Written Answers Nos. 772-792
772. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date ]he expects to issue financial approvals for afforestation in the next forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58833/22]
View answerThe draft Forest Strategy and Forest Strategy Implementation Plan which encompasses the Forestry Programme has been open to public consultation which closes today the 29th November, 2022
In regard to the Programme, I am pleased to advise that I have secured a package of €1.3 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme ever in Ireland.
This funding guarantees continued payments to those forest owners who planted under the current Afforestation Scheme and who are still in receipt of premiums and offers new and improved rates to those who undertake planting and sustainable forest management under the new Programme.
The Programme is subject to state aid approval from the European Commission and my Department is actively engaging with the Commission to progress towards that approval.
In this connection, it is our priority to clarify the dates around when financial approvals, at the new rates. will issue and we will do so as soon as possible.
774. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal in the case of persons (details supplied); if the matter will be expedited and a positive decision issued based on the comprehensive submission made by the applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58846/22]
View answerThe Agriculture Appeals Office functions independently of my Department. I have been advised that the records in the Agriculture Appeals Office, indicate that a request for a review of the Appeals Officer's decision, has been received from the person named. The review of the Appeals Officer’s decision will establish if the Appeals Officer made an error of fact or law in that decision.
Requests for a review of an Appeals Officers decision, are generally dealt with in order of receipt. A number of requests for reviews have been received prior to the request of the person named.
The appeal of the person named will be finalised as soon as possible.
775. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Woodland Environmental Fund will continue in the next forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58869/22]
View answerMy Department’s Woodland Environment Fund (WEF), which was launched in 2018, facilitates the planting of more native woodlands in Ireland. It does so by providing a platform that allows for businesses to get involved with landowners to help create new native woodlands. WEF funding is a once-off single payment of €1,000/ha paid by the business to the landowner in exchange for being associated with the individual native woodland.
The draft Forest Strategy and Forest Strategy Implementation Plan which includes the next Forestry Programme measures are subject to an ongoing 6-week public consultation process which concludes today the 29th of November. The continuation of the Woodland Environmental Fund is included as a measure in the Forest Creation Intervention of the draft Programme. Stakeholders and interested parties have had the opportunity to review the measures and Schemes that are being proposed and to submit their feedback.
I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade. As the Deputy may be aware, I have secured a package of €1.318 billion for forestry which will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme ever in Ireland and which will allow us to offer new and improved rates to those who undertake planting and sustainable forest management. I believe that the Woodland Environmental Fund is an initiative that can complement the attractive afforestation premium rates that will be offered by my Department by offering an extra incentive to landowners who make the decision to establish a new native woodland.
776. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the forestry service of his Department will achieve all the targets for his forestry licensing plan for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58870/22]
View answer790. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will achieve the issuing of the target number of private felling licences as set out in his Department’s forestry licensing plan 2022, given that his Department has only issued 78% of the target number of licences to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59231/22]
View answer791. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will achieve the issuing of the target number of forest road licences as set out in the forestry licensing plan 2022, given that his Department has only issued 79% of the target number of licences to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59232/22]
View answer792. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will achieve the issuing of the target number of afforestation licences as set out in the forestry licensing plan 2022, given that his Department has only issued 61% of the target number of licences to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59233/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 776 and 790 to 792, inclusive, together.
When we published our Forestry Licensing Plan for 2022, we set an ambitious target of 5,250 licences, an increase of 30% on 2021. In line with this, I am pleased to advise that we have seen considerable improvements in the issuance of forestry licence this year.
To 25th November 2022, we have issued 4,360 licences which is 92% of our expected output at this point in the year and there are currently 992 approved afforestation licences with just under 7,336 hectares ready for planting.
The backlog in licences overall has reduced from 6,000 in August 2021, to 3,700 in January of this year and now stands at 2,042 at 25th November 2022. We are issuing more licences than applications received, and this means that the backlog continues to drop, with faster turnaround times for new applicants.
We set individual targets across licensing categories. In terms of our targets in the year-to date, up to the 25th November, we are at 90% of our target for roads, 89% for private felling. I acknowledge that afforestation figures are not quite keeping pace with other categories and are at 69% of year-to-date target, but is significantly up on last year. We have embarked on an intensive effort to prioritise afforestation with an aim of clearing older files ahead of the new forestry programme.
My Department will continue to process all types of licence applications for the remainder of the year, to ensure that as many licences, of all types, continue to be issued and that we come as close as possible to the licensing plan targets.
In the interest of full transparency, details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard. This is published on the Departmental website and is made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine each week.
777. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there are more than 30 cases waiting for arbitration (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58999/22]
View answerCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.
778. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer qualifies under the forgotten farmer scheme initiative, the benefits that will be accrued by those farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59030/22]
View answerThe details of the eligibility requirements and benefits to successful applicants for any scheme to support the forgotten farmer group have yet to be finalised. The eligibility requirements and other scheme details will be made publicly available as soon as this process has been completed.
779. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the State-owned forestry company Coillte is partnering in a joint venture with an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59064/22]
View answerCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.
780. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Coillte is headhunting foresters from the private sector to service new initiatives in conjunction with UK-based institutional investment funds for the purchase of land for afforestation in Ireland; if this is in line with Government policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59065/22]
View answerCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.
781. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of non-coursing greyhounds that were microchipped and tattooed in Ireland from 2010 to 2021 and to date 2022, as recorded and maintained by an organisation (details supplied). [59103/22]
View answerThe Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the competent authority with regard to the maintenance of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book. The ICC has been responsible for the Irish Greyhound Stud Book since 1923 and this was further underpinned by the enactment of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958.
The ICC has informed this Department that it is not possible to assist the Deputy with regard to the years 2010 to 2020 whereby a segregation based on non-coursing/coursing greyhounds is requested.
Racing greyhound traceability, which is separate and distinct from the Stud Book, is now available through the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System (RCETS) which came into operation on 11th January 2021. The ICC is currently developing a traceability system for coursing greyhounds which is now in testing phase. This will ensure that, going forward, traceability of all greyhounds is captured under the RCÉ or ICC systems.
It can however provide a breakdown for the year 2021 and 2022 up to 23 November 2022 as follows:
Non-coursing (track) greyhounds: 2021: 11,651 pups. Non-coursing (track) greyhounds: Jan 2022 to Nov 23, 2022: 9673 pups.
The ICC has further stated that some percentage of greyhounds may compete under both codes, i.e., coursing and non-coursing from time to time, so a distinct segregation is not always possible.
782. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of entitlements in the national reserve for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59106/22]
View answerThe National Reserve is a monetary fund from which successful applicants under the two mandatory categories of young farmer and new entrant to farming receive allocations. A successful applicant under the National Reserve is eligible to receive an allocation of payment entitlements at the national average payment entitlement value on eligible land for which the applicant holds no payment entitlements. Additionally, a successful applicant may also have existing payment entitlements s/he holds below the national average payment entitlement value topped-up to the national average entitlement value.
It should be noted that the National Reserve is not a repository of payment entitlements, but rather a fund from which allocations at the average payment entitlement value, or top-ups to the value of low value entitlements is made. Based on applications received in 2022, it is expected approximately 61,000 entitlements will be allocated or topped-up through the Reserve and that all demand will be fully serviced.
Payments under the 2022 National Reserve will commence in early December alongside balancing BPS payments. A new National Reserve will be established in the CAP programme from 2023.
783. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an appeal in relation to a decision made under the BEEP scheme in the name of a person (details supplied) will be expedited and approved based on the exceptional circumstances of the case and the hardship being experienced by the appellant; the reason ]the person was informed by a Department official prior to submitting the appeal that the appeal was unlikely to succeed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59121/22]
View answerThe objective of 2022 Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Sucklers (BEEP-S) is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd though improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data that is collected. This is done through the enhancement of the national herd dataset for genetic evaluations, with a view to supporting the adoption of best practice and more informed decision making at farm level. The Programme targets the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves through the collection of the live weights of cows and progeny in the herd of each participant; improving the welfare of suckler calves at the time of weaning through vaccination and meal feeding; and controlling liver fluke in adult suckler cows.
The scheme opened for applications on 15th March 2022 and closed without late penalty on 25th April 2022. It remained open for applications, albeit with a late penalty , until 20th May 2022.
The person named never submitted an application for the scheme in this period. My Department subsequently received a request from the person named for inclusion in the scheme on 24th October 2022. Following consideration of the information submitted by the person named, the application was not accepted. They were informed of this decision by letter dated the 24th October 2022 when they were also advised of their right to seek a review.
The person named submitted a request for a review on the 18th of November 2022 and a letter issued on the 21st of November 2022 informing them that following consideration of their case and the information supplied, their review was unsuccessful. They were advised that they retained the right to appeal the Department’s decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office. My officials understand that to date, no such appeal has been received in the Agriculture Appeals Office.
784. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a parcel of land that has never drawn down entitlements can now establish entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59165/22]
View answerThe allocation of payment entitlements on land for which a farmer holds no payment entitlements is provided for under the National Reserve. Under the CAP since 2015 the National Reserve provided an allocation of payment entitlements to two mandatory categories of young farmer and new entrant to farming. Under the new CAP from 2023 the National Reserve will provide an allocation of payment entitlements to two mandatory categories of young farmer and new farmer.
Successful applicants must meet the scheme eligibility criteria with regard to the date of commencement of agricultural activity, agricultural educational qualifications, and in the case of applicants under the young farmer category, the applicant must be no more than 40 years of age in the year of submission of the application under the National Reserve.
A successful applicant under the National Reserve is eligible to receive an allocation of payment entitlements at the national average payment entitlement value on eligible land for which the applicant holds no payment entitlements and/or a top-up on existing payment entitlements they hold below the national average payment entitlement to bring those entitlements up to the national average entitlement value.
785. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the classification of a parcel of land (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59166/22]
View answerAn Official of my Department has made direct contact with the Deputy with regard to the lands in question. The official outlined the current status of the lands and will follow up with the Deputy as appropriate and required.
786. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who afforested land in each of the years 2014 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of hectares planted; the total number of persons who afforested land; the total hectares planted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59185/22]
View answerThe table below outlines the details of afforestation in each of the years 2014-2022. The Deputy will be aware that in the current forestry programme there was no differential in rates or premium periods between farmers and non-farmers. The figures supplied below and published on my Department’s website represent a self-declaration of farmer status.
The Deputy will be aware that in the recently announced Forestry Programme 2013-27 there are very attractive incentives for farmers in particular to plant trees.
|
Year |
No. Farmers |
Farmer Ha |
No. Non Farmer |
Non Farmer ha |
Total No |
Total Ha |
|
2014 |
950 |
5978.34 |
49 |
178.07 |
999 |
6156.41 |
|
2015 |
852 |
5388.59 |
130 |
904.22 |
982 |
6292.81 |
|
2016 |
652 |
4156.20 |
357 |
2343.60 |
1009 |
6499.80 |
|
2017 |
536 |
3241.66 |
353 |
2294.09 |
889 |
5535.75 |
|
2018 |
309 |
2009.10 |
315 |
2016.38 |
624 |
4025.48 |
|
2019 |
206 |
1292.17 |
293 |
2257.72 |
499 |
3549.89 |
|
2020 |
100 |
579.46 |
261 |
1854.86 |
361 |
2434.32 |
|
2021 |
56 |
359.64 |
226 |
1656.84 |
282 |
2016.48 |
|
2022 |
65 |
437.46 |
177 |
1585.67 |
242 |
2023.13 |
|
Total |
23,443 |
15,091 |
38,534 |
787. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) received severance-related remuneration upon their resignation from an organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59186/22]
View answerRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
788. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current number of hectares of afforestation in the State; the percentage of land cover this comprises; if these figures are inclusive of forestry impacted by ash dieback; the total number of hectares impacted by ash dieback within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59187/22]
View answerThe area of forest is 808,848 ha or 11.6% of the total land area of Ireland (National Forest Inventory 2022). These figures are inclusive of the 15,897 hectares of Ash plantations. The Deputy will be aware that my Department operates the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme RUS (Ash Dieback) to assist ash plantation owners to deal with the impact of ash dieback disease.
Since the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has provided support totalling over €7m to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (Ash Dieback) introduced in July 2020.
The current scheme provides 100% grant aid to landowners to clear their ash crop, replant with an alternate species and manage their forest until successfully established.
This year to date nearly €850,000 has been paid out in site clearance and replanting grants under the RUS Scheme.
789. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will divert attention from Coillte to private foresters for the remainder of 2022, given that the target number of Coillte felling licences stated in the forestry licensing plan for 2022 of 1530 has now been exceeded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59230/22]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had made significant progress to deliver a licensing system which meets the needs of all those who apply for forestry licences.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has published its target for felling licences in 2022, with the aim of issuing 1,830 private felling licences, an increase of 36% on 2021 and 1,530 Coillte felling licences the same number as issued in 2021.
In order to further support the private applicants, my Department has allocated extra resources towards processing private felling licences. Private felling licence output in 2022 is up on last year with over 1,463 issued to 25th November. Private felling significantly exceeded Coillte felling in the last six months with 851 private licences versus 715 Coillte licences issuing since June, which reflects additional resources being allocated to private felling.
My Department will continue to process all types of licence applications for the remainder of the year, to ensure that as many licences, of all types, continue to be issued and that we come as close as possible to the licensing plan targets.
In the interest of full transparency, details of all licences issued by category are available on the weekly dashboard. This is published on the Departmental website and is made available to all interested parties as well as being submitted to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine each week.
