Written Answers Nos. 817-827
818. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he has taken to address the lack of capacity in Ireland to slaughter pigs resulting in loss of income for pig farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44079/21]
View answerI am acutely aware of the labour issues that exist in parts of the agri-food sector, including in meat processing. The Department has regular engagement with the industry on this issue and has facilitated further engagement with the Department of Social Protection in seeking to recruit labour from within the Irish and European labour markets.
The Department has also engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to explore the possibility of further employment permits for certain occupations in meat processing where it is not possible to recruit sufficient labour from within the domestic and European labour pools. These discussions remain ongoing.
I and my officials have also highlighted to the meat processing sector the need to have appropriate labour attraction and retention policies in place, especially as competition for labour grows with the re-opening of the economy in line with the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
819. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the total catch limit in 2021 of 1,000 tonnes for inshore sprat for vessels over 18 metres in length is monitored; the person or body that monitors same; the amount of sprat caught by these vessels to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44141/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in December 2018, following a public consultation process in which over 900 submissions were received, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine announced that vessels over 18m will be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1st January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18m targeting sprat was allowed to enable adjustment for these vessels, as the sprat fishery is concentrated inside the six nautical mile zone.
Policy Directive 1 of 2019 was introduced in March 2019 to give effect to these changes. A Judicial Review was taken by two applicant fishers challenging the validity of the Policy.
On 6th October 2020, the High Court judgment held, in summary, that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 was made in breach of fair procedures and is void and/or of no legal effect.
I appealed the decision of the High Court to the Court of Appeal. I also sought a stay on the order of the High Court, which was granted by the Court of Appeal on 19th March last, reinstating the Policy Directive. Following a full hearing by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday 22nd June, the Court decided to temporarily extend the Policy Directive excluding large vessels from trawling in inshore waters within 6 miles of the coast, save for a restricted sprat fishery. This decision applies until at least the 4th of October (the first day of the Court of Appeal’s Michaelmas term) and/or until a determination in relation to the stay is delivered by the Court of Appeal. Judgment on the case is reserved.
As this matter is sub judice, I am not in a position to comment until the matter can be resolved before the Courts.
On June 28th last, the Department wrote to owners of vessels over 18 metres in length informing them of the decision of the court in respect of the stay and that they will continue to require an authorisation to trawl for sprat inside the 6 mile zone. Under the Policy Directive, the total catch limit for sprat is 1,000 tonnes for 2021 for vessels over 18 metres in length overall.
The sprat fishery is operating as an open fishery and landing figures are being monitored closely by the Sea Fishery Protection Authority (SFPA).
The monitoring and control of fisheries 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.
I have accordingly referred the Deputy's queries in respect of monitoring and landing data to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.
820. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the planned support for beef farmers in the new Common Agricultural Policy. [44200/21]
View answerThe development of the CAP Strategic Plan is well under way. Most recently, a five-week public consultation on the draft interventions concluded on Friday 3rd September.
There is a proposed suckler carbon efficiency scheme as part of the new CAP strategic plan which is aimed at improving the economic and environmental sustainability, as well as the animal welfare credentials, of beef production. The proposed measure will build on the gains made from the current supports including the Beef Data and Genomics Programme and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme.
The core support for the beef sector under the current RDP is the €300 Million Beef Data and Genomics Programme. In addition to this support, over the last two years, over €200 million of additional supports were made available specifically to the beef sector, including the BEAM and BEEP schemes in 2019 and the Beef Finishers Payment and BEEP-S in 2020.
In Budget 2021, €85 million has been allocated for specific supports for sustainable beef farming. This includes over €40 million for the extension of the BDGP during the transition period before the next CAP. The Beef Sector Efficiency Pilot with an allocation of €45 million was launched earlier this year.
821. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to address the illegal sale or transportation of abducted animals. [44201/21]
View answerConcern for the safety and welfare of pet animals was one of the primary reasons behind the introduction by my Department of the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 681/2019). These Regulations were welcomed by welfare organisations and put into law certain requirements for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, including minimum ages for sale of certain mammals; record-keeping; registration with the Department; and provision of certain information about the pet in advertisements.
Extracts from the Register of Sellers and Suppliers of Pet Animals and the Register of Premises (name of seller or supplier, registration number and the county of the premises used in connection with the sale and supply of pets) are published on the Gov.ie website
The requirement to include certain information about a pet animal in an advertisement will assist potential pet owners in deciding the appropriate seller with whom to engage.
The Department's website has further guidance for potential pet owners thinking of acquiring a pet. The Department continues to develop its controls in respect of this legislation and is advancing its plans and approach to effective enforcement.
The Department participates in the Irish Pet Advertising Advisory Group (IPAAG), a group formed in 2015 by a number of animal welfare organisations, veterinary professionals and classified advertising websites to bring improvement to the matter of advertising of pets online.
Officials of the Department have engaged and will continue to engage constructively with members of IPAAG, on the issue of online advertising and enforcement of the new Regulations. IPAAG has published practical, comprehensive advice on their website for anyone thinking of acquiring a pet, including what to check for in advertisements for pet animals.
Any evidence of animal cruelty or neglect of an animal’s welfare should be brought to the attention of the Department by calling the animal welfare helpline on 0761064408 (Call Save) or 01 6072379 or by emailing animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie. All such reports are followed up on.
822. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the grants and supports available to bridge clubs seeking to return to in-person play in line with the roadmap for the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in order to ease the financial burden of bringing their premises in compliance with Covid-19-related hygiene protocols; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44165/21]
View answerThe Government are aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department have introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health.
During 2020, the COVID-19 Stability Fund supported close to 600 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the communities that depend on them. A further allocation of €10m was provided to the COVID-19 Stability Fund for 2021. The Stability Fund 2021 was launched on Thursday 6th May, and was targeted at organisations who met the published criteria, and which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which now face closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic. Eligibility to apply / submitting an application is no guarantee of funding and the Fund is now closed.
However, the LEADER programme may be able to provide some assistance to the organisation in question. LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU which operates a locally-led, bottom-up, approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme supports private enterprises and community groups in rural areas.
In December 2020, I launched the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. A total of €70 million is being made available over this programming period. €20 million of this Transitional LEADER Programme is funded by the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI), which will enable local communities and enterprises to respond, recover and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy for the relevant LEADER area and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.
The decision to approve a project, or otherwise, is a matter for the LAG which administers the programme in each LEADER area. Interested applicants should, in the first instance, contact the relevant LAG through its Implementing Partners to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available.
Contact details for all LAGs and their Implementing Partners can be accessed through the Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c45498-local-action-groups/
823. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an application by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo under a funding scheme was unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43227/21]
View answerOn April 29 2021, I launched the Connected Hubs Call. This fund was designed to support the creation of additional remote working capacity at established hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCPs). Eligible works included the expansion of hubs, installation of privacy booths, access control and security systems, the conversion of existing open plan space to modular offices, and the provision of enhanced audio visual, networking and conferencing facilities. Grants also funded measures to assist hubs and BCPs to address Covid-related challenges.
By the deadline of June 17, my Department had received 153 applications in total, a significant number of which were multi-hub applications. This represents a very high level of interest given that there are between 400-500 hubs currently in operation. On July 22, I announced €8.8 million in funding to 118 successful applicants.
All applications were subject to a uniform assessment and selection process. This process was centred on a competitive scoring system in line with a number of criteria which were publicised in advance of applications being developed and received. Thus, the application in question was scored competitively along with all other applications by reference to the following scoring structure:
- 30% of the marks were available for applications to demonstrate how they would develop and leveraging hub infrastructure,
- 25% of marks were available for the overall quality of the application,
- 20% of marks were available for the methodology set out in the application,
- 15% of marks were available for the demonstration of value for money, and
- 10% of marks were available for collaborative aspects of applications.
Since the announcement of successful applications, my officials have prioritised issuing funding agreements and payments to successful applicants, although I understand that all unsuccessful applicants will shortly be contacted with feedback on their applications.
824. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding allocated to local authorities for a scheme (details supplied); the amount of funding that went to the private sector separately; the number of applications grant aided by the local authorities under this scheme; the way the criteria were set; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43228/21]
View answerOn April 29 2021, I launched the Connected Hubs Call. This fund was designed to support the creation of additional remote working capacity at established hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCPs). Eligible works included the expansion of hubs, installation of privacy booths, access control and security systems, the conversion of existing open plan space to modular offices, and the provision of enhanced audio visual, networking and conferencing facilities. Grants also funded measures to assist hubs and BCPs to address Covid related challenges.
By the deadline of June 17, my Department had received 153 applications in total, a number of which were multi-hub applications. This represents a very high level of interest given that there estimated to be 400-500 hubs currently in operation.
The criteria by which applications were evaluated were detailed in the scheme outline document. These criteria were: Developing and Leveraging Hub Infrastructure - 30%; Quality of Proposal - 25%; Methodology - 20%; Value for Money - 15%; and Collaboration - 10%.
Joint multi-hub applications to the Connected Hubs Call were encouraged, with a number of applications featuring both private and public hubs. Given this approach, a breakdown of funding provided to public and private hubs is not available. However, details of all successful applicants and the associated funding, categorised by the lead applicant in each case, can be found on my Department's website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/64df6-connected-hubs-fund/.
825. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has utilised the services of organisations (details supplied) at any time from 1 January 2015 to date; if so, the expenditure costs related to same; the purpose of any such engagements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43245/21]
View answerMy Department was established on 19 July 2017. It has utilised the services of Common Purpose Ireland for training purposes. The details and expenditure costs are in the table provided.
|
Year |
Training Course |
Full Cost |
|
2021 |
Emerging Leaders Programme |
€4,600 |
|
2021 |
Senior Leaders Programme |
€3,000 |
|
2020 |
Emerging Leaders Programme |
€2,300 |
|
2019 |
Profile Leadership Programme |
€1,500 |
826. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 642 of 13 July 2021, if there have been communications within her Department with the dog control unit or members or representatives thereof with regard to a proposed move of the unit; if so, her position on such; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43584/21]
View answerWhile some exploratory discussions regarding the transfer of the dog control functions to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) took place with that Department in late 2017, my Department has had no engagement recently with DAFM in relation to this matter.
Furthermore, there have been no recent internal communications within my Department with the unit which deals with dog control or members or representatives thereof with regard to a proposed move of the unit.
Both Departments continue to work closely together to ensure a coordinated approach is taken in the area of dog control.
827. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of Bills prepared by her Department since 27 June 2020; the number and title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment; the titles of the regulatory impact assessments that have been published by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43713/21]
View answerMy Department has not published any Bill which included a Regulatory Impact Assessment, since 27 June 2020, the timeline specified by the Deputy.
