Ged Nash
Question:1152. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice when a review of the Garda divisional boundaries pertaining to south County Louth and east County Meath will be completed. [31551/21]
View answerAn Garda Síochána
Questions (1152)
Written answers
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, for the management and administration of Garda business. Under the Act, the Commissioner is also responsible for determining the distribution and stationing of members of An Garda Síochána throughout the State and, as Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
As the Deputy may be aware, the 'Drogheda: Building a Bridge to a Better Future' report recently published by Minister McEntee, and carried out by Mr Vivian Geiran, a former director of the Probation Service, recommends that exploration of how to address the issue of the impact of the county boundaries of Louth and Meath, and the corresponding delineation between Garda Districts/Divisions, specifically in relation to the policing of the Laytown-Bettystown area of East Meath, be undertaken.
My Department has been liaising with An Garda Síochána on this matter and with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the impact on Drogheda of the intersection of the county boundaries of Louth and Meath. An implementation plan for the report is due to be published shortly.
The Deputy may wish to further note that An Garda Síochána continues to roll out the new Garda Operating Model on a phased basis across the country including in the Meath Division. The new operating model will deliver on a key recommendation for Garda reform by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and introduces major changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána by providing more front-line Gardaí, increased Garda visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (1153)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:1153. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding the review of the compulsory retirement age for members of An Garda Síochána; when an announcement on same will be forthcoming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31574/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, retirement of members of An Garda Síochána is governed by law, which sets the mandatory retirement age for all members at 60 years of age. Members of An Garda Síochána who joined prior to 1 April 2004 may retire on full pension at 50 years of age once they have served at least 30 years and those who joined on or after 1 April 2004 may retire on full pension at 55 years of age with 30 years service. Gardaí have the option of continuing to serve until they reach 60, subject to the Garda Commissioner being satisfied that they are fully competent and available to undertake their duties.
I can inform the Deputy that a review of the compulsory retirement age is currently being carried out by my Department. It is anticipated that this review will be completed towards the end of the year. Any changes to the age will require the amendment of primary and secondary legislation.
This review is separate to the provisions of the Garda Síochána (Retirement)(No. 2) Regulations 1951 [S.I.335/1951] which allow the Commissioner, with the consent of the Minister, to extend the age of retirement of a Garda member where this is in the interests of the efficiency of the Garda Síochána due to special qualifications or experience possessed by that member.
Personal Debt
Questions (1154)
Catherine Murphy
Question:1154. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to concerns that the legal system involving personal insolvency arrangements was on the brink of collapse due to cases being regularly delayed due to too much work being taken on by individual practitioners. [31592/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will appreciate, the operation of arrangements relating to personal insolvency are a matter for the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI), which is an independent statutory body as set out in section 8(3) of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012.
Additionally, the Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the relevant criteria and provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995. Aside from the supports provided through Abhaile, normal legal aid rules apply in repossession cases.
These supports for citizens are provided independently by the bodies concerned who continue to deliver their services in accordance with their respective statutory mandates with continued success. They have maintained provision of these services to the public, including through the innovative deployment of remote technologies, during the challenging pandemic period. Moreover, these cases have also continued to be dealt with by the Courts as part of the priority being given to vulnerable citizens under the Government’s national COVID-19 response.
A Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA) is an insolvency solution for people with unsecured and secured debts. PIAs are proposed by a Personal Insolvency Practitioner (PIP) a qualified professional advisor expert in the area of debt advice and regulated by the ISI to deal with Personal Insolvency Arrangements.
The PIA Court review is available where the borrower has worked with a PIP and proposed a PIA to their creditors but the creditors have not approved the proposal, although the borrower’s PIP considers it fair and reasonable to all concerned. Under section 115A of the Act, the PIP in this situation can ask the Courts, on behalf of the borrower, to review the PIA proposal. If the Court agrees that the proposal is overall fair and reasonable, using the criteria set out in section 115A, it has the power to impose the proposal on the creditors.
As part of the PIA Court review process, the Legal Aid Board can provide the borrower with legal representation by a solicitor and barrister to make the Court review application, subject to the case meeting the criteria set out in the Civil Legal Aid Act. For this service, the borrower’s PIP applies on their behalf to the Legal Aid Board. If the Legal Aid Board is satisfied with the application, it can then issue a Legal Aid Certificate for the borrower. The PIP chooses and instructs a solicitor on the Board's PIA Review Solicitors panel to act in the matter.
Under the legal aid element of the Abhaile Scheme, any barrister on the Legal Aid Board's panel may act in a section 115A personal insolvency review case. I am advised that the practice is that the barrister is selected by the solicitor who has been appointed to represent the applicant. The Legal Aid Board also informs me that it has attempted to encourage additional practitioners to take up work relating to section 115A of the Act including holding a training event for members of the Bar to encourage them to take on civil legal aid work earlier this year. More generally, I understand that the Board always welcomes a spread of barristers undertaking legal aid work in any specific area of law or similarly in any specific geographic location.
The Legal Aid Board reports that it has granted 206 section 115A reviews in the period from 1 January 2021 to 28 May 2021. During January to December 2020, 562 borrowers were granted legal aid to apply for a personal insolvency review under section 115A of the Act. Since the launch of the Abhaile Scheme in mid-2016, almost 2,300 borrowers were provided with legal aid to take proceedings pursuant to section 115A.
The Government is currently conducting an external governance review of Abhaile, which will be followed later this year by a comprehensive review of the Scheme as part of the previous government decision to extend Abhaile until the end of 2022. A further commitment has been made under the Programme for Government to continue to resource Abhaile. It is the intention that these reviews will, in their respective findings, inform the delivery of Abhaile into the future, including as a key support for citizens during the period of COVID recovery.
Residency Permits
Questions (1155)
Bernard Durkan
Question:1155. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); the progress to date in determining any application pending in their name; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31649/21]
View answerWritten answers
The immigration case of the person referred to by the Deputy has taken longer than expected to finalise. However, I can confirm that an official from my Department will be in contact with the person concerned in the coming days in relation to their case.
Queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie) which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Departmental Staff
Questions (1156)
Róisín Shortall
Question:1156. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice the number of employees in her Department and the bodies under the aegis of her Department who have been in receipt of a higher duty acting allowance for over two years. [31879/21]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department has one officer in receipt of a higher duty acting allowance for over two years. This is for a specified purpose and covers a specialised piece of work in my Department. The individual was retained for this specified purpose and it is shortly due to cease.
The table below sets out the number of staff in receipt of a higher duty acting allowance for over two years in the agencies and bodies under the aegis of my Department.
|
Agency |
Number of staff in receipt of a higher duty acting allowance for over two years |
|
Court Services |
7 |
|
An Garda Síochána |
2 |
|
Irish Prison Service |
1 |
Visa Applications
Questions (1157)
Seán Sherlock
Question:1157. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the number of non-EU student visas issued in 2019 and 2020; the average length of time it has taken to process these visas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31897/21]
View answerWritten answers
The number of Stamp 2 student registrations processed in 2019 and 2020 is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
Number of Registrations/Renewals* |
|
2019 |
49,658 |
|
2020 |
30,980 |
* Figures are a combination of first time registrations and renewals.
Unfortunately, information concerning the average length of time taken to process these registrations/renewals is not available. However, my Department has continued to work steadily throughout the pandemic to deliver improvements to our immigration services.
Improvements made so far include the introduction of an online process for the renewal of registrations (with over 78,000 renewals processed since July 2020); pre-clearance schemes to allow customers to apply for residence permissions prior to travelling; the introduction of online forms and payments; renewed focus on eliminating processing delays in key areas; and working towards the delivery of a new more user-friendly website for our customers.
A tender has also recently been awarded for a new Immigration Service appointment and scheduling system, which will streamline and further improve the registration process. The new system is expected to be in place in the coming months.
Constitutional Amendments
Questions (1158)
Willie O'Dea
Question:1158. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice if she plans to support the restoration of birthright citizenship in Ireland against the wishes of the Irish electorate who voted overwhelmingly in favour of restricting birthright citizenship in the 2004 referendum. [31930/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, following the 2004 referendum, the 27th amendment to the Constitution was inserted as follows:
ARTICLE 9
2 1° Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, a person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, who does not have, at the time of the birth of that person, at least one parent who is an Irish citizen or entitled to be an Irish citizen is not entitled to Irish citizenship or nationality, unless provided for by law.
2° This section shall not apply to persons born before the date of the enactment of this section.
This Article enables the Oireachtas to legislate for the terms of entitlement to Irish citizenship for children born in the State. The existing citizenship laws are based on lawful and reckonable residency of the parent or parents of the child and this will continue to be the case under the proposed amendments to the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, contained in the General scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021.
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 sets out the conditions for the grant of a certificate of naturalisation conferring Irish citizenship on a minor born in the State. One of the conditions for naturalisation is that the applicant must have had one year’s continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of the application and 4 years residence during the 8 years preceding that.
The General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021, which was published last week, includes a proposed amendment to section 15 of the 1956 Act to reduce the residence requirement for naturalisation for minors born in the State from the current 4 year residence requirement to 2 years. In effect, this will replace a 5 year residency requirement with a 3 year residency requirement with the requirement of one year’s continuous residence in the State immediately before the date of application continuing to apply.
I know that it has been a cause for concern for some that children born in Ireland to non-Irish parents do not have an automatic entitlement to citizenship. The Government fully respects the amendment of the Constitution approved by the Irish people in the 2004 referendum; however, we believe that providing a shorter pathway to citizenship is the right thing to do for these children. The Oireachtas will have the opportunity to debate the proposed changes to the legislation in the normal way.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (1159)
Johnny Mythen
Question:1159. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Justice the number of burglaries reported to An Garda Síochána in County Wexford by Garda district in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [31996/21]
View answerWritten answers
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities and I will contact the Deputy once the information has been received.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to your Parliamentary Question (No. 1159 of 15 June 2021) where you sought:
“….the number of burglaries reported to Gardaí in County Wexford by Garda district in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form”.
As you will recall, I sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the report was to hand.
The report is now to hand and the Garda authorities inform me that the table below shows the number of burglaries reported within Wexford Division and Districts for 2019, 2020 and as of 15 June 2021.
|
Districts |
2019 |
2020 |
2021* |
|
Enniscorthy |
248 |
160 |
71 |
|
New Ross |
48 |
55 |
23 |
|
Wexford |
179 |
157 |
58 |
|
Wexford Division |
475 |
372 |
152 |
*Year to date, as of 05:00 on 15
th
June 2021.
A search of the PULSE database was conducted on 15 June 2021 to identify all incidents of “aggravated burglary” and –“burglary” reported within Wexford Division and District since 1 January 2019.
You may be interested to know, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) produce regular quarterly updates on the crime figures and make these available on their website. Figures for 2019, 2020 and quarter 1 of 2021 are currently available and many incident types figures can be obtained at district or station level at the following link: https://data.cso.ie/product/rc.
I hope this information is of assistance.
Citizenship Applications
Questions (1160, 1161, 1162)
Seán Sherlock
Question:1160. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice if her Department is on track to give 6,500 citizenship applicants the opportunity to complete their Irish citizenship by the end of June 2021. [32020/21]
View answerSeán Sherlock
Question:1161. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the number of Irish citizenship applicants who are currently waiting longer than 12 months for a decision on their application. [32021/21]
View answerSeán Sherlock
Question:1162. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the average waiting time for citizenship applications to date in 2021. [32022/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1160, 1161 and 1162 together.
In January 2021, my Department opened a temporary system that enables applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty.
To date, my Department has communicated with 6,000 applicants and has issued 2,894 Certificates of Naturalisation. Further communications will issue over the coming weeks and my Department is on track to meet the target of communicating with 6,500 people by the end of June 2021.
My Department continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and at all levels of public health restrictions. Unfortunately, processing rates have been impacted by the necessary health and safety related restrictions imposed and we have been unable to hold in-person citizenship ceremonies since March 2020. In addition to the Covid-19 disruption, a High Court case in 2019, which was subsequently successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal, also resulted in significant delays and the loss of over six months’ processing time.
Of the more than 24,000 applications currently on hand, there are 12,007 applicants waiting longer than 12 months for a decision on their application and the average time to an approval decision is currently 22 months. This figure will improve as the backlog in applications is cleared, with the easing of Government restrictions allowing more staff to return to the office to process applications.
To further address the volume of applications on hand, we are assigning additional staff to the citizenship team; and a number of measures have been introduced to increase the digitisation of the process. This includes the introduction of eTax clearance and eVetting; rolling out online payments; revising the Department's website to make it more user-friendly for customers; and launching the first immigration chatbot, Tara, which has answered more than 12,000 customer queries in a user-friendly way since last November.
The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up staff resources to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
Question No. 1161 answered with Question No. 1160.
Question No. 1162 answered with Question No. 1160.
Visa Applications
Questions (1163)
James Lawless
Question:1163. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Justice the status of the processing of working visas (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32048/21]
View answerWritten answers
I can advise the Deputy that Canadian nationals are not visa required and may seek to enter and reside in the State on visitors conditions for up to 90 days. People who wish to remain for longer than 90 days must register with their local immigration office and apply for further permission to remain before their initial permission to remain expires. Full details of the registration process can be found on our website at: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/first-time-registration.
Entry into the State is solely at the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the port of entry. The onus is on the individual to have all documentation relating to their reasons for entering Ireland ready for presentation to the Immigration Officer to gain entry. The Immigration Officer may grant leave to enter to a maximum period of three months. They may, depending on the documentation presented refuse entry to the State or grant a lesser period than three months. People who wish to reside in the State, should prepare documentary evidence of private health insurance, along with details of finances to show how they will be able to maintain themselves, or be maintained, whilst in the State.
In order to work in Ireland, a non-EEA National, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid Employment Permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Full details can be found on their website at: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/.
Working holiday visas are not currently included in the list of emergency/priority visas being processed by my Department. However, we are currently accepting and processing applications for De Facto Partners of Irish Nationals. Obtaining permission to remain in Ireland as the De Facto Partner of an Irish National would allow a person to seek employment in the State, without the need to obtain a separate employment permit, subject to compliance with all other immigration requirements that apply in individual cases.
The duration of the permission initially granted will be for one year and renewals can be sought subject to the person meeting all the necessary qualifying criteria under this procedure. The applicant must apply from their home country or a country where they are a legal resident. Proof of residence outside the State may be requested, and the applicant (and permitted family members under the Scheme) must remain outside the State while their application is being processed. Full details of the De Facto Partnership Immigration Permission in Ireland can be found on our website at: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/De+Facto+Relationships.
All travellers arriving into Ireland must continue to comply fully with the public health measures required by law. These include completing a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form, pre-arrival PCR test and quarantine in a designated facility or at home, as required. Canada is currently a designated state for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine under Section 38(E) of the Health Act 1947.
Legal Aid
Questions (1164)
Catherine Connolly
Question:1164. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the reason legal aid is not available to persons taking cases to the European Court of Human Rights, particularly in view of the fact that the Court may refuse a litigant leave to represent themselves in front of the Court and given that Article 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights provides a right to legal aid to those who lack sufficient resources in so far as this is necessary to ensure effective access to justice; her plans to prescribe the European Court of Human Rights as a court under which legal aid may be granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32054/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Civil Legal Aid Scheme is an important element of supporting access to justice, particularly for those of modest means.
Since the enactment of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the making of the Civil Legal Regulations 1996, the Regulations relating to financial eligibility have been substantially revised on three occasions. Applicants for legal aid must satisfy both financial eligibility criteria and a test of the merits of their case before they can qualify for legal advice and representation.
In recognition of the competing demands being made on the legal aid scheme, under Budget 2021, Minister McEntee secured an increased provision of over €2 million for the Legal Aid Board bringing its total funding to €44.6 million for this year representing a 6% increase.
The Minister for Justice is empowered under Section 27 of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 to prescribe, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, certain courts for the purposes of legal aid including proceedings conducted before an officer of such court or tribunal, by its direction and proceedings under Article 177 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, signed at Rome on the 25 March 1957.
In that regard, my Department is currently in the process of scoping the review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme and it is expected that it will commence in the third quarter of the year. One of the areas which may be considered in the context of the proposed review is eligibility for civil legal aid.
I understand that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, an independent body under the auspices of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth can also provide practical assistance, including under specific circumstances, legal representation, to persons in vindicating their rights under human rights and anti-discrimination legislation, in particular under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, the Equal Status Acts 2000–2015, the European Convention on Human Rights Acts 2003 and 2014, and more generally in relation to the protection and promotion of human rights and equality.
Prison Service
Questions (1165)
Catherine Murphy
Question:1165. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide the name of the independent company that has been appointed to carry out an independent review of the operations of the voluntary mess committees in Irish prisons; the cost of this review; and the expected completion time of same. [32102/21]
View answerWritten answers
I can inform the Deputy that the name of the independent company appointed to carry out the independent review of the operations of the voluntary mess committees in Irish Prisons is KOSI Corporation Ltd.
The Department has agreed terms of reference and an upper limit of €98,000 with the company for this work, on the basis that the cost may be less depending on the investigation resource requirements of the review. It is expected the review will be completed by the end of 2021.
Forestry Sector
Questions (1166)
David Stanton
Question:1166. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the impact that a delay to the issuing of forestry licensing is having on timber prices for the construction sector; the communication he has had to date with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to potential impacts on the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30488/21]
View answerWritten answers
I am very much aware of the impacts currently being experienced by the sector as a result of delays in issuing felling licences. Prices for timber for forest owners has increased significantly in the last 12 to 18 months due to high demand for all forest products. This is an international issue and there are supply issues also being experienced in other European markets as timber is exported to others markets, including outside of the EU. Commodity prices have also risen across the board in a number of areas, including steel, concrete and plastics which together, with increased timber prices, is impacting on the cost of construction.
Ireland's sawmill industry is highly competitive and supplies significant volumes of timber products for export to the UK. Over 80% of wood based panels manufactured in Ireland are exported to the UK and further afield. Ireland has always imported and exported timber and will continue to do so for the construction of houses.
Forestry, particularly the resolution of licensing issues, is a major priority for both myself and Minister of State Hackett who is responsible for the forestry sector. Under Project Woodland, the backlog and a review of licensing processes are being examined and recommendations are being made by the Working Groups in terms of improving the situation. We have committed to issuing 4,500 licences this year, a 75% increase on last year which I accept was a low year, and I fully expect to deliver on this promise. This year to date timber licensed is 59% higher than the same point last year.
Forestry Sector
Questions (1167)
Brendan Griffin
Question:1167. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application for a felling licence will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30525/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Department received an application for a tree felling licence from the person named in October 2020. Following an initial examination, archaeological sites and features were identified and the application was referred to my Department’s Archaeological Unit.
The application contains multiple plots with operations planned over 10 years and the site is close to five Recorded Monuments. Conditions for the protection of the archaeological features have been finalised with the National Monuments Service (NMS).
Furthermore, the proposed site lies near five designated sites. The possible effects of the tree felling operations may have on these sites cannot be excluded and, therefore, the application has been referred to the Department’s Ecology Unit. I understand that a harvest plan has been submitted with the application, which will assist with the ecological assessment of the proposed operations.
Once that is complete, the application will be returned to the District Inspector, who will complete their assessment, make their recommendations and a decision will issue shortly thereafter.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (1168, 1170, 1171)
Matt Carthy
Question:1168. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recipients of pillar 1 funds in 2020 in bands (details supplied) per county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30531/21]
View answerMatt Carthy
Question:1170. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of CAP pillar 1 recipients; the amount paid in pillar 1 funds by county in tabular form in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30533/21]
View answerMatt Carthy
Question:1171. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total pillar 1 CAP payments per county in 2020; the amount that would have distributed per county in 2020 if there had been full convergence of pillar 1 payments in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30534/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1168, 1170 and 1171 together.
The figures requested by the Deputy are set out in tabular format below.
These figures are derived from the total amounts paid to applicants under CAP Pillar 1 (Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Greening, Young Farmers Scheme (YFS), and Protein Aid schemes).
The process of convergence of payment entitlement values began in Ireland in 2015, and over the years 2015 to 2019, approximately €60m in funds were transferred between entitlements with values above the average to those below the average. When greening is added, the total value of this transfer is approximately €93m.
This process saw a minimum entitlement value reached in 2019 of 60% of the average. If full convergence were implemented in 2020 with no changes to the direct payments ceiling, i.e. to move from the minimum 60% to full flattening in that single year, approximately €150m in total would have been redistributed (this figure includes entitlement value adjustment and greening). The requested county breakdown of this amount is not available at this time but is part of ongoing work. It should be noted that this amount reflects the convergence process and direct payments structures which apply in the current CAP programme.
Note : Figures for the category €50,001 - €60,000 have also been included in the table below
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (1169)
Matt Carthy
Question:1169. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that would see their income increase under full convergence of pillar 1 payments by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30532/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy's question lacks sufficient information for this data to be completed as full convergence represents just one element of the payments model and the other parameters such as CRISS and ECO amounts are required to establish the information needed. If the Deputy could supply some additional parameters (a rate for CRISS, eco-schemes, young farmers scheme and coupled support), the Department can supply the information requested.
Question No. 1170 answered with Question No. 1168.
Question No. 1171 answered with Question No. 1168.
Agriculture Schemes
Questions (1172)
Matt Carthy
Question:1172. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount that would be paid per hectare if 25% of pillar 1 was set aside for eco-schemes if full convergence was introduced and a maximum payment of €60,000 were in place; the amount if 10, 15, 20 and 25%, respectively of pillar 1 was set aside as an additional redistributive payment to be paid in a linear manner on the first 30 hectares, the resulting transfer by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30535/21]
View answerWritten answers
The data requested by the Deputy will take some time to prepare and will be forwarded to him as soon as possible.
Common Agricultural Policy
Questions (1173)
Paul Kehoe
Question:1173. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the recent letter issued to a group (details supplied) refusing it a position on the CAP consultative committee has since been superseded by the update by the assistant secretary of his Department to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 27 May 2021 that there is still a decision to be made on the request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30632/21]
View answerWritten answers
On 24th May 2021, a response issued to the organisation named relating to their request to be offered a position on the CAP Consultative Committee. The response said that the Department did not, currently, see a need to broaden membership of the Consultative Committee at this late stage of the process..
Further representations have since been made to the Department and I am now considering these.
As work continues to develop Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan, Department officials will continue to engage closely on forestry related issues to ensure appropriate integration between the National Forestry Programme and the next CAP. This will include direct engagement with the organisation named.
Fishing Industry
Questions (1174)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Question:1174. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the impending requirement that all fish species landed here are weighed at the pier or harbour may be in contravention of EU sanitary requirements in relation to cold chain integrity for chilled or frozen foods; if he will consult with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and Bord Iascaigh Mhara in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30652/21]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland has received a Commission Implementing Decision revoking the approval of the Irish control plan submitted for the weighing of fishery products in accordance with Article 61(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
It should be noted that the 2012 Control Plan, prior to its revocation, provided that the Irish authorities may have permitted fisheries products to be weighed by relevant operators after transport from the place of landing provided that they were transported to a destination on the territory of Ireland, as the Member State concerned.
The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature are exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. As Minister, I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational matters such as this.
The Deputy’s queries relating to sanitary requirements are a matter for operators, fishers and weighers. The SFPA, as the control authority, are obliged to verify operator compliance with their obligations, and deal with any non-compliances detected.
Forestry Sector
Questions (1175)
Seán Canney
Question:1175. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made on an afforestation application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30657/21]
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An application for the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme and an afforestation licence was received on behalf of the person named in May 2020.
Upon initial assessment, there is direct connectivity, via a water course, to Lough Corrib SAC and, as a result, there is potential for impacts on salmon and otter species along with water quality. The application has, therefore, been referred to my Department’s Ecology Unit.
The applicant may provide a Natura Impact Statement (NIS), prepared by a suitably qualified person. An NIS can reduce the time taken to assess the application as, when received, the ecological assessment would be completed in two to three months. Following that, the file is then returned to the Forestry District Inspector for their final assessment and recommendations.
Animal Welfare
Questions (1176)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:1176. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the dog microchip figures for 2020. [30709/21]
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Four companies are authorised by the Department to register owner details of dog microchips under the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015. According to figures provided by these databases, 124,408 dog microchips were registered during 2020. This represents a 24% increase on the total number of dog microchip registrations in 2019.