Wednesday, 15 Dec 2021

Written Answers Nos. 231-235

Food Industry

Questions (231)

Holly Cairns

Question:

231. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the pledges made and initiatives taken by Ireland in the agricultural sector at the COP 26 United Nations Climate Change Conference given Ireland's commitments at the United Nations Food Systems Summit and Food Vision's 2030 ambition for Ireland to become an international leader on sustainable food systems, specifically regarding the rationale for Ireland joining the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate but not endorsing the Policy Action Agenda for a Just Transition to Sustainable Food and Agriculture at COP26; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62384/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Ireland is committed to concerted global action to address the climate crisis and engages in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through its membership of the European Union (EU).

The ‘Glasgow Climate Pact’ adopted at COP26, while reflecting a compromise of positions, strikes a balance between increasing climate ambition, delivering on calls for increased climate finance and adaptation supports, and concrete actions to take forward to increase climate ambition. The commitments reached in the Pact, together with greater sectoral ambition announced through statements and alliances established at COP26 will keep 1.5 degrees within reach.

International cooperation is essential to effective climate action. Ireland will continue to work alongside our EU colleagues and with all Parties to accelerate climate action and ambition to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement. In Ireland, we are already taking decisive action through the Food Vision 2030 and 2021 Climate Action Plan.

By aligning these initiatives alongside the Agricultural Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate, the sector has a much greater opportunity of achieving our climate objectives. New greenhouse gas mitigation technologies will be key in the agriculture sector, and the AIM initiative supports this.

The principles outlined in the Policy Action Agenda for a Just Transition to Sustainable Food and Agriculture are consistent with Food Vision 2030, Ireland’s new strategy for the agri-food sector. My Department were not approached to endorse this Policy Action Agenda, unlike the AIM initiative.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (232)

Holly Cairns

Question:

232. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that are in place in meat processing plants to halt the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62385/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary responsibility for public health policy and implementation rests with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Statutory responsibility for health and safety in the workplace rests with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). Responsibility for the Health and Safety of employees lies with the management of each establishment.

The statutory responsibility of my Department is to ensure that Food Business Operators (FBOs) within these premises operate in compliance with the EU’s food hygiene legislation, animal and plant health rules and animal welfare standards.

In addition to this statutory role in meat plants, my Department continues to provide support, as required, to the HSE and the HSA at local and national level, including monitoring that FBOs are operating their premises in accordance with HSE guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control measure.

My Department continues to support the HSE in implementing a programme of serial testing of workers at larger food plants and other businesses.

The first cycle of PCR serial testing (i.e. four weeks of weekly testing) at food production facilities began on 14 September 2020 and a further fourteen cycles have been completed to date. Approximately 267,000 tests were carried out up to the end of Cycle 15 with an overall positivity rate of 0.72%.

Additionally, the Department has led and encouraged the rollout of rapid antigen detection testing (RADT) at meat processing plants, as a risk mitigation measure. To date (i.e. the week ending 10 December 2021), 49 FBO sites had been supplied with RADT test kits and 356 workers have tested positive.

Finally, my Department is also continuing to participate in a Science Foundation Ireland research project – ‘Understanding and Preventing COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants’ - prepared for the future (UPCOM)’. This project has been extended to mid-2022. During Winter 2021/2022, the UPCOM team will explore different ways of enhancing surveillance for respiratory infections in meat plant workers and will evaluate the efficacy of different options to reduce the risk of long-distance airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within meat plants.

In addition, if a worker tests positive on RADT over the coming months, the positive test device will be sent for whole virus genome sequencing. This data will be used both to assist outbreak investigation (tracing the source and spread of infection) and to monitor which virus variants are in circulation.

Taken together, these measures underline the continuing commitment and contribution of my Department to the health and safety of workers in meat plants.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (233)

Holly Cairns

Question:

233. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the measures in place to monitor the health and working conditions in meat processing plants to prevent further clusters of Covid-19. [62387/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary responsibility for public health policy and implementation rests with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive (HSE). Statutory responsibility for health and safety in the workplace rests with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). Responsibility for the Health and Safety of employees lies with the management of each establishment.

The statutory responsibility of my Department is to ensure that Food Business Operators (FBOs) within these premises operate in compliance with the EU’s food hygiene legislation, animal and plant health rules and animal welfare standards. In addition to this statutory role in meat plants, my Department continues to provide support, as required, to the HSE and the HSA at local and national level, including monitoring that FBOs are operating their premises in accordance with HSE guidance on COVID-19 prevention and control measure.

My Department continues to support the HSE in implementing a programme of serial testing of workers at larger food plants and other businesses. The first cycle of PCR serial testing (i.e. 4 weeks of weekly testing) at food production facilities began on 14th September 2020 and a further fourteen cycles have been completed to date. Approximately 267,000 tests were carried out up to the end of Cycle 15 with an overall positivity rate of 0.72%.

Additionally, my Department has led and encouraged the rollout of rapid antigen detection testing (RADT) at meat processing plants, as a risk mitigation measure. To date (i.e. the week ending 10 December 2021), 49 FBO sites had been supplied with RADT test kits and 356 workers have tested positive.

Finally, my Department is also continuing to participate in a Science Foundation Ireland research project – ‘Understanding and Preventing COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants’ - prepared for the future (UPCOM)’. This project has been extended to mid-2022. During Winter 2021/2022, the UPCOM team will explore different ways of enhancing surveillance for respiratory infections in meat plant workers and will evaluate the efficacy of different options to reduce the risk of long-distance airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within meat plants.

Taken together, these measures underline the continuing commitment and contribution of my Department to the health and safety of workers in meat plants

Departmental Funding

Questions (234)

Holly Cairns

Question:

234. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided to a scheme run by a farming organisation (details supplied) annually since 2017; the role of his Department in oversight of the spending of these funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62388/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Macra na Feirme’s Land Mobility Service, which seeks to facilitate new collaborative arrangements between farms, including farm partnerships, shared farming and long-term leasing, has been supported by my Department over the last number of years. Due to the success of an initial Land Mobility Service (LMS) pilot between 2014 and 2016, Macra proposed to expand the scheme in 2017 and sought additional support up to 2020. My Department agreed to provide funding of €50,000 per annum for three years (2017-2019). The final payment in this respect was made in December 2019.

To the end of 2019, over 520 arrangements covering approximately 19,000 hectares had been facilitated. As a result, my Department decided to continue this funding for a further two years during the transition period ahead of the new CAP. Notwithstanding the impact of COVID-19, enquiries, engagements and arrangements continued to grow in 2021 with the cumulative figure for the latter now in excess of 800 covering over 26,000 hectares.

The Land Mobility Service provides an annual report to my Department on delivery and outputs and these are also the subject of regular engagement.

Departmental Policies

Questions (235)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Question:

235. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the main policy achievements and initiatives undertaken by her Department during 2021; and her main priorities for 2022. [62201/21]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department’s continuing focus is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. This mission is set out in our recent Statement of Strategy 2021 to 2023.

My Department has made considerable progress this year, with over €320 million investment in a coherent package of supports to strengthen rural economies and communities. My Department has provided significant investment under the Rural Development Investment Programme including the Town and Village Renewal scheme, Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, Rural Walks Scheme, CLÁR, LEADER programme, TidyTowns competition, and the Dormant Accounts Fund.

My Department has also provided support for communities across the country through community development schemes including the Community Enhancement Programme, Libraries Investment Programme, Seniors Alert Scheme, Community and Voluntary Supports Programme, Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), National Organisations Supports Programme, PEACE Programme, and the Community Services Programme.

During 2021 I launched Our Rural Future, the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, which represents the Governments blueprint for rural development over the next 5 years. Across Government, Our Rural Future has seen investment in local transport and active travel, remote working facilities and digital connectivity. The ambition inherent in Our Rural Future is now being delivered on the ground, the First Progress Report detailing implementation to date will be published in the coming weeks.

Other items progressed by my Department during 2021 include: €70m for a Transitional LEADER Programme for the period 2021-2022; the establishment of a Working Group for the National Volunteering Strategy to ensure delivery of actions; publication of guidelines for Local Economic and Community Plans for each Local Authority area; further engagement with rural communities through the hosting of a series of Rural Ideas Fora and the first national Rural Youth Assembly.

During 2022 my Department will continue to deliver a wide range of measures to support urban and rural communities to grow sustainably and to address their emerging needs. This will include, amongst other work, continued delivery of measures in Our Rural Future policy; further implementation of the measures set out in the 5 year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland ‘Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, 2019-2024’; collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to equip Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) with the required knowledge and skills for the preparation of their Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP); continued development of the new Islands Policy; funding for the development of a new pilot grant to support workers who wish to relocate to rural Ireland while availing of the opportunities afforded by the national network of remote working hubs; completion of the nationwide BCP network; publication of the Charities (Amendment) Bill; the development of the Government’s new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy; strengthened engagement on climate matters impacting on communities; and continued engagement with stakeholders as the process of agreeing the design of the new LEADER programme with the EU Commission continues.

Over the lifetime of the new National Development Plan my Department’s Capital allocation will grow from €169m this year to €192m next year, €196m in 2023, €200m in 2024 and €205m in 2025 with subsequent years to be added on a rolling basis. This will allow my Department to continue to deliver these important funding schemes and policies to support both urban and rural communities, improve quality of life, and enable local and community development sectors to continue to provide valuable much needed services and supports to all communities throughout the country.