Written Answers Nos. 891-910
891. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a 2021 beef data and genomics programme payment will issue to a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16405/22]
View answerThe Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) was extended for a rollover period of one year in 2021 and further extended again in November 2021 for a further one year in 2022. The 2021 extension was only open to those BDGP participants who had already met all the requirements for the full six-year duration of BDGP 2015-2020, of which the person named had.
In December 2020, a letter issued to the person named informing them that they were eligible to apply for the 2021 BDGP transitional scheme if they wished. The letter set out the ways in which to apply, either online or by SMS text. The person named did not submit an application for the BDGP 2021 transitional scheme, therefore payment cannot issue under the BDGP 2021 transitional scheme.
A request for a review of this decision was recently received from the person named. This review is being considered and the outcome of that review will be communicated in writing to the person named shortly.
892. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that his Department will take to protect the Irish market from an increase in market prices for timber (details supplied), which, if left unprotected, will further exacerbate the housing crisis. [16461/22]
View answerThe conflict in Ukraine and range of sanctions from Russia will have an impact on the international trade in timber. Many forest owners and importers rely on independent certification that provides due diligence that timber has come from sustainably managed forests.
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) is one of the large certification bodies used to market timber. The PEFC have announced recently that all timber originating from Russia and Belarus is ‘conflict timber’ and therefore cannot be used in PEFC-certified products. This also applies to all timber originating from occupied Ukrainian territory.
The PEFC defines conflict timber as, "Timber that has been traded at some point in the chain of custody by armed groups, be they rebel factions or regular soldiers, or by a civilian administration involved in armed conflict or its representatives, either to perpetuate conflict or take advantage of conflict situations for personal gain". Although conflict timber is not necessarily illegal this decision will impact the flow of timber to the EU.
Ireland's exposure to the Russian market is small and amounted to approximately 4% of total sawnwood imports in 2020. The price of timber and other world traded commodities such as fertiliser and steel have seen large increases in prices within the last 12 months. The cost of housing reflects many different factors.
893. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that livestock units which were matriculated regarding the basic income support for sustainability scheme differ from the current areas of natural constraints scheme requirements; his views on whether this will encourage increased stocking rates on areas of natural constraints; his further views on whether the reduced weighting particularly regarding sheep will negate any potential benefit from the reduction in stocking rate requirement in the organic farming scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16594/22]
View answerUnder the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), from 2023 it is proposed to implement a minimum stocking requirement as an eligibility requirement for the Areas facing Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme, as part of the active farmer check, in one of the agricultural practises in the eco-scheme and in the new Organic Farming Scheme.
It is proposed that the minimum stocking requirement check in the CSP will be largely based on the current ANC check, which many farmers are familiar with.
In the ANC scheme, participants are currently required to maintain an annual average minimum stocking density per forage hectare calculated over the 12 months of the calendar year. Participants must also meet a minimum retention period of 7 seven consecutive months.
From 2023 it is proposed that the livestock unit coefficients to be used for the minimum stocking requirements will be amended to match the current Eurostat livestock coefficients. Based on these new Eurostat coefficients, it is proposed the minimum stocking requirement would be set at 0.10 Livestock Units per hectare (LU/HA), reduced from the current minimum requirement of 0.15 LU/HA.
This will maintain the link with one Ewe equivalent per hectare (1 Ewe = 0.10 LU) as it is in the current CAP. As a result, there will no change to the stocking rates required to meet the minimum stocking requirement on sheep farms. A reduced stocking level may apply where it is justified on environmental grounds.
In relation to the new Organic Farming Scheme from 2023, the new coefficients and the minimum stocking requirement of 0.10 livestock units per hectare will also apply. The lower minimum stocking rate requirement will allow many of the current participants receive a full organic scheme payment and will also encourage farmers on marginal land to consider converting to organic farming.
894. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average time it takes from when an appeal is lodged to the date of hearing; the average time from the date of a hearing until a final decision is issued; the cause of any excessive delays in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16595/22]
View answerThe reply is being correlated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
|
Average time from receipt of Appeal to Closure |
Average time from Appeal Assigned to Appeals Officer to Closure |
||
|
Year |
No of Days |
Year |
No of Days |
|
2021 |
185 |
2021 |
138 |
|
2020 |
287 |
2020 |
218 |
|
2019 |
238 |
2019 |
146 |
|
2018 |
177 |
2018 |
137 |
|
2017 |
137 |
2017 |
80 |
|
2016 |
185 |
2016 |
117 |
895. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 750 of 8 March 2022, if it is intended that farmers will be able to identify which stream of the Agri-Environment Climate Measure is open to them prior to the scheme opening for applications; if so, when the required technical work to deliver such will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16596/22]
View answer897. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a portal will be available allowing farmers to check whether their farm is in an area targeted for the co-operation measure of the Agri-Environment Climate Measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16598/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 895 and 897 together.
As I have previously stated, farmers in all areas of the country will be able to participate in the proposed new agri-environment climate measure (AECM) from 1st January 2023, subject to EU Commission approval of the CAP Strategic Plan.
It is intended that farmers will be able to identify which stream of the AECM is open to them - the General or the Co-Operation Project stream - in advance of the scheme opening for applications. I recognise the importance for farmers to have clarity on this issue.
Work is ongoing in developing an appropriate system to enable such identification by farmers and their advisers but it is not possible at this stage to provide an exact date for completion of this work. We will clarify this as soon as further information is available.
896. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 2027 of 19 January 2022, when he expects to report on value for cultivation and use trials for uncovered maize; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16597/22]
View answerAs I advised in my reply of 19th January last, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine continued Value for Cultivation & Use (VCU) trials for covered maize in 2021 and produced the 2022 (plastic) Covered Recommended List detailing varieties suitable for maize producers using up existing stocks of plastic film.
In addition, the Department re-commenced VCU trials for uncovered maize in 2020 to identify varieties better suited to Irish growing conditions and which do not require plastic covering. Following the minimum three years (for statistical confidence) of trialing from 2020 until 2022 inclusive, the Department plans to produce a 2023 Uncovered Recommended List in quarter one 2023.
898. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commission a socioeconomic impact assessment on the results of re-wetting 105,000 ha of farmed drained peat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16599/22]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan 2021 targets 80,000 hectares of grasslands on drained organic soils for reduced management intensity by 2030 as part of agriculture’s contribution to achieving national climate change targets.
The Department announced a call for a new locally led European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project on reduced management intensity of farmed peatlands in August 2020. Two groups, Nature Based Agri Solutions Limited and Green Restoration Ireland were successful in their applications and will receive over €2 million to complete their projects. These projects will, and have been providing lessons learned to scale up the actions and measures into a larger agri-environment scheme for the CAP Strategic Plan.
There are currently no plans to commission a specific socio-economic impact assessment for the re-wetting of farmed drained peat.
899. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers are allowed to hold some veterinary medicine products such as mastitis tubes on-farm under new veterinary regulations and those due to come into effect later in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16600/22]
View answerArticle 105 of EU Regulation 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products and the Veterinary Council of Ireland’s Code of Professional Conduct outline the circumstances under which veterinary medicinal products can be prescribed.
From January 28th 2022, it is a requirement for a veterinary practitioner to justify the need for medicines he or she prescribes using his or her professional judgement.
In the case of antimicrobial veterinary medicine products, including 'mastitis tubes', all of which are Prescription Only Medicines, a veterinary practitioner can prescribe a small quantity of antimicrobials to be kept on farm where the practitioner has judged there to be an essential need for treatment of an individual animal or a limited number of animals, when the risk of infection is high or the consequences of infection are likely to be severe.
The responsible use of veterinary medicinal products in an essential component of efforts to reduce anti-microbial resistance which poses an increasing threat to the effective treatment of illness in animals and people.
900. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the targeted number of afforestation licences for 2022; the number issued to date; the number his Department expects to issue on average per week for the remainder of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16601/22]
View answerMy Department published a detailed Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022. The Plan contains a target of 5,250 licences issued this year, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. The main sub-targets are
- A higher priority will be given to afforestation licences for 2022 with a 107% increase in output up to 1,040.
- There will be a year-on-year increase of 48% of private felling, roads and afforestation files.
- Coillte felling licences are targeted at the same level as 2021.
As can be seen in the table below, as of 25h March 2022 the projected target of year to date licences to be issued was 1,212 and the output of licences was 1,203 i.e. output is 99% of target.
|
Scheme |
Output YTDLicences |
Target YTD Licences |
|
Felling (Private) |
355 |
420 |
|
Felling (Coillte) |
511 |
360 |
|
Afforestation |
155 |
240 |
|
Roads |
182 |
192 |
|
Total (licences) |
1,203 |
1,212 |
Full details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard which is published and made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture each week.
It is inevitable, in the context of the annual target figures, there will be fluctuations in licence output from week to week.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, my priority this year is to deliver on the ambition outlined in the Licensing Plan and to issue 5,250 licences, meeting the projected targets for each category of licence, including afforestation, within that.
901. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department expects to continue issuing felling licences at a ratio of 40%:60% private to Coillte for the remainder of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16602/22]
View answer912. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of private felling licences issued of the total felling licences issued in January, February and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16621/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 901 and 912 together.
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, it is my aim to deliver a licensing system which meets the needs of all those who apply for forestry licences.
This is regardless of whether that application comes from a private individual who wishes to plant trees, a forest owner who wishes to fell their crop, or Coillte who wishes to supply sawmills with product from their estate. Each licence has a value particularly to the rural economy where the timber is harvested, transported and processed.
As regards the issuing of Coillte versus private licences last year we received 3,601 tree felling licence applications, split between 2,299 Coillte and 1,309 private applications (64%/36% respectively). My Department issued 1,345 private felling licences and 1,532 to Coillte in 2021.This highlights that overall, there was no great disparity between Coillte and private licences (47%/53% respectively), notwithstanding the greater number of Coillte applications received
Our plans for licence issue in 2022 are contained in the Forestry Licensing Plan with a target of 5,250 licences issues, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. This includes an increase of 36% in private felling licences to 1,830, while Coillte felling licences at 1,530 will maintain the levels they achieved in 2021.
The Licensing Plan 2022 may be found here gov.ie - Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 (www.gov.ie).
The table below shows the number of private felling licences and the number of Coillte licences issued monthly by my Department from January 2022 to 18th March 2022.
|
- |
January 2022 |
February 2022 |
To 18th March 2022 |
|
Felling Private |
144 |
128 |
59 |
|
Felling Coillte |
150 |
202 |
109 |
|
Total |
294 |
330 |
168 |
The table below shows the percentage of private felling licences and the percentage of Coillte licences issued monthly by my Department from January 2022 to 18th March 2022.
|
- |
January 2022 |
February 2022 |
To 18th March 2022 |
|
Felling Private % |
49% |
44% |
42% |
|
Felling Coillte % |
51% |
56% |
58% |
Along with Minister of State Pippa Hackett, our priority this year is to deliver on the ambition outlined in Forestry Licensing Plan and to issue 5,250 licences, and to reach the projected targets in each licence category, including private felling.
902. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his position regarding the extension of the 16-week derogation for housing free-range layers in response to annual outbreaks of avian influenza; if he has requested the extension of such by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16605/22]
View answerPoultry producers are obliged, by law, to keep their birds indoors because of the risk of Avian Influenza. There is a derogation under the EU Marketing Standards Regulations which allows for eggs from birds that are housed to be marketed as Free Range for a period of 16 weeks. The issue now arising is that the 16 weeks has elapsed for some birds, and the birds are still required by law to be kept indoors as the risk of Avian Influenza is still high. Under the EU Regulations, the eggs from laying hens that have been housed for a period of 16 weeks cannot be marketed as free range now that the derogation period has elapsed.
At the Council of Agriculture Ministers Meeting on the 21st February, I asked the European Commission to consider this issue and I supported a proposal for an extension to the 16-week period because it is essential for bio-security reasons to keep these housing measures in place for as long as is necessary.
The European Commission advised that it was not possible to amend the legal requirement for the current outbreak of avian influenza disease in 2022. However, the EU Commission has committed to examine this issue as part of the on-going review of EU Marketing Standards Legislation.
903. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his position on vaccinating Irish poultry against avian influenza; if his Department has conducted an analysis with regard to the cost, impact or viability of such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16606/22]
View answerGiven the scale of avian influenza outbreaks globally over recent years, this is a matter that is receiving renewed international attention.
Whilst it is recognised at that the use of an Avian Influenza vaccine could be useful in the future to help manage AI outbreaks in poultry and captive birds, it is not without significant challenges, including:
- Many non-EU countries refuse imports of live animals and food of animal origin from countries where vaccination is practised.
- There is currently no way to distinguish the antibody response to vaccination from that of infection
- Vaccinated birds may still become infected by the virus
- Circulating strains of AI vary year to year and therefore the effectiveness of any potential vaccine would be challenged by new and emerging strains. Vaccine production would need to be flexible and adaptable to protect again predominant virus strains in circulation at any one time, with financial impacts
Furthermore the source of virus spread is often wild birds, which are not amenable to vaccination. There are currently no vaccines with Irish market authorisation and vaccination in Ireland is prohibited.
My officials continue to engage with their counterparts and experts on the matter to try to find a workable solution to these issues. An evaluation of costs and benefits could be undertaken if and when the issues mentioned above have been worked through at an EU and international level.
904. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of outbreaks of avian influenza in the State by year in each of the years 2012 to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16607/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated and will be returned within 10 days.
|
Year |
Number of outbreaks of HPAI |
Number of outbreaks of LPAI |
|
2012 |
0 |
1 outbreak of LPAI H5N2 |
|
2013 |
0 |
0 |
|
2014 |
0 |
0 |
|
2015 |
0 |
0 |
|
2016 |
0 |
0 |
|
2017 |
0 |
0 |
|
2018 |
0 |
0 |
|
2019 |
0 |
0 |
|
2020 |
1 outbreak of HPAI H5N8 |
14 LPAI H6N1 1 LPAI H3N8 and LPAI H5N2 |
|
2021 |
6 outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 |
1 LPAI H6N8 |
|
2022 |
0 |
0 |
905. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 746 of 8 March 2022, the year that Irish forestry would have become projected be a net emitter of carbon had afforestation rates of 8,000 hectares been achieved in 2020 and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16608/22]
View answerAs stated in the Parliamentary Question No. 746 of 8 March 2022, projections of the greenhouse gas balance for Irish forests show that they will transition from a sink to a source by 2024. This transition to a net source is due to number of factors which include high levels of afforestation in earlier decades; a projected increase in harvesting as forest mature over the coming decade; deforestation; and higher emissions of CO2 from peat soils under forestry than previously estimated.
In 2024, the forest estate is estimated to become a source of 0.5 Mt CO2 eq. The potential sequestration associated with an afforestation rate of 8,000 ha in both 2020 and 2021 would not have had the capacity to reverse this trend in 2024, due to the significant influence of the aforementioned factors. It is important to remember that when new afforestation takes place, the planted trees are only a half metre in height. The sequestration rates of these trees are quite small to start but their ability to sequester carbon dioxide increases over time as these forests develop and mature.
An expanded and sustained afforestation programme of 8,000 ha or more will improve the sink capacity of the estate. The total forest estate is on course to be a sink again circa the year 2050, as harvested forests are replanted and new afforestation increases sequestration.
906. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 749 of 8 March 2022, the number of blood, urine and hair samples tested for doping by the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board by year in each of the years 2018 to date in 2022; the reason for a 28% reduction in cost expended in 2019 in contrast to 4% increase in the number of tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16609/22]
View answerThe Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland as provided for in Section 11 of the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Act 2016. The IHRB was established on 1st January 2018 and is a company limited by guarantee. The information the Deputy has requested has been provided to my Department by the IHRB and is contained in the attached table.
The IHRB have advised that in 2018, LGC Laboratories were successful in a procurement process for provision of laboratory services for analysis of all equine samples taken by the body. LGC are an International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) certified laboratory.
The reduction in cost per unit is on the basis that LGC analyse in excess of 50,000 samples from all of its regulatory customers a year which means it has a critical mass that enables the cost per unit to be significantly less than other laboratories.
907. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the BPS and organic farming scheme operate on separate mapping systems; the reason for such; if it is intended in the future to operate from a single system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16610/22]
View answerThe Basic Payment Scheme and the Organic Farming Scheme use the same mapping system known as the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS).
LPIS was introduced in 2019. The overall objective is to ensure the most efficient delivery of €1.6 billion of EU-funded scheme payments to applicants, in line with regulatory requirements. The LPIS gives farmers a more accurate representation of land parcel boundaries and is based on the most up-to-date technologies and Ordnance Survey Ireland mapping standards.
While both schemes use LPIS, the Basic Payment Scheme payments are calculated using the Maximum Eligible Area (MEA) and currently the Organic Farming Scheme is paid on the lower of the claimed area and reference area as declared by the participant on their annual BPS application. When the online Organic Farming Scheme was developed in 2015, it was decided to use this method of calculation as this was a more accurate basis for determining the applicant’s payment.
From 2023, under the new CAP, Organics will align with the new Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and use the same area as the basis for payment so as to facilitate a more simplified approach and remove the requirement for organic farmers to enter an additional area.
908. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he intends to open a scheme for the group of farmers known as the so-called forgotten farmers in 2022; the payment rates at which the scheme will operate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16611/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’contains a commitment to seek to resolve the issue of support for the category of farmers known as Forgotten Farmers.
I have asked officials in my Department to examine options to address the issue of forgotten farmers both through the next CAP and also through other measures to support this group.
I am committed to helping this cohort of farmers and I will bring forward proposals as soon as possible. Many of these farmers find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own and we will work with them to address this issue.
909. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of horticultural peat imported to the State in tonnes, by year, in each of the years 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16612/22]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office collect data on peat imports and exports. The data captured is not so granular as to differentiate peat types i.e. peat for fuel or horticultural peat. The table below details peat imports by year from 2016 to 2021. Import figures for the period 2022 to date are not available yet.
|
Year |
Tonnes* |
|
2016 |
19,924 |
|
2017 |
25,415 |
|
2018 |
6,892 |
|
2019 |
9,646 |
|
2020 |
10,437 |
|
2021 |
46,542 |
*These figures are currently under review by the CSO.
I am fully committed to supporting Irish horticultural growers and I am acutely aware of the difficulties faced by the horticultural industry in relation to the supply of peat.
910. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of horticultural peat imported to the State in tonnes, by month, from 2021 to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16613/22]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office collect data on peat imports and exports. The data captured is not so granular as to differentiate peat types i.e. peat for fuel or horticultural peat. The table below details peat imports by month during 2021. CSO figures are not yet available for 2022.
|
Month |
Tonnes* |
|
January 2021 |
2,566 |
|
February 2021 |
3,664 |
|
March 2021 |
8,858 |
|
April 2021 |
12,109 |
|
May 2021 |
5,756 |
|
June 2021 |
4,318 |
|
July 2021 |
2,255 |
|
August 2021 |
1,289 |
|
September 2021 |
2,080 |
|
October 2021 |
2,107 |
|
November 2021 |
1,001 |
|
December 2021 |
539 |
*These figures are currently under review by the CSO.
I am fully committed to supporting Irish horticultural growers and I am acutely aware of the difficulties faced by the horticultural industry in relation to the supply of peat.
