Written Answers Nos. 597-611
597. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in the BISS payment being made to a person in County Donegal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54452/23]
View answerEU Regulations governing the administration of the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme and other area-based schemes require that full and comprehensive checks are completed before any payments issue. The 2023 BISS application of the person named has now been processed and any payments due to the applicant will issue over the coming days.
598. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what supports are available to co-operative marts which have to upgrade infrastructure to meet health and safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54462/23]
View answerThere is no funding provided by my Department for the specific purpose of upgrading mart infrastructure to meet health and safety standards.
The support my Department provided in 2023 was for existing marts to upgrade their equipment following the introduction of mandatory electronic identification (EID) of cattle. The Mart EID Upgrade Scheme closed on 10th November 2023.
599. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will run a recruitment campaign early in the new year seeking to employ additional directly employed ecologists for his Department. [54482/23]
View answerMy Department has significantly increased the number of permanent ecologists working in the Department over the last number of years. The Department also utilise ecologists on a contract basis. Permanent ecologists now work in several Divisions of my Department and provide useful expertise as we are dealing with biodiversity related policy and scheme delivery matters.
Earlier this year a competition was advertised for the recruitment of permanent ecologists into my Department with a competition run in April. A panel was formed that will have a two year lifespan. Any ecology posts that are sanctioned for filling within my Department will be filled from this panel. Ecologists have been recruited already from this panel and further offers will continue until the panel is exhausted or the two year period lapses.
600. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the capital works projects valued at over €100,000 that are still ongoing in each of the Fisheries Harbour Centres under the remit of his Department; and when each of those works will be completed, in tabular form. [54483/23]
View answerAt the beginning of this year, I announced a capital investment package of €37.3m for the six Fishery Harbour Centres as part of the 2023 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. This includes a number of projects valued over €100,000 and costs of the works intended to be undertaken within 2023. Details of the project allocation are available in tabular form online at: gov.ie - Minister McConalogue announces investment of €37.3 million in capital projects in Ireland’s six fishery harbour centres (www.gov.ie).
As a number of these larger projects are multi-annual projects and may be subject to phases of completion, I have asked my Department to prepare the requested table of projects and estimated completion dates and provide these directly to the Deputy.
601. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he would reconsider the treatment of established woodland under the ACRES scheme, as currently farmers who have extensive parts of their land under established woodland are not getting sufficient benefit for this environmental benefit from the ACRES scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54589/23]
View answerMy Department’s agri-environment scheme, ACRES, requires an agricultural activity on the parcels included in a farmer’s contract, as set out in the Terms and Conditions of the scheme.
Notwithstanding this, the new CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 (CSP) allows for areas of established woodland to be regarded as a beneficial feature in agricultural parcels, thus allowing for these pockets of woodland to be paid under ACRES, in certain circumstances.
Officials from my Department, together with the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Teams, developed a suite of ten scorecards, to enable the scoring of ACRES CP participant lands, including a woodland/scrubland scorecard. This scorecard is applied to pockets of established woodland or scrub habitats, and has the potential to reward a farmer depending on the score received.
This woodland under ACRES is separate from Forestry established under my Department’s Afforestation Scheme, which is not eligible for payment in ACRES. However, farmers that have established forestry under the Forestry Programme would of course receive annual premiums as appropriate, and may also have retained entitlements, depending on eligibility requirements.
602. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider establishing a scheme to maintain woodland due to the environmental benefits which will accrue, while recognising that this is a long-term project with no financial return for an individual landowner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54590/23]
View answerThe Forestry Programme 2023-2027 provides a range of schemes to support the establishment and management of forests. Ireland's recently published Forest Strategy recognises the importance of forests and the wide range of ecosystem services they provide. Sustainably managed forests also make a significant contribution to the rural economy and contribute to Ireland's climate targets by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through sequestration and the storage of carbon in harvested wood products.
Recognising the importance of managing forests the €1.3 billion Forestry Programme provides a range of measures to support forest owners. For example, my Department will provide funding under the Woodland Improvement scheme and Native Woodland Conservation Scheme to support existing forest owners in the management of broad-leaved forests. The Forestry Programme will also introduce on a pilot basis payments for Ecosystem Services with premium payments over a seven year period to existing forest owners who successfully enter the Continuous Cover Forestry and Native Woodland Conservation Scheme.
To facilitate the management and haulage of timber my Department has launched a forest roads scheme that facilitates the construction of new forest roads to support forest management. Forest owners can receive €55 per linear metre for new roads constructed. This will provide opportunities for forest owners to create or improve access to forests to facilitate sustainable forest management, including the harvesting of timber. My Department will also launch in 2024 a forest management plan scheme to provide funding to forest owners to prepare plans which will support certification and applications for licensing.
Details of all schemes available under the new Forestry Programme 2023 – 2027 are available on my Departments website gov.ie - Forestry Grants and Schemes (www.gov.ie).
603. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54599/23]
View answerThe Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is the body approved in Ireland in accordance with relevant EU legislation to conduct testing, genetic evaluation and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle have recently updated beef breeding indexes.
This was the first major update since 2015, based predominately on changing economic drivers such as feed costs and beef prices. A modest adjustment also took place based on earlier slaughter of animals, tuberculosis resistance, carcass specifications and lower methane output.
I understand that prior to the updates, Continentals (Charolais, Limousin and Belgian Blue) were the most desirable Terminal cattle breeds and they continue to be the most desirable after the changes. With regard to the Replacement Index, the top three most desirable replacement breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Limousin and Simmental) remain as the top three after the changes.
ICBF have communicated extensively on changes to the beef indexes, including with breed societies, since the changes were announced. ICBF has recently committed to convening an industry stakeholder forum to address issues and concerns raised by suckler farmers and pedigree breeders and I welcome this engagement.
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme aims to provide support to suckler farmers to improve the profitability and environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. I understand from ICBF that 84% of 4-5 Star animals prior to the changes will retain their 4-5 Star status after the changes.
Animals in SCEP herds whose Index falls will not be impacted by the changes unless the SCEP participant sells an animal that has gone down in rating. It is only when this animal moves out of this herd, its 3 Star rating will become applicable and it will no longer meet the 4 and 5 Star eligibility criteria. I understand that any other issues will be addressed in the coming months in the stakeholder forum and communications will be issued to SCEP participants by ICBF. I will continue to monitor any impact on SCEP farmers closely.
I am confident that the amended indexes will contribute to the overall profitability and sustainability of beef production at farm level and my Department will continue to monitor the impact of the amended indexes on SCEP participants.
604. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the provisions he is making, if any, for access to the acres scheme for new entrants to farming in 2023 and future years; if he will review the criteria for eligibility with regard to having submitted a BPS application in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54618/23]
View answer618. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to clarify the reasoning behind excluding new basic payment scheme applicants from the ACRES 2 scheme in 2023; the number of affected farmers; if a review of this decision is under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54921/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 604 and 618 together.
The Terms and Conditions for Tranche 2 of ACRES are published on my Department’s website.
One of the eligibility requirements for a farmer to participate is the submission of a Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application for 2022.
A further requirement is that all lands must also be declared in the applicant’s 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application (and declared on the applicant’s BISS application for all subsequent years of participation).
This is a standard requirement for agri-environment schemes, and there has been no change in this regard from Tranche 1, apart from the qualifying years.
605. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what precautions the Government is taking to reduce the risk of importing further disease through the importation of trees, saplings, shrubs and soil; if there is a plan in place to increase the production of native Irish stock for the home market, so Ireland can decrease or stop its reliance on importation and protect our native plants/trees from further disease or loss of 100% Irish strain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54631/23]
View answerPromoting and safeguarding plant health is a key strategic principle of the Plant Health and Biosecurity Strategy 2020-2025. Ireland is a contracting party of the International Plant Protection Convention of the United Nations, as well as an active member of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation and is cooperating with countries around the world developing global standards to protect plants.
The trade and movement of plants and plant products into and within the EU is governed by the EU Plant Health Regulation 2016/2031. This Regulation sets out a framework of protective measures against the introduction into the EU Community of organisms harmful to plant and plant products, and against their spread within the Community. It provides for a harmonized policy for the 27 members of the EU to prevent the introduction and spread of such organisms.
In June of this year together with Minister Hackett, I launched Ireland’s National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 which, underpinned by eight Key Strategic Actions provides a road map for the horticulture industry to ensure the future economic, social and environmental sustainability of this sector. The amenity sector is identified in the strategy as an area for growth and a number of specific actions to grow the sector have been identified.
The Department provides supports to the Horticulture sector including the nursery stock sector through the Scheme of Investment for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector. The 2024 Scheme with a budget of €10 million is open for applications until 15 December.
606. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details on his Department’s role in selecting members for the citizen engagement working group established to assist in the review of the emissions reduction target for the land use, land use change and forestry sector (LULUCF); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54677/23]
View answerA key part of the Land Use Review is consideration of how land users and other relevant stakeholders should be engaged in the on-going production of the land use knowledge base; the co-creation of a shared vision on the transition in land use; the formulation of priorities that will inform a National Land Use Strategy; and the design of evidence-based and collaborative plans and actions. At the heart of the Land Use Review will be a recognition of the very significant role of farmers and farm families.
One of the tasks of the citizen engagement working group is to communicate, inform, engage and motivate all stakeholders on the agreed national priorities that comprise a shared vision for the necessary transition in land use. Priorities include emission reductions for climate targets and also improved outcomes for biodiversity, socioeconomics for landowners and users, water and air quality.
The engagement group is in the process of being established to consider these issues. The intention is that it will be based on the National Economic and Social Council’s (NESC) Engagement Group that informed the Just Transition in Agriculture and Land Use. It will be adjusted or added to as appropriate by the Chair, following consultation and agreement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, myself and the Minister for State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, to ensure a balanced membership across civil society, environmental groups, farmers and farming organisations, industry, Government, and academia. The group will be chaired by Rory O’Donnell, retired Director of NESC.
607. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he intends to open a public consultation on the matter of trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines. [54695/23]
View answerIn December 2018, it was announced that vessels over 18 metres would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. This decision to exclude vessels over 18 metres from trawling inside the six nautical miles was the subject of extended legal proceedings following a Judicial Review to the High Court taken by two applicant fishermen challenging the validity of the Policy Directive which underpinned the initiative. The outcome of these proceedings, only achieved earlier this year, is that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 has been quashed by an Order of Certiorari made by the Court of Appeal.
Further to the final judgment of the Courts, and on the basis of legal advice received in respect of next steps, I have decided to proceed with a new public consultation in the matter of trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines. As I have previously put on record on this issue, my Department has sought up-to-date scientific and economic advice from the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara, respectively, on trawling in the waters inside the six nautical miles. Once those reports are finalised and policy options are identified by my Department, I can proceed with a public consultation. I look forward to receiving policy options from my Department for consideration in due course.
608. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when Departmental costings guidelines for TAMS-supported investments were last revised; if he intends to revise these; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54724/23]
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.
Following the success of TAMS II, which closed for applications in December 2022, I have increased the number of investment items available significantly, and have also increased the reference costs as appropriate across all schemes in TAMS 3. I have also increased the number of applicants eligible for 60% grant rates. Grant rates of 60% are now available to eligible applicants for items under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme, Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme, Solar Capital Investment scheme, Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme and the Organic Capital Investment Scheme.
I will also ensure that the costing of items available under the TAMS schemes are kept under continuous review during the lifetime of the programme.
609. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of TAMs applications received to date under Tranche 1; the number processed; when the remainder are due to be processed by; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54725/23]
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 received across ten separate measures. The Solar Capital Investment Scheme opened for applications in February 2023, with the remaining ten measures opening on a phased basis. The final measure, The Women Capital Investment Scheme, opened for applications in June 2023.
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.
To assist farmers that required the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare related investments for the winter of 2023/2024, I provided a priority access facility, and all applications received under this facility have now been assessed.
Approvals have now issued to 252 eligible priority access cases, and my Department has also been in contact with farmers where there is a query on their application in order to resolve the issue before approval can issue. Non-priority approval letters for Tranche 1 applications have now started to issue, commencing with the Solar Capital Investment Scheme. It is anticipated that the majority of approvals under Tranche 1 will issue by April 2024.
More than 50% of all investments under Tranche 1 are in respect of mobile equipment. Applicants may purchase the mobile equipment, at their own risk, subject to verification of eligibility in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the relevant schemes.
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.
610. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if late applications will be accepted to the unharvested crop scheme in exceptional force majeure circumstances as a number of farmers who have suffered significant losses lost out on applying for the scheme due to the short duration during which applications were open and this has taken a significant toll on their physical, mental and financial health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54742/23]
View answer621. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts he made to ensure that the maximum number of tillage farmers were made aware of the targeted scheme to compensate growers for unharvested crops; if he will address concerns that some growers had no idea that such a scheme was in place, and subsequently missed the application deadline; if he will extend the application deadline to ensure maximum access to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54959/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 610 and 621 together.
On 16 November, I announced an additional €7.147 million in state funding to support the tillage sector. This additional national support represents a 100% top-up to the €7.147 million allocated under the EU Agricultural Reserve which was announced in early October. This state funding is being used to support growers with unharvested crops by way of the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme with the remaining available funds being used as a top-up to all eligible recipients of the Ag Reserve payment announced in October.
A press release was issued by my Department on my announcement of the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme and was covered widely by the agricultural media at the time.
The Unharvested Crop Loss Support Scheme opened for applications on 16 November and farmers who wished to avail of the scheme had to submit applications by close of business on Friday 24 November 2023. While I appreciate that the period for submitting applications was relatively short, it was necessary to allow sufficient time for my officials to process applications and for the necessary inspections to be carried out to enable payments to be made in January 2024.
Payments under the Unharvested Crop Support Scheme are being made under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1465. This Regulation provides for financial support from the EU Agricultural Reserve and also allows for Member States to top-up this support with state funding. The Regulation clearly specifies that payments must be made by 31 January 2024. In view of the very short window to administer the Scheme and to have payments made by the 31 January deadline, it is not possible for my Department to extend the deadline for applications.
611. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timetable for the sign off on payments under the TAMS scheme to farmers when all the documentation has been submitted and the payments to be issued; if there are adequate staff to deal with this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54744/23]
View answerGenerally, approval for payment under the TAMS scheme takes place within two months following the receipt of the claim for payment, together with valid supporting documentation and the completion of investments in accordance with specifications. Payment then issues to 100% of cleared cases within three weeks of approval for payment, when it has been determined that the work has been completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme. Payments will then issue to eligible applicants on a weekly basis.
Applications received across all of the measures in Tranche 1 of TAMS 3 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.
To assist farmers that required the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare related investments for the winter of 2023/2024, I provided a priority access facility, and all applications received under this facility have now been assessed.
Approvals have now issued to eligible priority access cases, and my Department has also been in contact with farmers where there is a query on their application in order to resolve the query before approval can issue. In the case of other applications, approval letters have now commenced on a scheme-by-scheme basis, starting with the Solar Capital Investment Scheme.
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.
