Seán Sherlock
Question:366. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Departments anticipated actual afforestation rate for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51891/21]
View answerForestry Sector
Questions (366)
Written answers
At present, there are approved licences issued, for sites ready and available to plant covering 5,700 hectares. I would encourage anyone with a valid afforestation licence to contact their forester and arrange planting.
Once planted, they may apply for the first of 15 annual premiums.
It is clear that significant increases in afforestation will be required over the next decade. I am aware that delays in issuing licences may be a contributory factor in terms of interest in planting. We are addressing the backlog through the Project Woodland initiative and September was the highest month for licence issue since April 2019.
Afforestation licences for almost 3,400 hectares have issued this year and we now have a dedicated team of 10 ecologists working on afforestation files ahead of the planting season.
It is important that the Department receives good quality applications from applicants and that they respond to any requests for further information. We are in regular contact with registered foresters and applicants on this.
Regarding projections for 2022, considering the voluntary nature of the Scheme, it is not possible to determine the area that will be planted. We are examining opportunities to further incentivise afforestation measures in the context of the next forestry programme and the next CAP and my Department will be engaging with all relevant stakeholders over the next 12 months. We will be encouraging farmers, state bodies, communities and businesses to plant trees for both timber and to mitigate against the impacts of climate change.
Harbours and Piers
Questions (367)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:367. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on upgrading the pier at Cleggan, County Galway on foot of the 2006 report prepared on the harbour, which is under the remit of his Department, entitled Feasibility Study at Cleggan, County Galway – report on proposal for development, June 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51892/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons throughout Ireland, which were constructed under the auspices of the ex-Congested Districts Board. In addition my Department has responsibility for infrastructural works it carried out under the Marine Works (Ireland) Act 1902, some works at Cleggan Pier being part of this. Galway County Council is responsible for the non 1902 Act infrastructure at Cleggan Harbour.
My Department’s understanding is that Galway County Council was to set up a Steering Committee to oversee any future development in Cleggan Harbour and to date this committee has not been convened.
My Department provides funding to assist the coastal local authorities, including Galway County Council, in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Between the years 2010-2020, Galway County Council has received funding of €3.8m under this programme. Funding of €82,500 was provided to Galway County Council for repair works at Cleggan Harbour under the 2016 Programme.
In May I was pleased to announce a 35% increase in the funding for this Programme for 2021, with Galway County Council securing funding of €345,000 to support seven projects including an allocation of €68,100 for repair and upgrading works to Cleggan pier and crane.
Recently, I received the final report of the Seafood Sector Task Force which was set up earlier this year to examine the impacts on the fishing sector and coastal communities of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The Taskforce is recommending an initiative for the development of publicly owned marine infrastructure and I have asked my Department to urgently examine the report.
Common Agricultural Policy
Questions (368)
Bernard Durkan
Question:368. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the CAP is adequately geared to withstand potential restrictions on agri-food production with a view to meeting carbon reduction targets and simultaneously maintaining food production given the levels of starvation worldwide and in particular the unique nature of Ireland’s ability to minimise its carbon footprint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51912/21]
View answerWritten answers
The next iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which starts in 2023, aims to foster a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector that can support the livelihoods of farmers and provide healthy and sustainable food for society, as well as vibrant rural areas.
Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) for the period 2023-2027 will underpin the sustainable development of Ireland’s farming and food sector by supporting viable farm incomes and enhancing competitiveness, by strengthening the socio-economic fabric of rural areas, and by contributing to the achievement of environmental and climate objectives at national and EU levels.
Plans must be aimed at supporting the economic, environmental and social sustainability of rural areas, and there is a particularly strong emphasis on the achievement of a higher level of climate and environment ambition through a new “Green Architecture” that will operate across both pillars. Ireland proposes to put the CSP at the core of the transition of the agricultural sector to a sustainable food system.
The new CAP Strategic Plan is structured around the achievement of three general objectives, as set out in EU legislation, namely:
- to foster a smart, competitive, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring long term food security.
- to support and strengthen environmental protection, including biodiversity, and climate action, and to contribute to achieving the environmental- and climate-related objectives of the Union, including its commitments under the Paris Agreement;
- to strengthen the socio-economic fabric of rural areas.
Due to Ireland’s temperate climate and exceptional ability to grow grass at relatively low cost, there is a higher reliance on livestock farming. The dairy and beef production in Ireland is already considered to be a carbon efficient food production system.
The proposed new National Agri-Environment Scheme, Eco-Scheme, Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme, and Organic Farming Scheme will directly assist in meeting the targets outlined for a climate-neutral food system by 2050, by reducing biogenic methane levels, reducing ammonia emission levels, reducing nutrient losses to water, prioritising biodiversity on farmed area and increasing the area of agricultural land farmed organically.
Ireland’s agri-food system has a global reputation for quality and safety, primarily based on a sustainable grazed grass approach. Global demand for high quality food is increasing in line with increases in global population, urbanization and affluence, and the Irish agri-food sector is well placed to play a role in meeting this demand.
Agriculture must do its share of the climate ask and absolute emissions from the sector must fall over the years ahead. However, this does not mean that Ireland needs to change from our role as a producer and exporter of safe, high quality and sustainably produced food.
I recently launched the Food Vision 2030 strategy, which sets out a pathway to Ireland becoming a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade and this will be the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector.
By adopting an integrated food systems approach, Ireland will become a global leader of innovation for sustainable food and agriculture systems, producing safe, nutritious, and high-value food while protecting and enhancing our natural resources and contributing to vibrant rural and coastal communities within the national economy.
With a focus on the marketplace together with a continuing reduction in the carbon-footprint of our produce, I am very confident that we will continue the transition to become even more sustainable, with benefits for water, air quality, biodiversity, our farmers and our consumers.
Agriculture Industry
Questions (369)
Bernard Durkan
Question:369. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects the agri-food sector to continue to meet the highest possible levels of output and at the same time meeting compliance standards in carbon reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51913/21]
View answerWritten answers
I launched the new stakeholder strategy for the Irish agri-food sector, Food Vision 2030, with An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin TD, and Ministerial colleagues Minister of State Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon earlier this year..
Food Vision 2030 sets the ambition that, “Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) over the next decade. This will deliver significant benefits for the Irish agri-food sector itself, for Irish society and the environment. In demonstrating the Irish agri-food sector meets the highest standards of sustainability – economic, environmental, and social – this will also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector. By adopting an integrated food systems approach, Ireland will seek to become a global leader of innovation for sustainable food and agriculture systems, producing safe, nutritious, and high-value food that tastes great, while protecting and enhancing our natural and cultural resources and contributing to vibrant rural and coastal communities and the national economy”.
To achieve that ambition, Food Vision provides a strategic framework for the sector and recommends over 200 actions under 22 goals, guided by four high-level missions:
- A Climate Smart, Environmentally Sustainable Agri-Food Sector
- Viable and Resilient Primary Producers with Enhanced Well-Being
- Food that is safe, nutritious and appealing: trusted and valued at home and abroad
- An Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Agri-Food Sector, driven by Technology and Talent.
Food Vision 2030 sets challenging environmental goals, including becoming a climate-neutral food system by 2050, with verifiable progress achieved by 2030, encompassing emissions reductions, carbon sequestration, air, biodiversity and water quality.
At the same time Food Vision targets that Irish agri-food can achieve increased value-addition and exports of €21 billion by 2030, built on sustainable steady value growth.
The achievement of the missions and goals of Food Vision will be challenging but I am committed to working with the sector and am putting in place a robust monitoring and implementation process to facilitate progress, encompassing the wide range of public and private activities.
Food Industry
Questions (370)
Bernard Durkan
Question:370. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he can through CAP or by way of other measures ensure that agri-food production is not impaired by carbon reduction measures given that Ireland’s carbon footprint is the lowest globally for the level of food production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51914/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, the Climate Act was passed by the Houses during the summer, and commits the economy to a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The Deputy is correct in his assertion that Irish food is produced in a way that is very carbon efficient by global standards. Nevertheless, the sector needs to step forward and reduce absolute emissions and contribute to the economy wide reduction target by 2030.
I have made my views clear on this subject over recent months, I believe the sector can meet its climate objectives, maintaining agricultural output but importantly reducing our emissions and contributing to National and International commitments.
The new CAP Strategic Programme will financially assist farmers to make the required transitions.
In addition, I will continue to invest in research and innovation which will provide further solutions for our farmers, for example, the issue of methane reducing feed additives is an area that I am particularly interested in. The Department has a number of ongoing research projects looking at this issue, including the following projects:
|
METH-ABATE |
Development and validation of novel technologies to reduce methane emissions from pasture based Irish agricultural systems |
€1,248,221.65 |
Teagasc-GRG (NUIG, QUB, AFBI) |
|
SEASOLUTIONS |
Seaweeds and seaweed-ingredients to reduce enteric methane emissions from pasture-based sheep, cattle and dairy cows |
€300,843.90 |
Teagasc (ITS) |
While this will be a decade of change for Irish agriculture in terms of on-farm management, meat and dairy production from pasture will continue to underpin the rural economy.
Food Industry
Questions (371, 375)
Bernard Durkan
Question:371. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he remains satisfied that the agri-food sector will remain largely unaffected by carbon reduction measures which can be achieved by reliance on renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51915/21]
View answerBernard Durkan
Question:375. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the degree to which he continues to emphasise the use of alternative energy production to minimise the impact of carbon reduction targets on the agri-food sector in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51920/21]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 and 375 together.
The Programme for Government commits to a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions economy wide between now and 2030 – an extremely challenging ask but necessary as we aim to transition to a net zero economy and society.
The positive contribution from the land use and agricultural sector is built around three pillars:
- Firstly, by reducing our absolute emissions
- Secondly, through enhancing carbon sequestration where our forests and grasslands store carbon and act as sinks; and
- Finally, by the displacement of fossil fuels and energy intensive materials.
The role of Irish farmers in renewable energy systems is three-fold through:
- Establishing energy efficiencies on-farm.
- Through deployment of renewable energy at farm level; and
- As a supplier of biomass/ bio-energy feedstocks
My Department remains committed to supporting renewable energy technology through the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) programme where farmers can qualify for grant aid of between 40-60% for a suite of different cost saving renewable technologies such as LED lighting, solar panels, biomass heaters and variable speed drives for milking plants.
The upcoming launch of the Micro-generation Support Scheme presents an opportunity for farmers to become involved in the supply of electricity through renewable technology. This not only represents an income diversification opportunity but also a cost saving measure for Irish farmers.
The supply of biomass feedstock is an important element for the decarbonisation of heat systems in our agri-food industries and the sector will continue to be a key source of sustainable indigenous biomass material and in fact will double the resource between now and 2030.
It should be noted that while the on-farm renewable energy generation activities of our farmers contribute in a positive way to the energy system the emission reduction benefits of this activity remains with the energy sector. Despite this our farmers remain committed to playing their part in achieving our national climate change emission reduction goals.
Agriculture Industry
Questions (372)
Bernard Durkan
Question:372. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the dairy sector here has managed to maintain output in the course of the past twelve months notwithstanding Brexit and Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51916/21]
View answerWritten answers
Notwithstanding the challenges of the past year, Irish dairy sector exports continue to perform well, despite the global impact to foodservice as a result of COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions resulting from Brexit and COVID-19.
The Department remains vigilant in monitoring the current market and emerging trends, engaging with the industry on an ongoing basis to maximise opportunities for market growth and diversification.
In 2020 Ireland exported dairy products to approximately 143 countries with a value exceeding €5.1 billion. CSO figures for 2020 indicate a -0.7% volume decline and a 0.4% value increase compared to 2019. In 2020 EU Member States account for 33.7% of the value of Irish dairy exports, while the UK remained our strongest trading partner, accounting for 19.4% of dairy exports by volume.
Latest CSO figures show that dairy exports have decreased -7.8% by value and -16.4% by volume when Jan-Aug 2021 figures are compared to the same period in 2020 which reflects the ongoing challenging market situation.
The UK continues to be our strongest trading partner into 2021 accounting for 17.4% of total dairy exports by value. The Netherlands is our strongest EU trading partner, accounting for 14.5% of exports.
Domestic milk intake from the Irish dairy herd continued to grow in 2020 with an increase in milk production of +3.8% compared to 2019, with total deliveries of 8.29 billion litres. Irish milk production represented approximately 5% of total EU milk production in 2020.
In 2021 mild temperatures and abundant rainfall provided good conditions for pastures in producing regions; latest Eurostat figures show that milk deliveries for September 2020 to August 2021 have increased 5.8% when compared to the previous period.
Agriculture Industry
Questions (373)
Bernard Durkan
Question:373. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which Irish beef, lamb and dairy products can get to European and other further afield markets notwithstanding Brexit and Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51918/21]
View answerWritten answers
I am encouraged that the latest trade statistics for 2021 have seen Irish agri-food exports grow in value despite the challenges presented by COVID-19 and Brexit.
For the first seven months of 2021, exports have increased in value terms by €533 million, or 5.8%, on the same period in 2020, and by €199 million, or 2.1%, on the same period in 2019. This is a clear demonstration of the resilience of the Irish beef, lamb and dairy sectors, and of the fact that these products are still reaching markets in the EU and further afield.
It is clear, however, that Brexit presents big challenges for Irish exporters, including in the way the land-bridge across GB to Europe operates. In response to uncertainty about the operation of the landbridge, it has been positive that capacity on the direct shipping routes from Ireland to Europe has increased significantly. This direct connectivity is vital, and has supported Irish exporters in accessing our key European markets and avoiding the uncertainty of delays and disruption to trade being experienced in GB.
At a broader level, the Department continues to have a strong focus on developing new trade opportunities for Irish food exporters. This commitment has seen the Government significantly increase funding for Bord Bia in recent budgets, which has been targeted at supporting market growth and diversification efforts in EU and third country markets.
Agriculture Industry
Questions (374)
Bernard Durkan
Question:374. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which production, husbandry and processing in the agri-food sector can be modernised to meet the challenges of carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51919/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Climate Act that was passed by the Houses during the summer, all sections of the economy will be required to contribute to an economy wide 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emisions by 2030.
I have been consistent in my views that I want to, at a minimum, maintain agricultural production at current levels while meeting our carbon reduction targets in 2030. This will mean that farm practices will need to evolve and modernise to achieve this objective.
Research and innovation will also play a key role here. The Teagasc Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for greenhouse gas abatement and the Ag Climatise roadmap, which I published last year, set out the sorts of actions farmers will need to take.
For example, the sector will need to reduce chemical nitrogen fertiliser use, and this can be partly achieved by improving our use of organic manures and moving to clover based and multispecies swards.
Likewise to reduce methane emissions from the beef herd, the sector needs to transition to ensure our animals are finished at an earlier age, and this will require management and husbandry changes. The Teagasc Signpost farm programme will play an important upskilling role over the years ahead.
Agri-food processing falls under a different carbon budget in a different Department, however, it is clear all companies in Ireland will need to modernise to contribute to the economy wide reductions.
Significant progress within the agri-food processing sector has already been made under the company membership of Origin Green, however, further progress over the decade will be required.