Pat Breen
Question:229. Deputy Pat Breen 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. [13392/18]
View answerAgriculture Scheme Applications
Questions (229)
Written answers
The person named submitted a 2017 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 4 May 2017. Under the Terms and Conditions of these schemes, an applicant, as well as meeting the scheme criteria, must comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance.
The person named was selected for a Full Cross Compliance inspection which was undertaken on 12 December 2017. During the course of this inspection a non-compliance with the requirements of GAEC Standard 7 relating to Landscape Features was determined. This resulted in a 5% cross compliance penalty being applied against the 2017 Direct Payments Schemes.
The person named was notified of the final outcome of the inspection, which took account of representations made on behalf of the person named, on 31 January 2018. The person named was also informed of the right to seek a review of this decision. My Department has no record of a further request for a review being submitted by the person named to date.
In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of any such review the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (230)
Michael Collins
Question:230. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to reintroduce the farmers retirement scheme. [13395/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Early Retirement Scheme was suspended in 2008. It was reopened briefly in September 2009, with limited additional funding, to accommodate farmers who had applications completed or close to completion at the time of suspension. I can confirm that as there is no funding available for a new Early Retirement Scheme at this time, I have no plans to re-open this scheme or introduce another similar scheme.
In recent years the priority of my Department has shifted to the encouragement of generational change for farmers. There are a range of supports in place including specific agri-taxation measures to incentivise this generational change. These agri-taxation measures specifically aimed at young farmers include 100% stock relief on income tax for certain young trained farmers and stamp duty exemption on transfers of land to young trained farmers.
Under the 2014 - 2020 Rural Development Programme there is also enhanced capital investment scheme for young trained farmers. This new Scheme provides grant aid at a rate of 60% of the cost of the investment, compared to the standard grant rate of 40%, and I believe it is an important support and encouragement to young farmers starting in agriculture for the first time.
GLAS Payments
Questions (231)
Brendan Smith
Question:231. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the balancing payments in respect of GLAS will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13513/18]
View answerWritten answers
It is anticipated that GLAS balancing payments will commence in May 2018.
GLAS Data
Questions (232)
Brendan Smith
Question:232. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of GLAS applicants in County Cavan awaiting the balancing payment; when same will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13514/18]
View answerWritten answers
1,771 GLAS participants in County Cavan have received their 2017 advance and are eligible for a balancing payment. A further 101 County Cavan cases have not cleared the validations for advance payment. These cases continue to be processed including where issues are resolved through the submission of outstanding documentation by the participants concerned. Payments continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases are cleared.
It is anticipated that balancing payments will commence in May 2018.
GLAS Data
Questions (233)
Brendan Smith
Question:233. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of GLAS applicants in County Monaghan awaiting the balancing payment; when same will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13515/18]
View answerWritten answers
1,010 GLAS participants in County Monaghan have received their 2017 advance and are eligible for a balancing payment. A further 48 County Monaghan cases have not cleared the required validations for advance payment. These cases continue to be processed including where issues are resolved through the submission of outstanding documentation by the participants concerned. Payments continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases are cleared.
It is anticipated that balancing payments will commence in May 2018.
Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group
Questions (234, 235, 236, 238, 239, 240)
Timmy Dooley
Question:234. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 83 of 14 February 2018, if he will publish the results of the full four months of price monitoring that his Department's household waste collection price monitoring group has collated. [13247/18]
View answerTimmy Dooley
Question:235. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 83 of 14 February 2018, the point at which his Department will be satisfied that a waste regulator is needed; and if his Department has set out clear criteria that if satisfied will warrant the establishment of a waste regulator. [13248/18]
View answer
John Curran
Question:236. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will take to ensure that a sustainable recycling culture remains here in view of the recent announcement from one waste management provider to introduce charges on the green recycling bin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13250/18]
View answerJohn Curran
Question:238. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to ensure that Ireland can become self sufficient in waste management of recyclable goods in view of China no longer receiving recyclable waste for processing from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13252/18]
View answerJohn Curran
Question:239. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to further encourage or incentivise customers to separate waste appropriately to prevent further price hikes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13253/18]
View answerJohn Curran
Question:240. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason the household waste collection price monitoring group does not publish its findings for each of the individual waste collection companies that it monitors; his views on whether this is satisfactory in the interest of openness and transparency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13254/18]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 to 236, inclusive, and 238 to 240, inclusive, together.
The charges applied by waste management companies are matters for those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
Notwithstanding the above, I established a Household Waste Collection Price Monitoring Group (PMG) last year to monitor pricing developments for household waste collection services during the phasing out of flat rate fees. The PMG has met each month since September 2017 and has considered six months of pricing data trends. The PMG has indicated that, in the vast majority of cases to date, prices have remained stable. Detailed data on the price offerings for the three months December, January and February is available on www.dccae.gov.ie
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) is also currently conducting a separate study on the operation of the household waste collection market which it will complete in 2018.
The results from the PMG are being monitored, and in conjunction with the study being undertaken by the CCPC, will provide an evidence base for future decisions in relation to the need for further regulation of the waste market.
In terms of environmental requirements, the charges applied should encourage householders to divert waste from the residual or general waste bin. For example, it would be expected that charges for the general waste bin would be higher than charges, if any, applied to the recycle bin.
The Government has funded a range of measures to support better recycling and reduce contamination of waste in an effort to improve quality - which will in turn facilitate the development of indigenous recycling - including:
- a national, standardised list of items that can go into the recycle bin has been established, which is available at http://recyclinglistireland.ie/;
- this standardised list has been supported by a public education campaign run by the regional waste management authorities, comprising radio advertisements, social media, billboards/posters, etc., to promote the new list; and,
- a ‘master recycling’ programme, also run by the regional waste management authorities, in partnership with environmental NGOs, to roll out 650 workshops across the country training recycling ambassadors to bring the recycling message and understanding to a wide variety of communities;
Almost all paper and plastic packaging is governed by EU internal market and packaging legislation. In that context, as Minister, I have called on the European Union to urgently consider collectively banning single-use plastic items on foot of the EU Plastic Strategy to further protect the environment and to help alleviate the impact of the decision by China to restrict its intake of recyclable waste.
In addition, I have also provided Government funding to support and encourage better separation of waste through a number of initiatives such as:
- the Stop Food Waste programme www.stopfoodwaste.ie, which is implemented under the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Waste Prevention Programme and is aimed at both householders and businesses, providing comprehensive information about the food that is wasted and how to prevent this, and,
- the development of a website www.brownbin.ie to provide the public with the information required to use the organic bin appropriately, including advice on the optimal methods for effective collection and storage of food waste.
Waste Disposal Charges
Questions (237)
John Curran
Question:237. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he is taking to reduce packaging at household level in order to reduce further increases in charges on householders in view of the recently introduced charges for recyclable waste by one waste management provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13251/18]
View answerWritten answers
Almost all paper and plastic packaging is governed by EU internal market and packaging legislation. In that context, as Minister, I have called on the European Union to urgently consider collectively banning single-use plastic items on foot of the EU Plastic Strategy to further protect the environment and to help alleviate the impact of the decision by China to restrict its intake of recyclable waste.
The EU Packaging Directive is transposed in Ireland by the European Union (Packaging) Regulations 2014. Under the EU Packaging Directive, Member States cannot impede the placing on the market of packaging which is fit for purpose.
Repak is the approved producer responsibility compliance scheme for packaging in Ireland and is tasked with meeting recovery and recycling targets established under the EU Packaging Directive. Repak charges fees to its members in accordance with the amount and type of packaging they place on the Irish market. These fees are used to subsidise the collection and recovery of waste packaging through registered recovery operators across Ireland.
Repak members pay fees based on the amount of packaging they place on the market; this incentivises them to reduce packaging where possible and in so doing to reduce their fees. To assist members to optimise their packaging, Repak employ packaging technologists who work with their member companies.
A lot of work is being done by Repak members to prevent and minimise the amount of packaging they require. However it should also be noted that packaging is there for a reason and sometimes even a small decrease in packaging leads to a large amount of product waste and as a result there is no net reduction in resources used. This is a particular concern for retailers as they try to minimise food and other product waste at their stores.
Questions Nos. 238 to 240, inclusive, answered with Question No. 234.