Written Answers Nos. 465-484
465. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the work of a cross-Departmental group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9911/20]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the management of aquaculture and associated foreshore licensing functions in Lough Foyle gives rise to legal and jurisdictional complexities. Negotiations regarding the jurisdiction of the Lough Foyle area are, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
My Department organises and participates in an inter-departmental working group which is pursuing a way forward in terms of the future management of aquaculture and associated foreshore activities in Lough Foyle.
My Department will prepare and forward a briefing note on the matter to the Deputy within 10 days.
466. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a resolution will be found to a situation (details supplied) regarding the greyhound industry in County Tipperary; if an independent mediator will be appointed to review the historic debt and find a resolution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9932/20]
View answerBord 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.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon and therefore the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
467. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made on an application for a felling licence by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9937/20]
View answerAn application for a tree felling licence was received from the person named in June, 2019. Every application for a forestry licence must undergo careful assessment for the potential effects the proposed operations may have on their own or in combination with other plans or projects in the area.
The Deputy will be aware that my Department made changes to the assessment procedures used when examining all forestry licence applications. These changes were introduced in response to important Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decisions and their subsequent interpretation by the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC). These findings meant that, in order to grant licences which fully meet environmental requirements, fundamental changes to the licensing system were unavoidable. These changes, which are substantial, have led to delays in processing applications. My Department has devoted considerable time and energy to introducing a robust and workable system and is now recruiting significant extra resources, both ecologists and forestry inspectors, to address the backlog.
On initial examination of this particular application, it was determined that 15 designated sites were proximate to the tree felling site. The possibility that the proposed tree felling may have an impact on any one of these sites cannot yet be excluded. Therefore, officials of my Department will complete the Appropriate Assessment report and determination. It is also open to the person named to have a Natura Impact Statement completed by a suitably qualified person at their own expense and submit it for review by my Department’s Ecology Unit which can considerably speed up consideration of the file.
Once the assessment of the application is complete, the forestry inspector will make their recommendations, which will form the decision on the application. The decision will be issued to the person named and any person who made a submission on the application. The decision may be appealed to the Forestry Appeals Committee within 28 days.
468. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of runners, greyhounds injured, greyhounds that died or were put to sleep and the causes of the injuries and deaths in each greyhound track, from 1 January 2019 to date by month in tabular form. [9943/20]
View answerBord 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.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon and therefore the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
469. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the €3.6 billion of imports of prepared consumer foods referred to in the trade factsheet on page 11 of the 2018 annual report of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9944/20]
View answerData on agri-food sector trade is broken down into 26 categories identified and agreed by my Department and the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Products and Raw Goods are categorised using combined nomenclature (CN) codes, a European harmonised system used to classify goods for customs and trade reasons. These categories include non-edible agri-food items such as Forestry and Animal Hides and Skins, along with traditional food and beverage products.
Prepared Consumer Foods (PCF), a subset of agri-food, are value-added food and beverage products, excluding alcohol beverages, which sell both domestically and internationally to retail, food service or other food companies. These goods are categorised into 15 areas identified and agreed by industry stakeholders, my Department and the CSO.
The PCF sector accounted for over €2.6 billion in agri-food sector exports in 2018, and €3.6 billion in imports. PCF exports in 2019 were €2.7 billion, while imports totalled nearly €3.8 billion.
The table attached below gives a breakdown of PCF exports and imports for 2018 and 2019. The figures have been updated in line with the latest available datasets.
Chapter 6 of my Department's Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 2019 (https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/agri-foodindustry/agri-foodandtheeconomy/economicpublications/aro2019/) provides more detailed data on Ireland's agri-food and PCF trade.
470. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason trotting racing will not resume on the same day as thoroughbred racing behind closed doors (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9954/20]
View answerOn the 1st May 2020, the Taoiseach set out a roadmap for easing the Covid-19 restrictions, which began on Monday 18th May. The Government plans to reopen the economy and society in a slow and phased manner. The roadmap was updated on 5th June, and now sets out the four stages for unlocking restrictions.
When announcing the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, the Government expressed a willingness to engage and consult with sectors on possible changes to the timings. A limited number of alterations to the plan have been made for specific sectors such as thoroughbred horse racing and greyhound racing based on detailed protocols put forward and agreed to by the relevant authorities.
I can confirm that Harness Racing is scheduled to recommence in Phase 3 of the Government's plan, on the 29th June 2020. This is in line with other sports that can operate "behind closed doors", where arrangements can be put in place to maintain social distancing. This decision has been taken bearing in mind at all times the pre-eminence of the protection of public health.
471. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if assurances will be provided to the organisers of pigeon racing that birds from Northern Ireland can be transported here for the purposes of racing; and the point of contact in his Department for queries on this matter. [9966/20]
View answer473. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if pigeon racing can resume in phase 2 under the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business; and if trainers from Northern Ireland can transport pigeons here to be released in races. [10012/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 473 together.
Government advice for Phase 2 of the Covid-19 Roadmap for reopening is that people may travel within their own county, or up to 20km from their homes if crossing county boundaries. Organised outdoor exercise, and sporting, culture or social activities of up to 15 people may take place.
In relation to the transport of homing pigeons from Northern Ireland, if the transport relates to an economic activity (i.e. sale or change of ownership of the pigeons), the transporter must abide by the requirements set out in Council Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport. Regulation 1/2005 do not apply if the transport is connected to participation in shows etc.
Further information is available on my Department's website: https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animaltransport/.
There are no health certification requirements in relation to movement of pigeons within the EU for racing purposes. However, a consignment must be accompanied by an owner declaration confirming the pigeons are free from paramyxo virus.
If you require further information on the movement of pigeons, please contact my Department at livetrade@agriculture.gov.ie.
472. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons that availed of and the costs incurred by his Department regarding the cycle to work scheme since it was introduced to date by year and cost in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9975/20]
View answerThe Cycle to Work Scheme is a tax incentive scheme to encourage employees to cycle to their place of employment. Under the scheme, an employer can pay for a new bicycle (including bicycle accessories) and the employee then repays the cost in regular instalments from their gross salary.
As such, there are no costs to my Department, as the monies are fully recouped from the employee over a 12-month period.
The table below shows the number of staff, by year, from my Department who have availed of the scheme:
|
Year |
Number of Staff |
|
2009 |
79 |
|
2010 |
140 |
|
2011 |
207 |
|
2012 |
219 |
|
2013 |
95 |
|
2014 |
105 |
|
2015 |
95 |
|
2016 |
118 |
|
2017 |
103 |
|
2018 |
76 |
|
2019 |
81 |
|
2020 (to date) |
25 |
474. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure that projects that have commenced and are continuing to progress will be given a deadline extension for a reasonable amount of time further to the changes made in relation to TAMS projects deadlines on 1 April 2020 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10041/20]
View answerFlexibility has been provided by my Department on completion deadlines for the suite of TAMS II measures. On 1 April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a three month extension on all projects due to completed (or approvals due to expire) between 1 March and 1 July 2020.
As the situation evolves, my Department is continuing to monitor the situation and will implement further changes if and when they are needed.
475. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a series of matters in relation to recent gorse fires during the June 2020 bank holiday weekend (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10058/20]
View answerMy Department issued a Condition Red Forest Fire Danger Notice on 28 May ahead of the extreme fire weather risk phase that occurred between 29 May 29 and 1 June. The issue of a Condition Red Notice is a comparatively rare occurrence and outlines the level of risk involved and specifies measures that may need to be taken in response to this. A high state of readiness existed following the issue of this warning, which was widely reported in the media.
The fire Danger Notice contained a reminder to the public to remain within 5km of their homes when exercising and to adhere to the regulations introduced to limit the spread of Covid-19. The notice also contained a request for forest visitors to park considerately near site entrances so as not to impede emergency service access to forest roads.
The parking of vehicles or obstruction of public roads are matters for An Garda Síochána and the relevant Local Authority. Neither my Department nor Coillte have enforcement powers in relation to this. However, Coillte works closely with An Garda Síochána to ensure that vital access routes remain clear.
My Department is aware of the recent fires during the period of the June Bank Holiday weekend and has been monitoring the situation with regard to impacts on forest lands. There were a number of fires on Coillte lands in Laois, Galway, Mayo and Leitrim with significant outbreaks occurring in Kildare and Louth. In all cases, Coillte staff and its contractors worked with emergency services – particularly Fire Services – Local Authorities and local people to contain dangerous forest fires, to protect our forest estate and to prevent the spread of fire from the forest to nearby residences and businesses.
Coillte takes fire management on its forest estate extremely seriously. Coillte has 85 dedicated and fully trained fire management staff who are available continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the fire season to coordinate and fight forest fires. Coillte also has a full range of fire-fighting equipment constantly prepared for fire outbreak. In addition, Coillte has two helicopters on contract, fully equipped with fire-fighting equipment, available for use at all times. Coillte has been very active on national media, local media and on social media, promoting the message of fire awareness and prevention including the need to keep forest entrances clear and not to block access roads to our forests. The last point applies at all times, not just during periods of high fire risk.
In view of the present prolonged period of dry weather, high temperatures and strong winds, the risk of further fire outbreaks remains across the country. Coillte will continue to promote fire awareness and prevention and my Department will continue to issue forest fire warnings where appropriate.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the various Fire Service, Coillte workers and Defence Forces personnel who have been involved in the sustained response to these fires in recent weeks. These fires present an enormous and additional challenge at a time when services and communities are already under serious pressure, and I commend the work of all those who have been involved in the response.
My Department does not operate a compensation scheme for landowners affected by fire. Insurance against fire damage is readily available in the marketplace and it is incumbent on all landowners and property owners living in rural areas to be aware of fire risk on their lands at all times and to take steps to reduce fire risks to property, habitats and other assets.
476. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to planned construction at a Coillte site (details supplied); and if his attention has been further drawn to the impact such construction will cause. [10109/20]
View answerThe management of the Coillte forest estate and operational matters such as the issue raised by the Deputy are a matter for, and the responsibility of, Coillte as a commercial State Body.
I can confirm that an application for a forest road works licence, which if granted, facilitates the construction of a forest road, was accepted on 27th May, 2020. The application is currently within the 30-day public consultation period.
All applications for forestry licences are assessed and the proposed operations are considered carefully. Every application is examined for its potential impact on the surrounding countryside on its own and in combination with other plans or projects in the area. The application is currently with the forestry district inspector, who will make recommendations on the application. These recommendations will form part of the decision, which will be issued to the applicant and any person who made a submission on the application. All decisions are published on my Department's website.
477. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider a scheme (details supplied) to deal with the surplus of potatoes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10127/20]
View answerI am very aware of the challenges to some food suppliers posed by reduced activity in the food services sector during this period. However, there has been a particularly strong demand for potatoes at retail level in recent months and the majority of the potatoes grown in Ireland are produced for supply to the fresh retail market. It is expected that, in line with the Government’s Roadmap for “Reopening Society and Business”, demand will increase for potatoes in the catering and processing sectors also, and there is some evidence of this already.
With regard to processing potatoes in particular, the industry has invested significantly over the years in storage facilities and other equipment that allowed for diversification into different markets. This investment was supported by grant aid from my Department. This capacity and diversity of markets allows for orderly processing and market access throughout the year.
The Deputy will be aware that, to address the particular challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government, in conjunction with relevant state agencies, has introduced a range of measures to aid businesses that may be suffering short term financial problems. Bord Bia has also introduced a range of options to aid the horticulture sector. These range from financial support in the form of grants, to training and advice on how best to sustain businesses during this pandemic.
478. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of the Coillte contract for the private hire and use of helicopters for firefighting on Coillte land; the amount spent on the use of helicopters for firefighting purposes by Coillte in each of the years 2017, 2018 and 2019; the amount budgeted for same by Coillte for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10139/20]
View answerCoillte is operationally independent of my Department and matters such as the management of their forest estate, are the responsibility of the company.
I have therefore passed the question raised to Coillte for response and direct reply to the Deputy.
479. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Growing for the Future document is still the strategic plan for the development of the forestry sector here. [10151/20]
View answer‘Growing for the Future- A Strategic Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector in Ireland’ was published in 1996. It was replaced in 2014 by ‘Forests, products and people: Ireland’s forest policy – a renewed vision’. The strategic goal for the forestry sector in Ireland as described in “Forest products and people" is as follows;
“To develop an internationally competitive and sustainable forest sector that provides a full range of economic, environmental and social benefits to society and which accords with the Forest Europe definition of sustainable forest management”
This policy document was a key driver in the development of the measures contained in the Forestry Programme 2014 -2020. Since the commencement of the Programme to end 2019, a total of 26,000 hectares of new forests have been funded. In addition, some 383,000m of forest road have been supported and constructed.
In order to further respond to the policy direction in “Forest products and people", a Mid-Term Review of the Forestry Programme was completed in 2018. The Department introduced innovations, including increased rates, to address reduced planting levels and to introduce greater diversity in terms of the species being planted. These have had a positive effect with, for example, broadleaf planting rising from 21% of all trees planted in 2017 to 36% to date this year.
Other new measures in terms of sustainable forest management and to support the delivery of public goods such as biodiversity were also introduced by the Department in 2019, on foot of the Mid-Term Review. These were:
- The introduction of tree guards and deer fencing grants as part of a new “Forest Fencing and Tree Shelter Scheme” to reduce the risk of deer damage for existing broadleaf forests;
- Inclusion of a new Continuous Cover Forestry measure as part of the Woodland Improvement Scheme which will generate more diverse habitats for wildlife by creating forests with a more varied age structure. The objectives of the measures are inter alia to enhance environmental benefits of existing coniferous forests by opening up the canopy and creating new habitats for wildlife, to create an uneven canopy structure with the aim of producing high quality, high value logs and to promote a more suitable management option in sensitive sites; and
- A Woodland Improvement Scheme which supports thinning interventions for broadleaf forests and is designed to stimulate investment in the improvement, protection and development of young broadleaf forests. This activity fulfils a range of functions, including the improvement in the quality of hardwoods being produced thereby increasing the value of the broadleaf forest for the owner. Thinning also delivers ecosystem services such as increased biodiversity and climate adaption as a result of healthier trees which will have greater resilience to pest and disease outbreaks.
The MacKinnon review of my Department's procedures for licencing of forestry has recommended the development of a new national Forest Strategy as part of the preparation of a new National Forestry Programme. This will be a matter for consideration by the next Government.
480. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appraisal has been carried out of the outworking of the mandatory reduction obligation contained within the BEAM scheme; if he will remove the criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10156/20]
View answerThe objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) was to provide temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132. This aid was granted to provide temporary market adjustment support in response to a specific market disturbance as outlined in Ireland's notification to the EU Commission. As part of the notification and approval process for the measure, the 5% reduction was part of the conditionality sought by the EU.
Approved BEAM participants have given a commitment to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on the holding by 5% for the period 01 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 as compared with the period 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 as recorded on Department systems. Given that this requirement only begins from July 2020 and is reviewed across the duration of a year, it is not intended to amend this requirement. In addition, it is also relevant that the most recent analysis of Nitrates trends in participating herds indicates that two thirds have already started to make adjustments to reduce their nitrates with almost half the participants meeting the 5% reduction already.
Participants who need advice on how to manage this reduction can contact the Department or consult an agricultural advisor to work out which changes will make most sense on their farm.
481. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason trotting racing is operating to a different reopening schedule than that of thoroughbred racing in respect of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions; if the matter will be reviewed in order to ensure equality across the codes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10157/20]
View answerOn the 1st May 2020, the Taoiseach set out a roadmap for easing the Covid-19 restrictions, which began on Monday 18th May. The Government plans to reopen the economy and society in a slow and phased manner. The roadmap was updated on 5th June, and now sets out the four stages for unlocking restrictions.
When announcing the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, the Government expressed a willingness to engage and consult with sectors on possible changes to the timings. A limited number of alterations to the plan have been made for specific sectors such as thoroughbred horse racing and greyhound racing based on detailed protocols put forward and agreed to by the relevant authorities.
I can confirm that Harness Racing is scheduled to recommence in Phase 3 of the Government's plan, on the 29th June 2020. This is in line with other sports that can operate "behind closed doors", where arrangements can be put in place to maintain social distancing. This decision has been taken bearing in mind at all times the pre-eminence of the protection of public health.
482. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications of the Chinese suspension of beef imports from Ireland following confirmation of an atypical case of BSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10158/20]
View answerOn 14 May 2020, my Department identified a suspected case of ‘Atypical BSE’ in a 14-year old cow as a result of its surveillance of ‘fallen’ animals – these are on-farm deaths which are sent to a collection centre (knackery) for sampling and destruction. On 22 May, confirmatory tests carried out at my Department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory verified the suspect case as Atypical BSE. Atypical BSE is believed to occur spontaneously in all cattle populations at a very low rate and has only been identified in older cattle. There are no public health risks associated with this occurrence.
My Department promptly notified relevant competent authorities in importing countries, the EU Commission and the OIE (World Animal Health Organisation) of the test findings. Ireland is designated by the OIE as a country with a ‘controlled’ risk status since 2008; this classification recognises that Ireland’s BSE controls are effective and that, under OIE rules, Irish beef can be safely traded internationally. The discovery of a rare Atypical case does not affect Ireland’s ‘controlled risk’ status.
Nevertheless, on an interim basis and in line with the specific protocol agreed with the Chinese authorities, Ireland has voluntarily suspended beef exports to China, as and from 22 May, until an epidemiological report by DAFM on the occurrence is considered by the Chinese authorities. This report, which concludes that this case is consistent with the epidemiology of Atypical BSE and underlines the efficacy of our BSE surveillance system, has now submitted to the General Administration of Customs in China (GACC).
Beef exports to China have grown significantly in the short time that the market has been open. According to the latest data from the CSO, almost 8,200 tonnes of Irish beef worth approximately €40m were shipped in 2019, the first full year the market was open. Shipments in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to some 2,200 tonnes and were worth approximately €11m.
My officials are engaging intensively with the Chinese authorities with a view to seeking an early resumption of the beef trade to China. The decision to resume trade is a matter for the Chinese authorities.
483. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for developing PGI status for grass-fed beef here; if this will result in clear labelling to distinguish grass-fed beef from other product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10159/20]
View answerMy Department is currently working with Bord Bia on a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) application for "Irish Grass Fed Beef", in consultation with the European Commission.
An application for PGI status can only be submitted by, or on behalf of, a group of producers. In this case, the application will be made by Bord Bia.
Once the application fulfils all the requirements of the regulations governing PGIs, a formal national opposition procedure must take place. Following satisfactory completion of this, the application will be formally lodged with the EU Commission for scrutiny and a further opposition procedure will follow.
Once registered, EU Regulations require the Union symbol for PGI to appear on the labelling of the product. This symbol is intended to help consumers distinguish the labelled product from otherwise similar products and enable choices to be better in line with preferences.
In addition, a label bearing the registered name of the product must appear in the same field of vision on the product as the PGI certification logo. A PGI certification logo on a product passes a message of quality and authenticity to consumers.
484. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the EU emergency measure will be implemented that will allow payments of €5,000 to be paid to farmers experiencing cash flow difficulties arising from the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10160/20]
View answerThe proposal to which the deputy refers seeks to introduce a new exceptional and temporary measure under the Rural Development Programme to address the liquidity problems for farming activities and of small businesses active in processing, marketing and/or development of agricultural products resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, the proposal provides for once-off lump sum payments for farmers of €5,000, and an amount of €50,000 for SMEs. The funding is limited to 1% of the RDP budget.
The proposal is still under negotiation in Brussels, and the agreement on the final legal text is still to be reached between the Council, European Commission and the European Parliament. It provides only a very limited opportunity for Member States that are well advanced in their drawdown of Rural Development funding to avail of these measures. Ireland is in the top two Member States in terms of execution of the Rural Development Programme, with over 84% of funding drawdown (EU average 60%), and the balance of the funding is either already committed or will be committed in 2020. Therefore, it is not proposed to utilise this measure, as to do so would involve a reallocation of funding from current schemes (ANC, GLAS, Organics, etc.) within the existing Rural Development Programme. This would have a further negative impact on those farms that may already be experiencing cashflow difficulties.
I continue, of course, to press at a national and EU level to ensure that sufficient supports are put in place for primary producers and for the wider agri-food sector. Most recently, I have brought forward payments on some RDP schemes, including €26m in GLAS payments and balancing payments under the Organic Farming scheme. I have also increased funding in my Department’s Calf Welfare Investment Scheme from €1.5 million to €4 million, to assist farmers with extra calves.
