Written Answers Nos. 240-249
240. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure all applicants approved for the national liming programme 2023 will receive a financial contribution of €16 per tonne of lime spread; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22223/23]
View answerThere has been a phenomenal level of demand for the National Liming Programme with 4.5 million tonnes sought by almost 41,000 applicants. To put this in context, the annual tonnage of lime applied nationally in recent years has ranged from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes. This includes applications of lime on those farms ineligible for support under the Programme.
The level of interest in the Programme underlines how engaged farmers have become in addressing soil fertility and reducing their chemical fertiliser use. I very much welcome how farmers have engaged with this new Programme and the fact applications are well ahead of farming norms.
Based on a payment rate of €16 per tonne and an average application of 111 tonnes, if all lime sought was to be grant aided, the applications received would require a total budget of €72 million. In line with the programme’s Terms and Conditions, there will be a need to limit approvals to stay within the allocated budget for the Programme.
My officials are currently carrying out checks to confirm each applicant's eligibility in preparation for the issuing of Letters of Approval. The outcome of these checks will influence the level of aid that can be granted per eligible applicant.
Every eligible applicant will receive a Letter of Approval in the coming weeks informing them of the quantity of lime they are approved to receive aid on.
241. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stags plans are at for financial support for the cohort known as the Forgotten Farmers; if the criteria as set out by him at an event (details supplied) and subsequently met with dissatisfaction from farm organisations are being revised in light of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22236/23]
View answerI have long supported the cohort of farmers known as the forgotten farmers and I have committed to supporting them who find themselves, in many cases, in this situation through no fault of their own.
My Department has developed a preliminary outline of a proposal to provide support to the forgotten farmer group. There are a number of issues to be addressed, for example, the funding required and consistency with the public expenditure code, before the details of the final eligibility requirements and benefits to successful applicants under a scheme can be finalised.
Details of the scheme will be made available as soon as this process has been completed. I am committed to delivering for these farmers, many of who find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own, at the earliest opportunity.
242. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify whether farmers will be able to cut turf on commonage lands they own if participating in the ACRES scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22237/23]
View answerACRES is the €1.5bn Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme and is the central agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027. Participants in ACRES commit to undertake, under their ACRES contract, certain actions for a period of five years.
As the Deputy may be aware, there are two approaches within the Scheme:
• ACRES Co-operation Project (CP), which applies in eight mapped zones, that are areas of high nature value, hold significant carbon stores and are home to some of the most pristine waters in the country, and
• ACRES General, for all other farmers not falling within CP Zones.
Commonage falls within both approaches and is a mandatory action for all ACRES participants with commonage land. Applicants with Commonage received priority entry into ACRES General under Tier 1 to incentivise farmers to help ensure that habitats on such lands are maintained or restored to good condition through appropriate management practices.
There is a set payment per hectare, under ACRES, for commonages of 10 hectares or less with a requirement for the submission for a Commonage Farm Plan prepared by certain advisors. As there is a results-based payment associated with commonages of greater than 10 hectares, the application includes a commitment to have the commonage scored by an approved commonage assessor by a certain deadline. A payment will then be paid to that shareholder based on the score awarded.
I am currently reflecting on the issue raised by the Deputy, having regard to the environmental ambition of the scheme and the rights of commonage shareholders.
243. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person who turns 40 years of age any time from 1 January to 31 December in a given year can be deemed a young farmer, but if they have not successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at level 6 or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications by 29 May of that year, they are not eligible for the complementary income support for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22267/23]
View answerFor Direct Payment support measures, such as the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, a young farmer is defined as having a maximum age limit of 40, meet the conditions for head of the agricultural holding, and hold the appropriate training and/or skills required. For young farmer support schemes administered by my Department the appropriate training and/or skills are defined as a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at Level 6 or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications.
The eligibility of a young farmer based on reaching no more than 40 years of age at any time during the calendar year in which they submit a first application has been a requirement under young farmer Direct Payment supports since 2015. With regard to the requirement for an agricultural educational qualification, some flexibility was offered to applicants in 2015 and 2016 whereby they were not obliged to have completed their education course prior to the closing date for the support scheme applications. However, The EU Commission advised Ireland that the flexible approach that had been put in place did not fit with the annual logic of the Direct Payments and was a risk of non-compliance with requirements. Therefore, since 2017, successful applicants under the young farmer Direct Payment supports must have completed their agricultural educational qualification by the closing date for submission of applications under the schemes. This consistency of approach since 2017 has provided certainty for prospective applicants under the schemes.
To allow some flexibility in a case where an applicant has fully completed all aspects of their course by the scheme closing date but has not yet been verified as successful or received final certification, a Confirmation of Education Form can be submitted with the young farmer’s application. This form is available to download on the Department’s website page or from the link within the online application system. The form is completed by the applicant and also by a representative of the college or course provider to confirm that the applicant has fully completed all aspects of the course by the scheme closing date.
244. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the new forestry programme application; the expected timeframe for the commencement of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22297/23]
View answer246. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if recent ongoing engagement between his Department officials and the European Commission will ensure the application for state aid approval will be ratified without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22299/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 246 together.
The new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Forestry Programme of 2014-2020 (extended to 2022) which expired at the end of 2022.
My Department has been engaging intensively with the Commission over the last few months.
Once State Aid approval that has been received we will be in a position to launch the new Programme, pending finalisation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, which I am assured is nearing completion.
In addition, my Department recently received State aid approval through the Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (EU) 2022/2472 for some of the measures in the draft Forestry Programme 2023-2027.
These include the Forest Road Scheme, Innovative Forest Technology Scheme, Reconstitution Scheme, Reconstitution Scheme for Ash Dieback, Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups (KTGs), Training Call for proposals, Forest Promotion and Continuous Professional Development. My Department are now accepting application for forest roads and for the Innovative Forest Technology Scheme – Module 2: Investment Aid for the Development of the Forest Tree Nursery Sector. We are examining the possibilities to open a number of the other schemes for applications very shortly.
I launched the Interim De Minimis scheme for afforestation and roads to help bridge the lacuna between the old and new Forestry Programmes. As you are aware, there are 1,023 approved afforestation licences with 7,591 ha ready for planting and to date over 1,600ha hectares have been approved for planting under the Interim De Minimis scheme.
I assure you that the launch of the new €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is a matter of the utmost priority for me and my Department.
245. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that the backlog in felling licences is now dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22298/23]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has delivered considerable reductions in the backlog of all forestry licences as well as reductions in the time taken to process newer files and last year we had another significant year-on-year increase in the number of licences issued.
The overall backlog of licences on hand over four months reduced from 6,000 applications in August 2021, to 3,700 applications at the start of 2022 to 1,764 to 5th May. The progress in reducing the backlog is expected to continue through 2023.
My Department continues to issue and accept felling licence applications and has to date this year issued 1,066 felling licences. In 2022, we issued 817 more felling licences than felling applications received. Furthermore, last year we issued record levels of felling licences at 3,293 for 9.6 million cubic metres of wood, or 46,027 Hectares. These licences have up to 10 year timelines and are being used by forest owners providing work for forestry contractors and supplying sawmills.
As of 5th May 2023, there were a total of 2,144 felling licence applications on hand, with 1,091 of these on hand over 120 days. Average turnaround times are falling overall and this is most evident in files received post-2021. My Department is actively working with applicants to finalise any outstanding information required to allow decisions to be made on their applications.
For those applications for which other issues arise, my Department has a programme in place to contact applicants, to allow decisions to be made whether to continue to process the application or to close them out.
Both Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, and I are fully committed to delivering a licensing system which will meets the needs of the sector and of society and recent licensing trends for felling applications demonstrate the progress made towards achieving this. The issues that led to the felling licence backlog have largely been resolved and the bulk of those older files with us are due to issues not related to a lack of resources within my Depart
248. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the implications the opening of Chinese markets after the Covid-19 pandemic has for the Irish food industry; and if he expects this will create further opportunities to trade with China in the upcoming months. [22029/23]
View answerThe Chinese market represents one of the priority growth markets for Irish agri-food exports. It is worth noting that despite the turbulence of recent years, Irish food and drink exports to China were valued at €722 million in 2022, making this market our sixth largest for agri-food exports. However, the reopening of the Chinese market in recent months following pandemic restrictions does present significant opportunities for the Irish agri-food sector to engage further with this market.
In addition, the reopening of the Chinese market to Irish beef in early 2023 also presents the beef sector with new opportunities which can now be pursued.
In this regard my colleague, Martin Heydon T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for New Market Development, completed a successful Trade Mission to China in April 2023. In conjunction with Bord Bia, Minister Heydon attended the Hainan consumer goods EXPO, supporting Irish companies promoting their products at this large trade fair. He also travelled to Shanghai where he supported Irish exporters and engaged with their key commercial clients.
Next week, I will lead a further Trade Mission to Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, I will hold Government-to-Government meetings with my counterparts in the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). The objective of these meetings is to further progress Ireland's market access agenda.
I will also support Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia in their commercial engagements with Chinese importers of our innovative and high-quality farm machinery, and safe, nutritious and sustainable food offering.
I will also travel to Shanghai, to attend SIAL, the largest food and beverage trade fair in China, where I will carry out a range of promotional activities with Irish suppliers and their Chinese customers. In particular, this Trade Mission will allow us to showcase Irish beef and seek to capitalise on the reopening of the Chinese market for this premium Irish product.
I believe these activities highlight the Government's ongoing commitment to support our agri-food sector's ambitions in the Chinese market.
249. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the labour force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22247/23]
View answerAs Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability, I am committed to removing the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing employment. My Department plays a significant coordination role in this regard through the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES).
The CES is the primary disability employment policy initiative in Ireland. It is a cross-government approach, bringing together actions by Government Departments and Agencies to address the barriers and challenges to employment of persons with disabilities. The CES’s strategic priorities are to build skills, capacity and independence, to provide bridges and supports into work, to make work pay, to promote job retention and re-entry to work, to provide coordinated and seamless supports and to engage employers.
Through the CES, my Department has progressed a range of actions to improve access to employment for people with disabilities. For example, the Disability Act 2005, as amended by the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022 and commenced on April 26 of this year, has doubled the previous target for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service from 3% to 6% by 2025. Compliance with this target is monitored and reported on by the National Disability Authority annually in a report submitted to Government.
Under the CES framework, my Department plays a coordination role in ensuring that disability measures are coherent and integrated, with specific actions continuing to be the responsibility of the relevant Departments and agencies. This is keeping with Ireland’s long-standing ‘mainstream-first’ approach to disability policy.
In terms of specific employment supports and grants provided by Government to promote and facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, the Department of Social Protection, through the Reasonable Accommodation Fund, supports jobseekers, existing employees with disabilities, and private sector employers seeking to hire or retain a person with a disability.
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund is being reviewed, as per commitments under the CES. The review aims to improve the effectiveness of the support provided, identify gaps in provision, and improve application and payment processes. In Budget 2023, an additional €1 million in funding was announced by the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys T.D., to expand the provision made under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and to support the recommendations from the forthcoming review.
In addition to this and whilst not directly targeted at persons with disabilities, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment also provides supports to employers, including self-employed people, through their network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs).
My officials will continue to work and engage with counterparts in other department, through the CES and bilaterally, to explore how the State can continue to support people with disabilities who seek to enter into the workforce.
