Written Answers Nos. 443-456
443. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial supports that will be provided to farmers for the safe removal of diseased ash trees on road-fronting farmland in circumstances where farmers are not trained to remove such trees safely and cannot afford to pay a contractor to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53666/23]
View answerI am aware that as ash dieback disease progresses nationally and within individual ash plantations, the potential health and safety risks associated with forest plantations, roadside and parkland ash trees will become an issue of increasing importance for landowners, workers and visitors.
My Department does not have responsibility for the removal of roadside trees or for private homeowners living in the countryside with ash trees in their rural gardens. As with any other health and safety matter, site-specific issues together with any measures, including any risk assessments required, are in the first instance the responsibility of the individual landowner.
In relation to roadside trees, Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out the responsibility of landowners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that trees, hedges and other vegetation growing on their land are not, or could not become, a danger to people using a public road or interfere with the safe use of a public road or the maintenance of a public road. He further stated that this responsibility includes the preservation, felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of any such tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation' in question. It is thus advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this. The implementation of the legislation on the management or removal of dangerous roadside trees is the responsibility of the local authority, in its capacity as the relevant road authority.
However, my Department, last year, published guidance on the subject of roadside trees - “A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”. This publication provides information on how to identify trees that have ash dieback and outlines specific issues related to health and safety in tree work. It also gives practical guidance to those working with chainsaws taking out hazardous trees. My Department produced this publication in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland and can be found on my Departments website at: gov.ie - A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees (gov.ie)
444. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will advise on sectoral representation on the board of the ICBF; if he will ensure there is representation of suckler beef farmers and marts on the board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53681/23]
View answerIrish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is not a state board but a non-profit organisation and is the body approved in Ireland in accordance with the relevant EU legislation to conduct testing, genetic evaluation and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle.
Shareholders in ICBF includes Farming Organisations, AI companies, Milk Recording Organisations and with three seats held by Herdbooks . It is a matter for those herdbooks (beef and dairy) to determine the representation between beef and dairy.
It is not within the remit of my Department as to how the board is made up, outside of appointing a Department of Agriculture representative.
445. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration has been given to providing farmers with assistance on the purchase of wood chippers, given new rules which prevent farmers from burning wood on their land and the slow decomposition of larger pieces of wood; if such a measure could be included under TAMS 3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53682/23]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare.
TAMS 3 is a demand-led scheme, and there are currently in excess of 430 investment items available across the ten constituent schemes. Grant aid is available for a Wood/biomass PTO driven wood chipper under four measures:- The Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme, the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme, The Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme and The Organic Capital Investment Scheme. Details of all investments available under TAMS 3 are available on my Department's Website.
I will ensure that the investment list will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis.
446. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications to the TAMS 3 women farmer capital investment scheme; the number of successful applicants to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53683/23]
View answerThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare.
Tranche 1 of TAMS 3 closed on 30 June 2023, with 8,241 applications over 10 Measures, including the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme. A total of 264 applications were received under tranche 1 of the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme.
Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received (almost four times the average number received per tranche under TAMS 2). Applications received across all of the measures in Tranche 1 are currently being processed. Once the initial processing is completed all applications will be subject to a ranking and selection process, which is a regulatory requirement for all TAMS 3 applications.
I also announced previously that 100% of eligible applications under tranche 1 of TAMS 3 will be approved for funding, which is in keeping with my commitment to assist farmers to address animal welfare, climate and sustainability targets.
447. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what timeframe is being considered for eligibility in relation to the draft proposal his Department is preparing regarding a solution for the group known as the forgotten farmers; if inclusion of the TAMs top-up for young farmers has been considered as part of the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53701/23]
View answerSince the time my Department was first approached with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the group was defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had established their holdings prior to 2008 and held no or low value payment entitlements.
The EU Regulations governing the operation of the TAMS Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme do not currently provide a legal basis to allow for the inclusion of the group referred to as forgotten farmers.
448. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a person (details supplied) was excluded from the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme; if he will review this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53772/23]
View answerFollowing exceptional flooding in the Shannon Callows during summer 2023, you will be aware that on the 7th November 2023, I announced the launch of the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to support farmers who have been affected by fodder loss due to flooding in the region during summer 2023. I have allocated funding of approximately €800,000 which will allow for a payment rate of up to €325 per hectare for LPIS parcels impacted as determined by my Department's Area Monitoring System and which were claimed by farmers on their 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.
My Department have contacted the farmers that the Area Monitoring System has identified as having been impacted by the flooding and provided them with a simple application form for them to sign and return if they wish to apply for the support by 27 November 2023.
My officials have examined the relevant records and have confirmed that the LPIS parcels claimed on the 2023 BISS application of the herdowner concerned were either not within the area or, where they were within the area, did not meet the flooding criteria and thus did not receive an application form from the Department for the scheme.
The procedure for seeking an internal review is available online in the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme Terms and Conditions under section 9. at gov.ie - Shannon Callows Flood Scheme 2023 (gov.ie).
449. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how much his Department has spent on advertising on a website (details supplied) for each of the years 2019 to 2022 and to date 2023, in tabular form; and whether his Department will still run advertisements on the platform going forward due to issues. [53793/23]
View answerSocial media is one of the channels my Department uses to provide information about the Department's wide range of schemes, services and policies.
My Department continues to keep all channels of communication under review with a view to providing accessible and effective public information.
A breakdown of expenditure by year for the period requested is set out in the below table.
|
Platform |
Year |
Amount |
|
|
2019 |
€62.21 |
|
|
2020 |
€108.90 |
|
|
2021 |
€465.41 |
|
|
2022 |
€5,081.76 |
|
Twitter / X |
2023 |
Nil |
450. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether in areas where there are populations of wild deer, extra grant aid will be provided under the forestry schemes to provide for the provision of deer fencing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53834/23]
View answerUnder my Departments Afforestation scheme there is provision made for the protection of trees from grazing animals, including deer. Funding for fencing ideally should be applied for pre-establishment of the forest, at application stage.
The fencing allowance for deer fencing must be approved in advance and will be based on the area enclosed and protected by the deer fence.
Further details of specification requirements and fencing grants available can be found in the Forestry Standards Manual found on my website here: gov.ie - Forestry Standards Manual (gov.ie) - www.gov.ie/en/publication/640f49-forestry-standards-manual/.
My Department also offers the Deer Tree Shelter, Hare and Deer fencing scheme, which can provide support for the establishment of broadleaves which occur in areas of high deer pressure, to protect and enable their successful establishment. This scheme can also provide funding where deer damage has occurred post establishment and fencing is advisable to protect against further damage. Details of the Deer Tree Shelter, Hare and Deer Fencing Scheme can be found here: gov.ie - Deer Tree Shelter, Hare and Deer Fencing Scheme (gov.ie)
Applications for both of these schemes should be submitted by a registered forester.
451. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement he has had with pedigree cattle breeders following the announced changes to the beef index; if he is aware of the potential loss of income for breeders as a result of the ratings changes and the short timeframe for introduction; if consideration has been given to delaying the introduction or allowing a grace period for breeders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53853/23]
View answerIrish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is the body approved in Ireland in accordance with the relevant EU legislation to conduct testing, genetic evaluation and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle. As part of their remit, I am advised that ICBF have recently updated breeding indices, the first major update since 2015, based predominately on changing economic drivers such as feed costs and final sale values. A modest adjustment also took place based on earlier slaughter of animals, Tuberculosis resistance, carcass specifications and lower methane output. I understand that further deferment of the update would have impacted breeding decisions at farm level and the ability of AI companies to respond to any impact of breeding decisions as a result of the changes. I am advised that ICBF have communicated extensively with the industry to explain the changes to the beef indexes. On request, ICBF has met with the breed societies since the changes to the beef indexes were announced and ongoing communications are anticipated.
I am confident that the amended indexes will contribute to the overall profitability and sustainability of beef production at farm level.
452. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos 121 and 122 of 29 November 2023, if his Department will refuse to permit the conversion of existing forest land to agroforestry as is not a policy objective of his Department, nor is it a strategic action in his Department’s Forestry Strategy implementation plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53918/23]
View answerAs outlined previously in Parliamentary Questions Nos 121 and 122 of 29 November 2023 owners of ash forests affected by ash dieback are treated as a special case and my Department has allowed, on a case by case basis, and in accordance with my Departments document ‘Felling and Reforestation Policy (2017)’, the conversion of ash forests devastated by ash dieback to be replanted under an agroforestry regime. There are no plans to extend this provision to other situations.
453. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing closure of a service (details supplied); if plans are in place to support clients during this closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53512/23]
View answerThe sustainability and stability of health and social care sectors are a concern for Government and I recognise the ability of voluntary organisations to pay their staff is highly dependent on state funding.
In recent months, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Health proactively engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission process to ensure the stability and sustainability of services for the benefit of those who rely on these essential services and the workers who are essential to providing quality services.
In an effort to avoid industrial action and reach an agreement, officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Health, the HSE and Tusla attended a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) process on 16 October.
Following intensive talks, the parties to the process reached an agreement on funding for pay with Unions representing Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 organisations.
The agreement reached committed to a significant increase of investment in the sectors amounting to an 8% increase in funding for pay in these organisations.
The agreement included a phasing of funding:
- 3% from 1 April 2023
- An additional 2% from 1 November 2023
- And a further 3% from 1 March 2024
Most importantly, and in the immediate term, this agreement resulted in the postponement of planned industrial action by staff working in these organisations as they considered the pay deal proposed.
On 22 November unions informed the Departments that their members in the organisations balloted - amounting to approx. 5,000 working across a variety of organisations - voted overwhelmingly to accept the agreement. It was backed by 88% of INMO members who voted, 94% of SIPTU members and 75% of Fórsa members.
As part of the agreement Departments have also committed to further talks after any future public sector agreement.
As always, the needs of service users were central considerations in the decision to increase exchequer funding to these service providers.
While Government has engaged in this process and an agreement has been reached, it is worth noting that Section 39 and Section 56 organisations are not public bodies, and the terms and conditions of employment for staff in these organisations are ultimately between the employer and the employee.
The Departments are aware that staff employed across the hundreds of funded organisations have been employed using a multiplicity of terms and conditions, including different rates of remuneration and are dependent on Government for funding.
This agreement recognises the important role of staff working in these voluntary bodies and provides certainty to organisations, staff and the people who rely upon them to provide essential services.
454. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to an issue raised (details supplied), if he can provide an update on any progress made on the re-opening of the hydrotherapy pool at a location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53202/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. As the Deputy may be aware, the industrial action that commenced on Friday 6th October, by management and administrative grades in Fórsa Trade Union in the HSE, will impact on the response times to Parliamentary Questions and Representations.
455. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will review the conditions relating to subsidies in the national childcare scheme which adversely impact parents and guardians of children not availing of their quota of full-time care hours (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53264/23]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme is designed to be flexible and acknowledge that childcare needs differ widely across different families. A core design of the scheme is that parents and providers agree the number of hours of childcare required. The subsidy amount reflects those agreed hours e.g. a child receiving 20 hours of eligible early learning and childcare will receive a greater subsidy than the same child receiving 10 hours subsidy. This ensures a full-time subsidy is not being paid in respect of a child who is utilising a part-time place, and that the investment is following the child.
Equally, early learning and childcare providers are private entities. As such, they are free to set their own fees and sessions, which the Department has no control over. Depending on what sessions the early learning and care provider offers, a parent may have to pay for sessions which include hours that they do not avail of. In such cases, their NCS subsidy will only apply to hours actually attended by their child. Any additional hours will be unsubsidised.
I appreciate that there may be a disconnect between the number of weekly hours of childcare that parents require versus the types of services a particular provider offers (e.g. part-time or full-time sessions rather than an hourly rate). However, the Scheme has been designed with some level of flexibility in relation to the reporting of attendance to reflect the reality of parent's lives, including rounding up daily hours attended to a full hour total, payment for occasional under attendance (a parent won't be penalised if they pick their child up early on occasion or the child misses a session due to illness) and exemptions for extended absence under certain conditions.
The above flexibilities go some way towards off-setting the issues arising from providers offering only sessional services. Parents should discuss the hours of childcare they require with their providers and ensure they are receiving the appropriate subsidies for the agreed hours.
456. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if IPAS can make urgent contact with a person in County Mayo (details supplied) in view of the sensitivity of the situation. [53266/23]
View answerMy Officials are in contact with the Deputy's constituent in relation to the sensitive issue to which he refers.
