Written Answers Nos. 364-378
364. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the selection process for the signpost farms initiative; the reason one region (details supplied) does not have any such designated farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35098/21]
View answerThe Signpost Farm programme is a Teagasc-led initiative to reduce gaseous emissions from Irish agriculture, while creating more profitable and sustainable farming enterprises.
It involves the establishment of a nationwide network of demonstration farms representing all sectors to showcase the science based technologies that can reduce emissions and where carbon sequestration in grassland and hedgerows can be examined.
Identification of the participating SignPost Farms is a matter for Teagasc. Accordingly, I have asked Teagasc to provide a response directly to the Deputy within 10 days.
365. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the most recent COFORD advice on afforestation rates necessary on an annual basis from 2020 to achieve climate change targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35100/21]
View answerThe COFORD Council is currently preparing a range of papers which examines the important role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. These papers will also examine the important role of wood products , carbon storage and substitution of materials made from fossil fuels.
I understand that these papers will be published shortly and submitted formally to the Department.
366. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual afforestation rate necessary to achieve the carbon sequestration and other objectives for forestry as identified in the Teagasc MACC curve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35101/21]
View answer367. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual afforestation rate Teagasc has identified in order that forestry will not remain a carbon sink in the MACC curve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35102/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 366 and 367 together.
The Teagasc Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for Irish Agriculture published in 2018 quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases and visualises the abatement potential of GHG mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures.
The afforestation rate used in the development of the MACC uses an afforestation rate of 7,000 hectares per year over the period 2021 to 2030. Afforestation is clearly the largest opportunity in the land use sector to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Forests planted now from 2021 to 2030 will make a significant contribution to removing greenhouse gases, particularly post 2030 as these forests get older. Forests planted within the last 30 years currently make up the majority of accountable removals in the land use sector. However, as forests mature the rate of sequestration reduces and therefore increasing afforestation rates of new young forests is important. The net greenhouse balance of the estate is strongly dependent on the level of harvest, deforestation and afforestation rates.
368. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of unique farmer applicants for the AEOS per year while it was in operation or since its launch in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35103/21]
View answerThe attached table shows the number of unique farmer applications per year for all AEOS schemes.
|
Year |
No. of Applicants |
|
AEOS Applicants by Year |
|
|
2010 |
8,140 |
|
2011 |
6,156 |
|
2012 |
5,894 |
369. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of AEOS applicants by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35104/21]
View answerThe attached table shows the number of applicants by county across all AEOS schemes.
|
County |
No. of Applicants |
|
Carlow |
162 |
|
Cavan |
554 |
|
Clare |
1,127 |
|
Cork |
1,197 |
|
Donegal |
2,630 |
|
Dublin |
29 |
|
Galway |
2,729 |
|
Kerry |
1,372 |
|
Kildare |
133 |
|
Kilkenny |
439 |
|
Laois |
276 |
|
Leitrim |
916 |
|
Limerick |
607 |
|
Longford |
248 |
|
Louth |
118 |
|
Mayo |
2,891 |
|
Meath |
295 |
|
Monaghan |
418 |
|
Offaly |
304 |
|
Roscommon |
1,040 |
|
Sligo |
740 |
|
Tipperary |
770 |
|
Waterford |
259 |
|
Westmeath |
409 |
|
Wexford |
315 |
|
Wicklow |
216 |
371. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being put in place to support the food production industry as it struggles to maintain and recruit staff while Covid-19 measures and supports for employees remain in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35114/21]
View answerThe delivery of essential services to farmers, fishers and the food & forestry sectors is being prioritised by the Department and its agencies throughout the course of the pandemic. The necessary steps have been taken to ensure that producers and processors can continue to operate effectively and keep supply lines open.
As the Deputy is aware, the Government has put in place a significant package of tax and expenditure measures to assist businesses, employers and employees across all sectors, including food production and processing, to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department and I have had regular contact with stakeholders across the sector and will continue to monitor the effects on the sector and provide appropriate support as necessary.
The agri-food sector faced many challenges on the domestic and international front arising from the pandemic. Despite this, the sector has proven to be very resilient. Production has been relatively unaffected. After an initial decrease in farm gate prices, they have stabilised and recovered across most sectors. Agri-food exports for 2020 are estimated at €14.2 billion, down marginally from €14.5 billion in 2019.
This is a remarkable achievement considering the challenges food and drink producers have faced, including the complete shutdown of food services in many of Ireland’s export markets across the globe. In addition, the pandemic has raised awareness of those working in the food and drink sector and emphasised their very significant contribution to our daily lives.
372. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there was any penalty or claw back of moneys, grant or scheme payments to farmers who were in AEOS who decided to convert a part of their farm to forestry during the duration of their AEOS plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35156/21]
View answerThe Terms and Conditions of the AEOS 1 Scheme stated that where all or part of an undertaking was not continued for a minimum period of five years, all or part of the aid paid in respect of the undertaking would be re-imbursed. The re-imbursement of aid already paid was not required in respect of lands afforested under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005. However, where land was afforested during the AEOS recording year a proportionate reimbursement would apply for the part of the AEOS year that had not been completed.
The Terms and Conditions of the AEOS 2 and AEOS 3 Schemes stated that where all or part of an action was not continued for the duration of contract, all or part of the aid paid in respect of the action would be reimbursed. The re-imbursement of aid was not required in respect of lands afforested under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005. There was no similar regulatory provision available in respect of the subsequent agri-environment, climate measure (GLAS).
373. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the policy analysis or reasoning for the introduction of FEPS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35157/21]
View answerSince 1994, it has been compulsory for each EU member state to have Agri-Environment Schemes. These are the primary mechanisms through which farmers are financially rewarded for farming in an environmentally friendly manner above that required for the Basic Premium Schemes, aiming at maintaining and protecting biodiversity within the farmed landscape.
Irish Agri-Environment Schemes evolved over the years from the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS 1-4) to the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) and currently the Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment (GLAS) Scheme. REPS was a whole farm scheme which paid farmers an area-based payment for carrying out environmental actions in accordance with a plan specific to their farm. Successor schemes, such as the current GLAS are not whole farm schemes. Successful applicants must choose appropriate options, some of which are area-based.
The Forestry Environment Protection (Afforestation) Scheme (FEPS) was set up to encourage farmers to combine the establishment of high nature value woodland with their participation in REPS which was in operation at the time. FEPS was entirely exchequer funded and participating farmers were eligible to receive an annual premium for a period of five years, in addition to the regular forestry premiums that were available under the Afforestation Scheme, provided they were approved under the REPS Scheme.
Forestry plantations established under this Scheme had to meet full silvicultural standards for the production of a commercial crop of timber while making an enhanced contribution to the environment. A minimum area of 8ha needed to be planted by a participating farmer under the Scheme.
The Scheme aimed at encouraging farmers to establish and maintain high nature-value forestry through measures such as increasing biodiversity, protecting water quality, supporting habitats for wildlife, and increasing woodland cover.
374. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 May 2021, the number of LPIS and the associated area of these LPIS that had linear and point actions for GLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35158/21]
View answer375. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 May 2021, if LPIS in GLAS that had linear and point actions detailed are effectively sterilised from afforestation even though there are only linear and point actions associated with the parcel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35159/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together.
All GLAS actions have specific requirements as outlined in the scheme specifications. This means that some parcels containing GLAS actions may be available for other uses, depending on the action in question. Indeed, some actions only take place on part of parcels which can allow the remainder of the parcel open to other uses.
Due to their nature, linear and point actions do not take up an entire parcel, therefore the entire parcel is not in use for GLAS.
The GLAS terms and conditions clearly state that GLAS is not a whole-farm scheme and opportunities continue to exist for afforestation and for other Forestry Schemes on parcels which are not in GLAS. GLAS applicants and their advisers were advised to look at the opportunities afforded by these schemes when planning for GLAS.
376. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 May 2021, the expected or planned for number of applicants to his Department in new agri-environmental schemes under both pillar 1 and pillar 2 funding in the next CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35160/21]
View answerThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and associated regulations have been the subject of intensive negotiations between the European Parliament and the Presidency and Commission, and latterly the Council of Ministers.
With reference to agri-environmental schemes, the draft CAP Strategic Plan currently makes provision for a range of agri-environmental measures including eco-schemes under Pillar I and agri-environment climate measures under Pillar 2. As it is proposed that both the eco-scheme and the agri-environment climate measures will be voluntary, the eventual level of application will depend on a number of factors such as the options offered, whether appropriate to or suitable for a farmer’s land and/or farming system, ease of implementation, and the associated payment rates.
At a national level, the numbers for approval into the scheme will be determined by the overall budgetary allocation to Ireland under the Common Agricultural Policy and the number and duration of interventions, and associated budgetary requirements, to be funded from that allocation.
The Department is continuing to develop the CAP Strategic Plan in consultation with stakeholders through the CAP Consultative Committee and other forums. Details of the discussions to date in the CAP Consultative Committee are available on the website www.gov.ie/en/collection/ab894-cap-post-2020-consultative-committee/.
Consideration is currently being given to the range of measures that will be supported under the new CAP Strategic Plan, and stakeholders will be further consulted on this shortly. Following the consultation the draft plan will then be subject to strategic environmental assessment and ex-ante evaluation and a further public consultation process before submission to the Commission by the deadline of 1st January 2022.
Ultimately, I want as many farmers in these schemes as possible.
377. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a machine (details supplied) will be included as a matter of priority under the current tillage machinery scheme under the TAMS II grant-aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35164/21]
View answerThe Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) has been very successful to date with in excess of 52,000 applications submitted and to date, 40,921 approvals issued under the suite of seven measures available. Expenditure has reached in excess of €282 million, with over €29 million spent to date in 2021.
There are a large number of investment items available under the scheme and new investment items may be considered under the CAP Strategic Plan for the post-2023 period, within the EU regulatory provisions for that period.
378. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase the Irish fishers’ share of the EU fishing quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35186/21]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that I, as Minister, and this Government continue to keep the focus on the disproportionate quota reductions for Ireland and to use any opportunity available to seek constructive solutions that would help to alleviate this unacceptable position.
I am pursuing every opportunity at EU level to increase the available quotas for our fishing fleet. I have raised the matter of inequitable burden sharing at EU level – most recently at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council this week – and in bilateral exchanges with the Commissioner and other EU Member States, whenever suitable opportunities arise, and I will continue to do so.
The Interim Report of the Seafood Sector Taskforce, published earlier this month and supported by all members of the Taskforce, recommends a range of actions to address the quota reductions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
The actions include measures relating to Ireland working with other EU Member States on possible opportunities for increased quota shares for the EU in the upcoming Coastal States consultations and pursuing the rebalancing of quota in the context of the upcoming review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The Interim Report indicates that the recommended actions, after further consideration by the Taskforce, will be set down in detail in the main Report.
The next CFP review is due to be completed by the 31st December 2022 and I am committed to doing all possible through the review to secure additional quota where possible for Irish fishers. At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council earlier this week I made clear that Ireland will be seeking to address the imbalance in the quota transfers under the TCA.
I will work closely with the Fishing Industry and in line with the recommendations of the final Seafood Taskforce Report to advance the position of the Irish fishing industry in the CFP Review.
