Written Answers Nos. 1-20
4. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the labour force survey of the Irish fishing fleet being conducted by a company (details supplied) on behalf of Bord Iascaigh Mhara will capture data relating to migrant fishers, both documented and undocumented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51710/21]
View answerBord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is the State agency with responsibility for the sustainable development of the Irish seafood industry. While the matter raised is proper to BIM, it has provided information to assist in providing a full understanding of the issue being raised.
BIM advise that it has engaged INDECON Economic Consultants to carry out a survey of the labour force market for the Irish fish-catching sector funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The aim is to develop proposals to help resolve the main constraints to recruitment in the fishing sector, with guidelines to ensure career development; to describe the way crew are employed; and outline the conditions and relevant tax and social welfare rules that apply across the catching sector. BIM advise that the study focuses on three categories of workers, share fishers, EEA PAYE workers and non EEA workers under the atypical scheme.
The Atypical Working Scheme was established as a Government response to concerns about the conditions of employment of non-EEA workers in the Irish fishing fleet. It put in place practical arrangements that enabled the risk of exploitation to be minimised while ensuring that reputable employers are enabled to recruit trained and experienced crew members. The role of my Department is to maintain the Central Depository of contracts and supporting documentation submitted under the Scheme.
I have spoken recently with James Browne TD, Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Damien English TD Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail and heard their concerns about the current scheme. Those Ministers have requested a review of the scheme. I have agreed that my Department will participate in any review deemed necessary in order to provide further support for non-EEA workers in the fishing industry. An initial meeting of officials took place yesterday, Wednesday, to commence this process.
7. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the banning of hare coursing given the cruel nature of the practice and the protected nature of the hare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51711/21]
View answerCoursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club, subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann; hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club. The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom are governed by the ICC’s rules and regulations.
The granting of licenses for the netting and tagging of hares is a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage – National Parks and Wildlife Service.
A monitoring committee on coursing is in place, comprising officials from my Department, the ICC and the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS), to monitor developments in coursing and, in that regard, the situation is kept under constant review to ensure that coursing is run in a controlled manner.
The committee meets annually to review the previous coursing season and any matters arising.
I believe that it is critically important that those involved in coursing operate in accordance with the regulatory framework and that the welfare of both hares and greyhounds is at the forefront at all times. I have no plans at present to alter this arrangement.
9. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an ash plantation is dead due to the ash dieback disease, if such a plantation requires a tree felling licence; the number of applications received and approved under the ash dieback RUS scheme since its launch; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51250/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Department has had a reconstitution scheme for Ash Dieback available since 2013. The existing scheme, the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme for Ash Dieback was announced on the 10th June 2020 and applications could be submitted from the 22nd June 2020.
The objectives of the scheme are to encourage the active management of ash plantations, to promote the vigorous growth of ash through thinning and, where appropriate in young plantations and in cases of high disease infection, to support the removal of the affected ash crop and replacement with alternative species.
The Scheme also aims to build resilience and diversity into plantations and possibly identify tolerant or resistant individuals. The scheme has been extended to take in all plantations regardless of age, where the level of disease present satisfies the criteria. A tree felling licence is not required as part of an application for the Scheme, however, the application will undergo Appropriate Assessment Screening.
To date, the Department has received 410 applications for 1,608 hectares and has decided on 128 of those for 434 hectares. Of the outstanding applications, while all have not yet been assessed we have identified that approximately 100 are currently delayed due to the requirement for planning permission for the replacement of Broadleaf High Forest, in this case Ash, with conifer species.
I know this poses difficulties for landowners wishing to replace their diseased ash plantation and my officials have been in contact with their counterparts in Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the issue.
We are exploring potential alternatives to the current system that requires both planning permission and a felling licence or exemption from a felling licence. Along with Minister of Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, we are committed to resolving this situation and my Department will update in due course on developments.
15. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of officials from his Department on secondment to Irish embassies; the breakdown by country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51332/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government emphasises the diversification and development of new markets for the Irish agri-food sector.
The appointment of Minister of State Martin Heydon with special responsibilities including ‘New Market Development’ affirms our commitment to delivering on this undertaking.
The success of the Department's diplomatic representation abroad - in assisting in the retention, expansion and securing of access to markets - is directly related to the support and additional work carried out in the Department’s line divisions at home.
Seventeen Department officials are currently seconded to Irish Embassies abroad. These deployments include two Counsellors - in Brussels and London - as well as 14 attachés in diverse global locations, including our traditional trading partners across Europe and in the United States, and in evolving markets in locations such as China, Korea, Japan, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. These have become particularly important in recent years, since the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the EU.
The Department regularly reviews overseas assignments, to ensure that our presence abroad supports market access in key target locations and delivers on the expected benefits.
The role of agricultural attachés within the embassy network varies according to the assigned post, but is primarily focused on trade assistance and facilitation as part of the Department’s market development remit.
Securing and enhancing market access to countries outside the EU is usually a lengthy process involving much interaction between officials in the Department and their counterparts in competent authorities in importing countries.
The detailed technical work in negotiating market access involves completion of lengthy questionnaires on official controls, hosting inspection visits, conducting overseas trade missions and reaching agreement on export health certificates or protocols which dictate the conditions under which agri-food products are traded.
Liaison with Irish embassies abroad is critical to all those exchanges, and by initiating and developing relationships with competent authorities and other agencies in those countries, agricultural attachés support my Department’s access efforts in targeted markets. The target markets are decided in consultation with industry stakeholders to ensure that my Department’s work programme is aligned with exporters’ priorities.
Experience in recent years has shown that such contacts are crucial to Ireland’s efforts to gain new market access and also to broaden and deepen existing levels of trade in both value and volume terms.
The recent signing of protocols with China to allow for the export of sheepmeat and breeding pigs and the opening of the Japanese market for the export of minced beef and beef burgers earlier this year are just two examples of the successes of these interactions.
17. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if in relation to circular 5/2021, this means the silvicultural use of conifer species as a nurse species for broadleaf species is not allowable in the RUS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51246/21]
View answerThe Department's forestry-related Circular 5 of 2021 outlines the advice the Department received from Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in relation to the “replacement of Broadleaf High Forest with conifer species”.
The Circular outlined the situations where planning permission from the Local Authority is required when replacing Broadleaf High Forest with Conifer species and when planning permission is not required. For example, areas over ten hectares and areas screened in for Appropriate assessment require planning permission if the project involves replacement of high forest with conifer species.
The requirement for planning does not take into account the disease status of the Broadleaf High Forest.
The Circular does not mention the use of conifer species as a nurse species for broadleaf species nor does the circular state that using a nurse species is not allowed. Applicants can propose any species or range of species they wish including mixtures under the Reconstitution and Underplanting scheme.
I am well aware that this requirement for planning permission has introduced further difficulties for landowners wishing to clear their diseased ash plantations and replace them with other species.
Contact has been made between Department officials and their counterparts in Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage on this issue as outlined at the meeting with the Oireachtas Committee. We are exploring potential alternatives to the current system.
My Department will update in due course on developments.
18. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for establishing a food ombudsman’s office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51685/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the commitment in the Programme for Government is that a new National Food Ombudsman will enforce the UTP Directive and will have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland. The establishment of such an Office requires primary legislation.
The Deputy will also be aware that Directive 2019/633, dealing with Unfair Trading Practices in the agricultural and food supply chain and which involves the establishment of an Enforcement Authority, was required to be transposed into national law by 1st May 2021.
It was not possible to enact the primary legislation before the May transposition deadline so, as an interim measure, I am happy to advise the Deputy that, in April this year, ahead of that deadline, I signed Statutory Instrument No. 198 of 2021 to transpose the Directive directly into Irish law.
I also established the UTP Enforcement Authority in my Department pending the finalisation of the primary legislation being prepared to establish the new Office. However, I want to assure the Deputy that the Enforcement Authority has been assigned all of the necessary legal powers to investigate complaints from suppliers, including primary producers, to carry out investigations on its own initiative, and to initiate legal proceedings for breaches of the Unfair Trading Practices defined in the Directive.
The Enforcement Authority will shortly be undertaking an awareness-raising campaign on the UTP Regulations and will be engaging with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural and food products supply chain.
In regard to the plans for establishing the new Office of Food Ombudsman or equivalent, the General Scheme of the Bill for the primary legislation is currently being prepared. As part of those preparations, consideration is being given to the submissions made in response to the public consultation held by my Department earlier this year, and also whether the provisions of the UTP Directive need to be extended.
Once the primary legislation is finalised and the new Office is established, the Enforcement Authority functions will transfer to the new Office in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government. In the meantime, it is open to suppliers to engage with the Enforcement Authority on any concerns they may have in relation to unfair trading practices.
Increasing transparency all along the food chain is something that I believe is very important to help strengthen the position of farmers, fishers and food businesses. The legislation will provide that the new Office of the Food Ombudsman or equivalent will have a specific role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland in line with the Programme for Government commitment.
I intend that the new Office will build on the work already done on market transparency, including the market transparency studies commissioned by my Department as part of the work of the Beef Taskforce, which have been completed and published on gov.ie.
I also assure you, Deputy, that I am fully committed to ensuring that the Programme for Government commitment is implemented as quickly as possible and I am pleased to say that, as announced in the details of Budget 2022, €4 million has been provided in the estimates for the establishment of the new Office.
I believe that the new Regulations I introduced in April are a significant step in progressing towards a more even playing field for our agricultural and food suppliers, providing them with a service that they can avail of with regard to unfair trading practices.
I am committed to progressing work in this area in order to bring much-needed transparency to the sector.
19. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine report on the Proposed Regulation of Veterinary Medicines in Ireland and the recommendations outlined in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50913/21]
View answerThe Department received the comprehensive Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the Proposed Regulation of Veterinary Medicines in Ireland. We welcome the Report and are considering all of the findings and recommendations contained therein.
The Department officials were in attendance at the Committee on October 6th last to discuss all the contents of the Report.
The Department continues to work with the Committee and all stakeholders to ensure the continuance of a competitive market for veterinary medicinal products and an environment which provides greater choice and value for money to the farming community.
20. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the organic farming scheme will be reopened for new entrants given the PFG 7.5% and the EU 25% targets for agriculture land under organic farming; the resources his Department is putting in place to drive achievement of the 7.5% target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51437/21]
View answerI am delighted to have secured a significant increase in the budget for organic farming for 2022. Funding for the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) has been increased to €21 million up from €16milion last year with a further €2 million for further organic sector development measures. This increase is very welcome and addresses the growing demand from both farmers and consumers for this type of production. This effectively doubles the funding for organics since I took office less than two years ago.
As you will be aware the current Programme for Government contains a commitment to align Ireland’s organic land area with that of the current EU average of approximately 7.5% over the lifetime of this Government. Budget 2022, with its increased allocation for organic farming, will assist in working towards that. At the same time I will also be continuing to progress the implementation of the National Organic Strategy 2019-2025 which sets out ambitious growth targets for the sector by aligning it closely with market opportunities.
The additional funding to be allocated to the opening of the Organic Farming Scheme in 2022 could provide for an additional fifty thousand hectares converting to organic production in 2022. This would represent an increase in excess of 50% in the area currently farmed organically and takes us further along the route to the goal of 7.5% land cover. I am encouraging all farmers from all sectors to join and my Department and relevant Agencies and advisory bodies will be working with them before the opening of the scheme.
In addition to the Organic Farming Scheme, Budget 2022 will provide funding for other supports for organic farmers, such as the Organic Capital Investment Scheme and the Organic Processing Investment Grant Scheme. Initiatives to assist in the development of the sector such as the Organic Demonstration Farm Programme and other training and education projects will also be funded. Organic farming and production is a key priority of mine. No Minister or Government has ever funded its expansion to this extent and I intend to continue to invest in its future under the next CAP also.
