are available on its website. Those statistics include the area planted on a county basis for each year. A breakdown in hectares for Co. Leitrim is indicated in the table below, for 2013 to 2017.
|
Year |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Leitrim |
356.02 |
271.91 |
512.90 |
433.78 |
536.22 |
482. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the refusal to grant a farm payment to a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3972/18]
View answerThe application from the person named under the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme was reviewed and has now been approved.
The person named has been notified in writing and payment under the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme will issue in the coming days.
483. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to relax the rules for persons who have applied for GLAS that have the low emission slurry spreading as their option in view of the wet weather since July 2017 resulting in land being waterlogged. [3973/18]
View answerThe GLAS requirements for each action are applied nationally and apply to all participants.
An application for force majeure can be made on a case by case basis where due to weather it was not possible to access land to comply with the low emission slurry spreading action. Any such application should show that there was adequate storage capacity for the slurry produced on the farm for the period or alternatively that slurry was exported.
484. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of payments for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3977/18]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2016. All 2016 payments have been made for this case.
During the processing of the 2017 advance payment an issue arose regarding the Rare Breeds action. This matter has now been resolved. The claim will now be run through the validation checks. Once all checks are cleared the 2017 advance payment will issue.
GLAS payments are issuing on a weekly basis.
486. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there have been discussions at the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council on the need to have fertiliser costs reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3989/18]
View answerI 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 billion 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.
I have long believed that the elimination of fertiliser tariffs and anti-dumping duties is something that could help farmers reduce their input costs and this is something that I have actively pursued at Agri Fish Council in 2016 and 2017, both with the Commission and in consultation with my Council colleagues.
At the Agri Fish Council in June 2017, I asked the Commission to address the significant overpricing of fertilisers in the EU brought about by the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports.
In that context, in August 2017 the Commission gave notice of its intention to conduct a partial interim review of the anti dumping measures applicable to imports of ammonium nitrate originating in Russia. It is expected that this review will be completed in late 2018 as per European Commission notification (2017/C271/07).
I should point out, however, that member States are not ad idem on this point, and that while Commissioner Hogan acknowledged the desirability of bringing about lower prices, he has also indicated that, despite considerable efforts on his part both with other Member States and internally within the Commission, consensus will be difficult to achieve.
487. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grants or subsidies are available to persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4004/18]
View answerIt is the legal responsibility of animal keepers/farmers to dispose of any fallen stock on farm by using the Fallen Animal Disposal System. Notification should be made to an approved animal collector promptly so that arrangements can be made for collection as soon as possible.
The TSE (Fallen Animal) Subsidy Scheme ensures primarily that fallen bovine animals over 48 months, which must be BSE-tested in accordance with EU legislation, are disposed of promptly to facilitate testing in compliance with animal and public health and environmental regulations. The scheme pays €30 to the animal collector as a subsidy towards the cost of collection and disposal of over-48 month bovines. The balance of the cost – up to a cap of €55 – is paid by the farmer to the animal collector.
No subsidy is paid to the animal collector for the collection of sheep, or for younger bovines, and their collection is a matter for commercial arrangement between the farmer and the animal collector.
The Scheme is an integral part of the infrastructure underpinning Ireland’s successful livestock and meat processing industries, which had an estimated combined export value of almost €3 billion in 2017.
488. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in processing an application for a GLAS payment by a person (details supplied); and if the process will be expedited. [4005/18]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015. Payments in relation to the 2015 scheme year have been made.
During the processing of the 2016 payments for this case an issue arose regarding the eligibility of two GLAS actions on the parcels of land concerned. In an effort to resolve the matter the applicant was contacted by the Department. A letter issued on November 23rd advising the applicant that the actions concerned would be withdrawn if the matter could not be resolved within 14 days and also advising of the right to appeal.
As there has been no further contact from the applicant the actions concerned have now been withdrawn and payment will use shortly for the balance of the 2016 payments due.
GLAS payments are issuing on a weekly basis.
489. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a recommendation (details supplied) as contained in the National Competitiveness Council report, Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2017; his plans to implement this policy recommendation, which he has statutory remit for; and the timeframe for implementation. [4058/18]
View answerLast week I welcomed the signing of the counter guarantee agreement with the European Investment Fund that will facilitate the launch of the “Brexit Loan Scheme”. The Scheme will provide affordable, flexible financing to Irish businesses currently impacted by Brexit, or those who will be in the future, and will make up to €300 million of working capital finance available. Given their unique exposure to the UK market, funding from my Department ensures that at least 40% of the fund will be available to food businesses; my Department is providing €9 million out of the total €23 million in public funding. The working capital finance will be easier to access, more competitively priced and at more favourable terms than current offerings. This will give Brexit-impacted businesses time and space to adapt and to grow into the future.
The Scheme was developed by my Department in cooperation with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), who will deliver the Scheme. SBCI expect to announce their commercial lending partners shortly following an "Open Call" published on 21 November 2017. That publication included the “Indicative Rules of the Brexit Loan Scheme” and “Scheme Eligibility Criteria”.
Following the completion of administrative arrangements between SBCI and the commercial lending partners, I will be in a position to launch the new Scheme with my colleague the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
490. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the spaces that will be available from 1 February 2018 on ferries for live exports in comparison with 1 February 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4076/18]
View answerShipping companies engaged in roll-on roll-off transport endeavour to assist all Irish export businesses including livestock exporters. The number of berths maintained by shipping companies is a commercial matter for the companies themselves. Officials of my Department have been working closely with the shipping companies in recent months to ensure that the greatest facilitation possible is afforded to livestock exporters in the important Spring period.
491. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal under the beef data and genomics programme by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4101/18]
View answerThe Beef Data and Genomics Programme provides 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.
Under the Terms and Conditions of the BDGP, calves must be five months old before data is recorded to ensure the reliability of the data. In this case one animal was sold before it was 5 months old and consequently a reduction in payment of €29.69 was applied.
The person named subsequently sought a review of this decision. Following the review the decision was upheld and the person named has now utilised their right to appeal the matter further to the independent Agricultural Appeals Office.
492. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding Ireland’s nitrates derogation, which seeks to ensure that 50% of slurries be spread before mid-June; if his Department has examined alternative timeframes to ensure that weather unpredictability does not create undue hardship for farmers in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4186/18]
View answerIn December 2017, Ireland secured a renewal of our nitrates derogation for the period 2018 – 2021 on the basis of strengthened water protection measures. This contrasts with other EU member states which have had severe difficulties in negotiating successful renewals of their derogations.
The achievement of securing the renewal of the derogation is a significant milestone in the context of an expanding dairy herd and increasing milk production. While there are some additional stipulations attached to the derogation, these are the outcome of year long negotiations with the Commission and two separate public consultations. It was important when seeking the renewal that Ireland demonstrated commitment to tackling agricultural impacts on water.
The measures in Ireland’s derogation take account of the growing numbers of derogation farmers who are farming at intensive stocking rates, and also environmental objectives for water, climate change and ammonia which Ireland must achieve. Furthermore, opportunities for large savings on farms through better grassland management and improved timing and application of fertiliser have been taken into account.
Agriculture is responsible for 98% of ammonia emissions and, under the National Emissions Ceiling Directive, Ireland must reduce these emissions by 5%, by 2030 compared to 2005. Research has shown that ammonia losses from slurry are significantly reduced by slurry application in the springtime and also by using low emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment. Consequently the timeframes for slurry application stipulated in this measure will be effective in reducing ammonia losses. The new measure will assist farmers to deliver their production targets, reduce their greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions and reduce the risk of runoff to water quality.
In order to help farmers with the purchase of LESS equipment, support is provided under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme known as TAMS II is, subject to the terms and conditions of the Scheme, at a general grant rate of 40% rising to 60% for qualifying Young Farmers. The maximum amount of investment eligible for grant aid under the LESS measure is generally €40,000 per holding. It is also worth noting that the investment ceiling under this measure is, uniquely among all TAMS II measures, not subject to the overall TAMS II investment ceiling of €80,000 per holding.
493. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase the level of support under the TAMS scheme to reflect the need for farmers in County Wexford to purchase low-emission slurry spreading technologies that meet the terms of Ireland’s nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4187/18]
View answerThe TAMS II Schemes have been very successful in terms of uptake with the number of applications to date exceeding 15,580 and approvals issued exceeding 12,670. All of these approvals represent committed expenditure under the TAMS II measure of the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020.
In the case of the LESS Scheme, 1,070 applications have been received and 905 approvals have issued. Of these approvals 35% amounting to 314 applicants have submitted a payment claim to date.
58 Wexford based applicants have applied for the LESS Scheme to date and 8 of these have submitted a payment claim and have been paid.
Support is already available under the existing TAMS II Scheme to all applicants who wish to apply for Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment and I encourage the submission of further applications until the Scheme closes for applications in December 2020. I also strongly encourage farmers to act on their existing approvals and draw down the funding available.
494. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ban the practice of fur farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4191/18]
View answerMy Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals under the European Communities (Welfare of Farmed Animals) Regulations, 2010(Statutory Instrument No 311/2010) and the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Irish fur farmers are, in this regard, subject to the same animal welfare legislation as other livestock farmers.
A review of all aspects of fur farming in Ireland was commissioned in November 2011. The Terms of Reference of the Review Group were:
(i) To review fur farming in Ireland taking into account existing legislative provisions for the licensing of mink farming;
(ii) To comment on the economic benefits of the sector;
(iii) To consider the effectiveness of existing welfare controls, and
(iv) To make appropriate recommendations
The Review Group invited submissions from the public and interested parties and considered over four hundred submissions which were received.
The Group concluded that it did not find the arguments in favour of banning the farming of fur animals in Ireland compelling and recommended that instead, fur farming be allowed continue under licence and subject to official control.
On foot of the Review Group’s deliberations, my Department introduced more rigorous controls on licence holders in the areas of animal welfare, animal accommodation, security and nutrient management. Licensees are subject to regular inspections, including unannounced inspections by Department officials.
In the circumstances, given the recommendations from the review group and in view of the enhanced controls being carried out by my Department, there are no plans to ban fur farming.
495. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount in tonnage of non-national beef which was processed and labelled as Irish here in 2016 and 2017 by county, in tabular form; the origin of this non-national beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4215/18]
View answerIn 2016 Ireland imported just over 29,000 tonnes of beef worth €110m. The overwhelming bulk of these imports came from the UK.
The latest CSO figures for 2017 available show that between January and October of last year, Ireland imported almost 24,000 tonnes of beef worth just under €89m.
This Department does not maintain records of the amount of beef which was used for further processing within Ireland before being sold or re-exported.
The FSAI is the body responsible for enforcement of regulations governing traceability, labelling and provision of food information to customers.
Additionally my Department has a permanent veterinary presence at all its approved slaughter plants. Controls at plants only engaged in secondary processing are carried out at a frequency based on an annual risk assessment. An annual audit of imported products is carried out in each Department-approved plant, including checks on physical identity, labelling and documentary checks for product originating in EU Member States and third countries. Labelling and documentary checks are routinely conducted by the Department in accordance with the relevant EU regulations.
My Department has found no cases or instances where non national beef was processed and labelled as Irish in 2016 and 2017.
The HSE has reported to FSAI that in 2016 Environmental Health Officers of the HSE carried out 2,782 assessments for compliance with the beef labelling legislation, S.I. 435 of 2000 as amended. These assessments were carried out as part of programmed inspections in meat retailers including butcher shops. The assessments covered labelling of carcase beef, packaged beef and non-packaged beef. The specific assessments carried out varied depending on the type of activities in the establishment inspected. FSAI has not yet received full figures for checks carried out in 2017.
In June 2016 FSAI took a successful prosecution against one wholesaler in relation to a number of offences related to breaches of food legislation. These included falsely declaring Irish origin for beef imported from other EU member states. The defendant was found guilty of all charges, fined a total of €16,000, with €10,000 as an agreed contribution to costs.
496. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for a national reserve for young farmers in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4321/18]
View answerThe position on the amount of available funding for a 2018 National Reserve is currently being finalised. This involves assessment of the funding that remains in the National Reserve fund following allocations to successful applicants under the 2017 National Reserve and also the proceeds from clawback on the sale of entitlements without land and the value of unused entitlements that revert to the National Reserve fund. It expected that a final decision on a National Reserve for 2018 will be taken shortly.
497. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a GLAS payment will issue to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in the payment issuing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4329/18]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017.
Validation checks must be passed on all actions on GLAS claims and all cases must clear these checks before payment can issue. Department officials are working proactively to complete these checks on all claims to allow for the issue of payments. Once this case clears validations the 2017 advance payment will be made. GLAS payments are issuing on a weekly basis.
498. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are concessions to the stocking density for ANC payment for cases in which tuberculosis has been identified and herds consequently depopulated and in which restocking is not practical due to the possibility of contracting the disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4362/18]
View answerTo qualify for the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme applicants must –
- Maintain a minimum stocking of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for 7 consecutive months.
- Maintain an annual average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare.
Applicants under the ANC scheme must own, possess, hold and maintain the livestock required to maintain the minimum stocking level - only certain types of livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and/or deer) are eligible for consideration under the scheme provided the relevant eligibility criteria are met.
There will be continued recognition of applicants who do not meet the minimum stocking requirement where particular circumstances arise and such cases are dealt with by the Department on its individual merits.
499. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a transfer of entitlements in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4403/18]
View answerA letter was issued by the Inheritance Enquiry Unit in my Department to the Legal Personal Representatives of the deceased in April 2017. This letter outlined procedures for the transfer of the herd number and entitlements of the deceased to the rightful beneficiary or to submit an application on the estate's behalf for 2017.
My Department has received no response to this letter. When the required testamentary documentation is received it will enable my Department to proceed with the transfer of the entitlements.
There has been no Transfer of Entitlements application submitted by the person named. Payments arising from the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme are due to the Estate of the deceased applicant.
The first named person above should contact the Inheritance Enquiry Unit in order to progress all outstanding issues. Contact details are as follows;
Inheritance Enquiry Unit
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Eircom Building
Knockmay Road
Portlaoise
E-mail – inheritance@agriculture.gov.ie
Phone Number – 0761-064428
500. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the public private partnerships his Department is currently engaged in; the name, cost and timeframe of each; the names of all private parties involved; the nature of each project in terms of design, build, maintain and so on, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4427/18]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department is not engaged in any public private partnerships.
