Written Answers Nos. 2066-2081
2066. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will move to include scallop fishers in the Brexit support scheme given the myriad of challenges currently facing the scallop fishing sector which could see many leave the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39828/22]
View answerThe Report of the Seafood Task Force – Navigating Change (October 2021) recommended 16 support schemes at an estimated cost of €423 million, collectively designed to address the impacts of Brexit and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on our seafood sector and coastal communities.
Given the large number of recommendations and the work required to examine each from the perspective of funding available, eligibility under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve Regulation, State Aid rules, and the Public Spending code, the Task Force recommended that its 16 recommended schemes be considered on a phased and prioritised basis.
As part of its work, the Seafood Task Force considered the impact on scallop vessels from the UK's withdrawal from the EU, noting that this is not directly related to the TCA. The Task Force particularly identified that a proposed liquidity scheme for the sector could explored, recommending that it first should be fully assessed from a legal perspective, for compliance with the public expenditure code and against the EU BAR State Aid Guidelines for the fishery and aquaculture sector. As such, the evaluation of such a scheme is actively ongoing and development will continue at pace over the summer months, subject to the above regulatory criteria.
2067. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the food category that snails come under; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39937/22]
View answerSnails intended for human consumption are defined in EU food regulations as terrestrial gastropods of the species Helix pomatia Linné, Helix aspersa Muller, Helix lucorum and species of the family Achatinidae (Paragraph 6.2, Annex 1, Reg EC 853/2004).
In Ireland, all food intended for human consumption must meet the requirements set out in detailed EU food safety regulations, generally referred to as the 'Hygiene Package'. These regulations are implemented in Ireland under the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 22 of 2020).
2068. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent on traditional and online advertising by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [39948/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by the Department and a reply will be forwarded within 10 working days.
2069. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has spent money or sought external assistance with Departmental, Ministerial public relations; and if so, the cost; the name of the agencies, consultants and companies involved in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [39966/22]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is being collated by the Department and a reply will be forwarded within 10 working days.
2070. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of legal cases brought against his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39984/22]
View answerThe number of legal cases brought against my Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022 is as follows:
|
2012 |
21 |
|
2013 |
25 |
|
2014 |
23 |
|
2015 |
38 |
|
2016 |
22 |
|
2017 |
29 |
|
2018 |
19 |
|
2019 |
15 |
|
2020 |
24 |
|
2021 |
33 |
|
2022 (to date) |
11 |
The number of cases set out above includes legal cases brought in the District, Circuit and High Court and also includes damages cases which are managed on my behalf by the State Claims Agency.
2071. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on legal costs or legal services in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [40002/22]
View answerMy Department generally avails of in house legal services and the services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office as need be. Occasionally and depending on the individual characteristics and complexity of specific cases, it has engaged private Solicitor Firms and Junior and Senior Counsel for external legal advice.
I wish to inform the Deputy that, the amount spent by my Department on legal costs or legal services in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022 is set out below.
|
Year |
Expenditure incurred on Legal Costs or Legal Services€ |
|
2012 |
186,066 |
|
2013 |
144,062 |
|
2014 |
157,814 |
|
2015 |
279,429 |
|
2016 |
38,583 |
|
2017 |
648,191 |
|
2018 |
84,142 |
|
2019 |
706,198 |
|
2020 |
319,111 |
|
2021 |
454,153 |
|
2022 to date |
153,562 |
2072. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on the procurement of office space and furniture and office IT equipment in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022. [40020/22]
View answerThe amount spent by the Department directly on office space and furniture and office IT equipment in each of the past 10 years and to date in 2022. is set out below.
|
Year |
Amount Spent€ |
|
2012 |
1,381,350 |
|
2013 |
2,312,473 |
|
2014 |
4,611,537 |
|
2015 |
4,828,177 |
|
2016 |
2,377,571 |
|
2017 |
4,564,211 |
|
2018 |
4,703,256 |
|
2019 |
4,787,614 |
|
2020 |
4,073,546 |
|
2021 |
4,659,884 |
|
2022 to date |
1,064,942 |
This does not include office expenses initially incurred by OPW and recouped from the Department.
2073. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of times that he embarked on visits to foreign countries on behalf of the State since the formation of the Government; the geographical location of each visit; the number of days that he spent abroad on such trips; the dates upon which each trip took place; and the associated travel and accommodation costs which were incurred by his Department in relation to each trip in tabular form. [40038/22]
View answerAs Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine it is sometimes a requirement that I leave the state on departmental and government business. The two main types of trip are international trade missions and travelling to the Agriculture-fish council at various locations in Europe. during the peak of the COVID-19 restrictions the use of the government jet was utilised, as matters have improved commercial options are preferred.
The below are the trips taken in my capacity as Minister.
2074. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if he will address the concerns outlined; the measures that his Department is taking to address these issues. [40087/22]
View answerThe current situation in relation to the cost and availability of farm inputs is a significant concern and one that I am acutely aware of.
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine led to significant hikes in energy, feed and fertiliser prices and significant concerns around supply chain disruption.
Earlier in the crisis, I established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee to prepare an industry response to the emerging crisis in feed, fodder, fertiliser and other inputs, and to develop contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises.
This Group continues to meet and I will continue to engage closely with the sector as we work together on these significant challenges.
Within the Department, I established a Rapid Response Team, to actively monitor the impacts on agri-food supply chains and to contribute to the whole of Government response to this crisis.
I launched the 2022 Soils, Nutrients and Fertiliser Campaign in January in response to the unprecedented fertiliser price levels. This credible roadmap, which I tasked Teagasc in developing, will help alleviate reduce their dependency on chemical fertiliser in the longer-term. Teagasc has also issued revised advice to farmers on the recommended application amounts of fertilisers for silage fields to reflect the increase in fertiliser price.
Given Ireland’s dependence on imported feed, I announced a package of targeted interventions for the tillage sector and a multi-species sward initiative worth over €12 million to support Irish farmers on 22nd March.
The package supports the growing of additional tillage and protein crops and the establishment of multi-species swards lowering demand for chemical fertiliser. Following on from the package of measures announced in recent months to provide support to Irish farmers, I launched a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme on 15th June 2022.
We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and is actively engaging with the EU Commission, across Government and with industry as this situation unfolds.
As the Deputy is aware, I am committed to supporting our farm families and their businesses through this very challenging period.
2075. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider suspending horse racing during the hot weather forecast for the end of July 2022 in the interests of the equine health. [40110/22]
View answerHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001 is a commercial State Body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
From 1st January 2018, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. Its role is provided for in the Horse Racing Ireland Act 2016 and subsequent statutory instruments.
The IHRB has informed my Department that the body has proactively taken steps to mitigate potential issues due to the hot weather through briefing raceday veterinary teams and relevant racecourse management.
The IHRB has also informed my Department that horses adapt quickly to hot weather as they have been trained in it now for a number of weeks. The effects of heat can be managed provided the appropriate resources in terms of water, and that staff with the required skills set are available at racecourses.
The IHRB have also informed my Department that they will take appropriate steps, including if necessary, calling off a race or meeting should the local circumstances require it. This will be assessed on a day by day basis by the expert teams on race tracks, such as the clerks of the courses, racecourse management and veterinarians working with the stewards.
2076. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the existing CAP regulation that permits the removal of hedgerows by a farmer if they replant double the length within ten kilometres; if his attention has been drawn to calls to end this practice by environmental and animal rights groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40167/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware Ireland's draft CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 was submitted to the European Commission on the 31st December 2021, ahead of the regulatory deadline for submission of 1st January 2022.
The draft CSP has been shared with the CAP Consultative Committee and was published on the Government website. The Commission has responded to Ireland's CSP with observations and my Department is in discussions with the Commission and amending the CSP where appropriate. Engagement with stakeholders is continuing through the process.
Currently under GAEC 7 in Cross Compliance, hedgerows in Ireland are designated landscape features (and have been since 2009), which means that they are protected and cannot be removed. However, in certain circumstances, the removal of these hedgerows is permitted, provided a length of the hedgerow equivalent to the length be removed is planted in advance of the removal.
This applies to any length of hedgerow that is removed. In addition, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is needed before farmers carry out certain types of development on their land including the removal of hedgerows above a specific length.
My Department will shortly conduct a full review of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations, which will include a review of the relevant thresholds and my Department is committed to engaging with key stakeholders as part of the process.
In relation to the next CAP, as set out in the draft CAP Strategic Plan, a number of features including hedgerows, will continue to be designated as landscape features for retention. Farmers will be required to retain and maintain these landscape features.
However, some landscape features, including hedgerows may be removed provided a replacement hedgerow is planted in advance of the removal. To further protect these established landscape features, Ireland proposes that if a landscape feature is to be removed it must be replaced with twice the proposed removal length in advance.
This requirement recognises the environmental value of existing hedgerows and also has a dissuasive effect.
2077. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 535 of 1 June 2021, if he will address queries in relation to his reply stating that leased payment entitlements must be accompanied by a transfer of the equivalent number of eligible hectares unless force majeure, or exceptional circumstances apply, in which case the leasing of the entitlements without land may be facilitated (details supplied). [40180/22]
View answerPayment entitlements under the Single Payments Scheme were not attached to specific land. The regulations in relation to the consolidation of payment entitlements on owned and leased land were originally set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004 which was repealed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1120/2009.
Article 46(2) of Regulation 1782/2003 sets out the circumstances for the transfer of payment entitlements under the Single Farm Payment Scheme. The article states that payment entitlements can be transferred by sale or other definitive transfer methods with or without land.
Leased payment entitlements must be accompanied by a transfer of the equivalent number of eligible hectares unless force majeure, or exceptional circumstances apply, in which case the leasing of the entitlements without land may be facilitated.
Force majeure is assessed on a case by case basis as detailed in the preamble of paragraph 5 of Commission Regulation (EC) 1306/2013. Taking this into consideration the Department would not be able to comment on the application of force majeure without the relevant underlying facts of each specific case.
A Single Payment Scheme audit carried out by the European Court of Auditors ensured that the process implemented by the Department was entirely in accordance with EU Regulations (with Article 42(5) of Regulation (EC) 1782/2003 and Article 7 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 795/2004). There were no findings in the final report concerning Ireland's implementation of the consolidation process.
The Court of Auditors is a separate entity who are authorised to conduct audits on behalf of the European Commission on the implementation mechanics of Member States.
2078. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that the State is happy to import feed stuffs from Russia while placing sanctions on Russian oil; the reason that both products are being treated differently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40209/22]
View answerThe fifth package of EU sanctions that came into effect on 9th April 2022 and the trade provisions as set out in Council Regulation (EU) 2022/576, amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, included a ban on Russian-flagged vessels accessing EU ports from 16 April 2022.
The EU sanctions package prohibiting Russian-flagged vessels accessing EU ports included provisions to allow for the import of agricultural and food products.
The EU is committed to avoiding all measures which might lead to food insecurity and consequently, none of these trade measures target the trade in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilisers.
My Department regularly engages with feed industry representatives. Feed import companies have been actively engaged in sourcing alternative feed materials from existing and new sources, and regular commercial activities in this regard are ongoing.
In addition, I continue to encourage farmers to devote more land for arable use through the Tillage Incentive and Protein/Cereal Schemes which will bring significant benefits to reduce our future reliance on imported commodities albeit recognising that Ireland has a major deficit in grain production.
2079. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views regarding the reports of thousands of tonnes of unaccounted for poultry litter in the State; the reason Teagasc is not investigating it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40236/22]
View answerI understand that the reports referred to concern planning applications in Northern Ireland and separately dispatches of poultry litter from Northern Ireland to Ireland .
In respect of the latter which relates to matters in Ireland, Article 48 of Regulation (EC) No. 1069/2009 sets out the controls that must be in place for the dispatch of animal by-products, including animal manure, between Member States. Under Article 48 any operator in Northern Ireland who wishes to dispatch animal manure to Ireland must apply to my Department for authorisation.
Each operator must comply with specific conditions and provide a certificate signed by a veterinarian from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland attesting that the poultry litter comes from a farm that is free of disease.
All such consignments are recorded on the EU Trade Control and Expert System for traceability. The latest figures available from this system do not indicate an increase in dispatches of animal manure from Northern Ireland.
In relation to the former matter concerning planning controls in Northern Ireland, I am informed that Teagasc received a query from a member of the public in early 2021 regarding a number of
planning applications to the authorities in Northern Ireland from poultry farms that included letters purportedly issued by Teagasc.
In response Teagasc conducted a detailed investigation at the time in relation to these files and letters. This investigation found a number of cases where letters contained in planning files in Northern Ireland that purported to be issued by Teagasc advisors to farmer clients had been falsified. Teagasc alerted this matter to the planning authorities in Northern Ireland at the time, as well as An Garda Síochána. Teagasc also continues to respond to queries on such letters contained in planning files when received from Northern Ireland planning authorities.
2080. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated and expended on IT equipment, software and services in each of the years 2017 to date in 2022; the purpose of such expenditure in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40237/22]
View answerPlease see table attached as response
2081. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount expended by his Department on a service (details supplied) in each of the years 2017 to date in 2022; the number of which were activated; the number of employees in relation to whom a licence is associated with; if any licences were not activated; if any persons had more than one licence associated with them; the number thereof; the reason for such by year in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40238/22]
View answerPlease see attached table in response to ePQ.
Regarding 2017, the expense was incurred in Dec of 2017 which resulted in no licenses being activated until early 2018.
