Written Answers Nos. 795-805
795. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the detail of all FLAG funding awarded to organisations in Achill in the past five years in tabular form; the name of the organisations and project details; the amount of funding awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43548/21]
View answerThe Fisheries Local Action Group Scheme is a community-led local development initiative for the socio-economic development of coastal communities and forms part of the Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme 2014-20. There are seven Fisheries Local Action Groups, each responsible for a specific coastal region, and each has published a Local Development Strategy for its region to guide its distribution of its respective share of the overall FLAG budget allocated within the EMFF Programme. The following table outlines the grants awarded to date in Achill by the North West FLAG, which is the regional FLAG for the coastal areas of Mayo, Leitrim and Sligo.
|
Year |
Project Reference |
Applicant Name |
Description |
Total Investment (Letter of offer) |
Awarded Grant (Letter of offer) |
Grant Paid to date |
|
2017 |
171NW.1 |
Comhlacht Forbartha Áitiuíl Acla t/a the Achill Experience |
The Achill Experience Aquarium - Phase 2 |
€129,000.00 |
€100,000.00 |
€100,000.00 |
|
|
171NW.4 |
Achill Island Sea Salt |
Achill Island Sea Salt Visitor Experience |
€13,746.00 |
€6,873.00 |
€6,872.00 |
|
|
171NW.9 |
Achill Island Seaweed Baths |
Achill Island Seaweed Bath Bags |
€3,971.69 |
€1,985.85 |
€0.00 |
|
|
171NW.28 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Maritime History Trail |
€11,757.00 |
€8,605.60 |
€8,605.60 |
|
|
171NW.29 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Achill Feile na Mara |
€6,600.00 |
€1,600.00 |
€1,000.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2018 |
181NW.11 |
Muintir Chill Damhait |
Féile Chill Damhnait |
€11,198.00 |
€6,968.80 |
€2,644.75 |
|
|
181NW.16 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Maritime History Trail (Phase 2) |
€3,814.00 |
€3,051.28 |
€2,056.00 |
|
|
181NW.17 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Achill Féile Na Mara |
€1,970.00 |
€1,180.00 |
€1,138.08 |
|
|
181NW.33 |
St. Coleman's Care Centre CLG |
St. Colman's Care Centre Garden Fete |
€7,244.00 |
€4,345.60 |
€3,870.89 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2019 |
191NW.47 |
EcoPowa Limited |
Ecomova Training |
€30,575.00 |
€15,297.50 |
€15,297.50 |
|
|
191NW.48 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Achill Tourism Information Map |
€4,900.00 |
€3,200.00 |
€0.00 |
|
|
191NW.16 |
Purteen Harbour Fishermans |
Purteen Harbour Maritime Festival |
€7,111.00 |
€4,266.60 |
€3,926.44 |
|
|
191NW.9 |
Pure Magic Achill |
Battle for the Lake Waterports and Music Festival |
€6,470.00 |
€3,882.00 |
€3,882.00 |
|
|
191NW.27 |
Blue Flag Media |
Media product for tourism promotion |
€4,957.00 |
€2,478.50 |
€2,321.26 |
|
|
191NW.29 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Achill Féile na Mara |
€2,470.00 |
€1,482.00 |
€1,482.00 |
|
|
191NW.28 |
Achill Tourism CLG |
Marine Trail - Storyboards Installation |
€4,251.50 |
€3,401.20 |
€0.00 |
|
|
191NW.33 |
Peter Cawley |
PC Marine Welding & Fabrication Services |
€3,414.49 |
€1,707.25 |
€1,707.25 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2020 |
201NW.1 |
Marine Cabel Services Ltd |
Training |
€8,270.00 |
€4,135.00 |
€1,450.00 |
|
|
201NW.2 |
Seirbhisi Cabla Teoranta |
MCS Equipment Procurement |
€55,968.03 |
€27,984.01 |
€27,904.14 |
|
|
201NW.76 |
Galway Outdoor Education Centre ltd |
Achill Surf Centre development |
€191,288.00 |
€95,644.00 |
€71,822.44 |
|
|
201NW.15 |
Salann Mara Acla Teo t/a Achill Island Sea Salt |
Purchase of inhouse smoker and modification of area to house smoker |
€11,815.00 |
€5,907.50 |
€0.00 |
|
|
201NW.36 |
Gerry Hassett & Kieran Connaghan |
Enlargement of Freezer Unit at Purteen Harbour, Keel, Achill |
€3,254.67 |
€1,952.80 |
€1,952.80 |
|
|
201NW.68 |
Muintir a' Chorrain Teo |
Currane Our Place, Our Home Information Boards & Improvements to Community Centre |
€11,466.44 |
€9,173.15 |
€8,642.53 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2021 |
201NW.57 |
Todhchaí Phobail Acla |
To assess the feasibility of Achill Isand becoming a community owned electricity and hydrogen producer through wind power. |
€24,280.00 |
€19,424.00 |
€0.00 |
|
|
201NW.58 |
Neart Acla CTR |
Achill Traditional Currach Project |
€24,996.00 |
€19,996.80 |
€0.00 |
|
|
201NW.27 |
St. Coleman’s Care Centre CLG |
Upgrade existing facilities & equipment. |
€56,515.95 |
€45,212.76 |
€0.00 |
|
|
|
|
Totals |
€641,303.77 |
€399,755.20 |
€266,575.68 |
796. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the basis and purpose of including a requirement that a farmer be part of a Bord Bia quality assurance scheme to secure entry to a departmental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43585/21]
View answerThe Quality Assurance Schemes operated by Bord Bia were developed in response to the demands of the marketplace as an independently verified quality assurance mechanism. There is an increasing demand from purchasers for proof that produce is produced sustainably on farms that are certified members of an accredited Quality Assurance Scheme which is based on sustainability principles incorporating environmental, social and economic aspects.
The quality assurance logo gives the purchaser, both retail and end consumer, confidence that the product has been produced to the highest standards as it has been strictly audited on that basis.
Membership of the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme was one of the eligibility criteria for the BEAM scheme operated by my Department in 2019.
Membership of the relevant QAS scheme is a proposed eligibility criteria for some livestock schemes in the next CAP in recognition of the increasing importance of verified quality assurance in maintaining Ireland's hard won reputation as a source of sustainably produced, high quality product internationally and in maintaining our competitiveness in key international markets.
Additionally, in the context of the proposals for the suckler carbon efficiency scheme, the carbon footprint measurement from the SBLAS sustainability audit is an important mechanism for measuring environmental performance of scheme participants.
797. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the €100,000 report on the development of a woollen industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43586/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government contained a commitment to undertake a review of the potential demand in domestic and international markets for wool based products such as insulation and fertilisers. Following the allocation of €100,000 in Budget 2021 for this review, I initiated a public consultation process in early March 2021 to determine the terms of reference for such a review and to provide opportunity for submissions and comments from interested parties on the potential market opportunities for wool products on the domestic and international markets. Over 40 submissions were received on the potential market opportunities for wool products on the domestic and international markets.
The terms of reference for the review are as follows:
- identification of market opportunities domestically and internationally for wool based products;
- carrying out economic feasibility and cost benefit analysis on proposed market opportunities;
- determining mechanisms that could be used to support industry initiatives;
- identification of potential research projects applicable to supporting the identified market opportunities.
On the 8th July 2021, the Request for Tenders (RFT) seeking service providers to carry out this major study was published in accordance with public procurement procedures. The closing date for receipt of submissions was 9th August 2021 and I am very pleased with the response.
The successful service provider will be contracted to carry out a feasibility study in accordance with the Terms of Reference detailed above and will be also required to examine and evaluate the proposals received during the public consultation and produce a report on their findings. The process of evaluating the tender responses is currently underway and I hope to be in a position to appoint the successful tenderer by late September.
I also intend to establish a stakeholder group to provide a platform for strategic engagement on core issues in the sector. The time frame for the completion of the review including publication of the final report is end of 2021.
The recommendations from this review will help focus the development of a robust policy roadmap for the Irish wool industry.
798. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average size of farms of applicants that secured a place in the REAP scheme; the average size of farms of applicants whose applications to the scheme were unsuccessful in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43589/21]
View answer799. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the applicants for the REAP scheme were prioritised in any manner based on size of farm holding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43590/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 798 and 799 together.
REAP is an innovative and farmer-friendly pilot that will deliver an important income boost for farmers while also developing knowledge of results-based payments, and the way in which those payments may be maximised.
Please find information as requested by the Deputy in the following table.
|
REAP Status |
Number of Applicants |
Average farm size (ha) |
|
Selected |
4926 |
30.82 |
|
Not selected |
5879 |
30.23 |
|
Total |
10805 |
30.5 |
The average was calculated by dividing the total size of all holdings in each category by the number of applicants in each category.
The ranking and selection criteria for REAP is published in section 10 of the terms and conditions and farm size is not included within the criteria. It is also important to note that REAP is not a whole of farm project, applicants select fields within their holding to enter into the project. These fields were selected after approval to the project so such information was not available at the ranking and selection stage. Hence the size of a farm was not a factor in the ranking and selection process of the project.
800. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered allowing retesting with regard to BVD in order to reduce the need for compensatory payments and reduce interruptions of farm business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43591/21]
View answerAs Ireland nears the status of BVD free is it imperative that Ireland strengthens our eradication programme controls to ensure that we achieve our target of 'BVD free' as soon as possible, with the resultant productivity benefits and reduced eradication costs for our farmers.
Disease modelling has indicated that the quicker infected animals are removed off farm the greater the likelihood Ireland can achieve the goal of 'BVD free'.
To this end, in agreement with the BVD Implementation Group and as part of an escalation of the eradication effort with significantly increased supports for affected farmers, new legislation has been implemented in 2021 to remove the automatic right to a BVD retest an individual animal. This has had the effect of significantly reducing the time period during which test positive animals have retained on farm.
It remains the case that the Minister may, if it is the interests of the overall BVD eradication programme, direct that a test positive animal may be retested if there is evidence that such may be warranted.
The new Animal Health Law (AHL) came into force in April 2021, and it sets out the requirements for recognition of BVD eradication programmes at EU level. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 requires at least 99.8 % of the cattle herds representing at least 99.9% of the cattle population must be categorised as free from BVD, with Ireland cannot have a confirmed BVD cases in the preceding 18 months. DAFM will make an application to the European Commission for approval of an eradication programme by year end 2021; and intends to meet the criteria to apply for BVD free status by 2023.
801. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to support the development of domestically certified organic seed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43592/21]
View answerMy Department operates a scheme for the certification of seed according to EU Rules and Standards. The scheme is operated by officials in my Department and is open to all seed growers, including those growing organic seed.
A number of seed assemblers have recently placed contracts with organic seed growers for the production of organic seed and this seed will be made available to organic growers in the future. Only certified seed can be placed on the market and a person/company must be registered with my Department before they can market certified seed. There is no fee to apply for registration, but the applicant must demonstrate that they have the equipment and facilities to process and pack seed to the standards required.
At present there is no distinction in certification standards between conventional and organic seed. The EU Commission and Member States are in the process of preparing legislation to permit the certification of organic seed to a lower standard than that required for conventional seed. There is no timeline for the conclusion of such discussions, but the Commission are actively progressing the proposals, which are expected to apply to both agricultural and vegetable species.
802. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken in response to challenges organic farmers will face in securing seeds as a result of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43593/21]
View answerThe Department is currently liaising with the European Commission regarding certification of organic seed under organic growing standards whereby such certification would result in a simpler process in the future. This matter is under continuing discussion.
As a result of Brexit, there had been problems in relation to the importation of both organic and non-organic seed from GB; a prohibition was placed on the importation of certified seeds from GB from 1 January 2021 pending discussions on relevant equivalency agreements.
The UK subsequently applied to the EU to have seeds of certain agricultural crop species (fodder crops, beet, cereals, and oilseed species), deemed equivalent for production and marketing purposes. The EU has now granted equivalence status to the UK for the purposes of production and marketing of seeds of these species in EU Member States. Seed of the aforementioned species produced in the UK may now be freely marketed in Ireland provided they comply with EU plant health and customs regulations.
The UK has applied to the EU for ‘equivalence status’ for vegetable seeds and this application is currently being processed at EU level.
803. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has engaged with the European Commission regarding the BEAM scheme to seek flexibility with regard to farmers that did not avail of a reference year deferral and did not meet the scheme required nitrates reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43596/21]
View answerThe Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) provided 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. BEAM was funded by a combination of EU aid and Exchequer support. It was provided to support Irish beef farmers who saw beef prices fall as a result of disturbance to the market.
One of the conditions under which the €50 million was granted by the EU was that there had to be an element of re-structuring built into the scheme. Accordingly, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% for the period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the period 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2019.
Following engagement with the EU Commission regarding flexibility around the deadline for meeting the 5% reduction, I secured the introduced of an option on Agfood.ie on 19th March 2021 to choose an alternative reduction period of 1st January 2021 - 31st December 2021. This was to give farmers every chance of meeting the requirements of the scheme and one I fought hard for. The option to select this facility remained open until midnight on 21st June 2021 with more than 16,000 applying. There is no facility to apply for the alternative reduction period at this stage.
Where a BEAM participant who opted to defer has met the 5% bovine Nitrates reduction within the original reduction period (1st July 2020 - 30th June 2021), my Department has written to them advising them that they are being removed from the deferment period (1st January 2021 - 31st December 2021) assuming they have met all the other requirements of the BEAM as set out in section 7 of the BEAM Terms and Conditions.
804. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a participant in a departmental scheme appeals the recoupment of payments made, if interest penalties apply from one month after the notice or one month after the appeals process has been exhausted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43597/21]
View answerThe application of interest in respect of scheme related debts is provided for in EU Regulations 1306/2013 and 908/2014. Interest is applied to any outstanding balance following the 30-day payment period allowed in the letter of notification. Interest continues to be applied to any such outstanding balance while an appeal is being processed and finalised.
If the appeal results in a successful outcome for the customer, any associated overpayments, penalties and interest are refunded or reversed as appropriate.
Since taking office, I have been acutely aware of some of the challenges around the BEAM scheme. Through negotiation, I secured a new reference period to assist those participants who were facing challenges with meeting the requirements of the scheme
I accept that the way in which the Department deducted money from participants, who decided not to avail of the reference period extension, was not properly handled and greater sight of the process should have been given to these farmers.
I have instructed my officials to issue and apology letter to this cohort of farmers for the premature manner in which farmers had their monies deducted, albeit they did not meet the requirements of the scheme.
805. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount paid through the BEAM scheme to date by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43598/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is available at the following link
