Written Answers Nos. 627-641
627. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans in relation to the control of dogs regulations and legislation relative to the outcome of the recent survey conducted by his Department and the report that followed. [55085/23]
View answerIn January this year I convened a Working Group on the Control of Dogs. The Group is composed of officials at my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development, representatives of the County and City Managers Association, including representatives of local authority dog wardens and veterinary inspectors, and representatives of An Garda Síochána. Its report was approved by cabinet at the end of March and is available at gov.ie - Working Group on Control of Dogs (www.gov.ie).
Recommendations of that report are currently under review by the relevant Departments.
Responsibility for the Control of Dogs Act lies with the Department of Rural and Community Development.
628. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a cohort of farmers will now not receive their ACRES payment until January 2024; the steps he will take to address the issue and ensure farmers receive their payment on time as expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55127/23]
View answer636. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a matter (details supplied) in relation to ACRES will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55316/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 628 and 636 together.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, a flagship environmental scheme, namely the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), was launched last year. There was exceptional demand for entry into the Scheme, which demonstrates the interest of farmers to take on actions to address climate, biodiversity and environmental issues.
While it was initially planned to take in applicants in two Tranches, with 30,000 in Tranche 1, as a Government the decision was made to accept all valid applications submitted, and there are now just under 46,000 farmers actively involved in the Scheme.
The decision to accept all 46,000 applicants has put significant pressure on the ability to pay all participants in 2023.
As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, all ACRES applications must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue. Validations are currently being carried out and officials have been working to expedite payments, but with the unprecedented numbers, it has not been possible to get all participants paid in ACRES by the year end.
Payments will commence on December 18th, with two thirds of all ACRES General participants in the final stages of being processed for payment in the initial payment run. ACRES General payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as cases are cleared for payment. Due to the additional complexity associated with the Co-operation Project (CP) stream, payments for ACRES CP participants are being progressed and will begin to issue in February 2024. A Frequently Asked Questions document has been circulated to CP Teams and approved ACRES advisors, and is published on the Department’s website.
To expedite the processing of payments, farmers with outstanding issues or returns to submit should do so without delay. Where a farmer has chosen the Low-Emission Slurry Spreading action (LESS) an annual declaration must be returned each year. There are currently a significant number of these outstanding. Payment cannot be processed for applicants with this action until this declaration has been received via the ACRES LESS online portal.
Where scoring of parcels is applicable, scorecards must be returned to calculate payments. Payments cannot issue in these cases until the scorecards have been received. In addition, farmers who have been contacted by the BISS section of my Department should ensure that any issues outstanding are dealt with as soon as possible as these issues may also impact on the ACRES claim.
All participants in Tranche 1 of ACRES are required to complete the mandatory ACRES training by the end of 2023. I therefore encourage ACRES farmers who have not attended to date to contact an approved ACRES Trainer to arrange attendance at such a course as soon as possible. A list of approved ACRES Trainers is available on my Department’s website at gov.ie - ACRES Training Scheme (ATS) (www.gov.ie).
Everything is being done to pay, as soon as possible, all ACRES participants who clear pre-payment checks.
629. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer (details supplied) who is appealing a decision not to award him a payment under the national beef welfare scheme, and who is awaiting a decision on this appeal, can sell calves, as is normal this type of year, before a decision is made on the appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55142/23]
View answerApplications for the National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS) were accepted online from 03 August 2023 to the 26 September 2023. The original closing date had been the 12 September 2023, however my Department extended it to 26 September 2023 in order that applications could be facilitated at my Department's stand at the National Ploughing Championships from the 19 - 21 September 2023.
Approximately16,400 eligible applications were submitted by the closing date on 26 September 2023. No valid application was received from the person named and is therefore not eligible to participate in the scheme for 2023. There is no provision for accepting late applications after the closing date.
There are two mandatory actions under the scheme; Action 1 - IBR testing which had to be completed by the 1 November 2023 and Action 2 - Meal Feeding.
A request for a review was received from the person named on the 24 October 2023 looking to be included in the scheme. Following completion of the review within my Department, a letter issued to the person on 26 October 2023, to inform them that the review was unsuccessful. The letter also advised the person named that they retained the right to appeal this decision to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office (AAO) if they so wished.
Should the person concerned submit an appeal to the AAO, that is subsequently deemed successful, they should ensure that they are able to comply with the mandatory actions of the scheme as outlined above in order to receive payment under the scheme. Full details of the scheme requirements are outlined in the scheme terms and conditions which are available on my Department’s website at gov.ie - National Beef Welfare Scheme (www.gov.ie).
If however they choose not to submit an appeal to the AAO, they are free to sell calves as they are not bound by the terms and conditions of the National Beef Welfare Scheme, as they are not a participant within it.
630. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to review a case (details supplied); if this anomaly is correct; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55146/23]
View answerPersons fulfilling their replanting obligations are not entitled to afforestation premiums. In line with state aid rules, afforestation premiums are used to incentivise landowners to undertake a land use change to forestry. However, such a person may be eligible for Intervention 7 of our New Forestry Programme 2023-2027 - Climate Resilient Reforestation. This pilot scheme will be launched in coming months.
Mandatory replanting conditions are determined as per the Department’s Felling and Reforestation Policy (DAFM, 2017) and in line with Sustainable Forest Management Principles. However, the opportunity exists to incentivise species diversity and alternative forest management systems at reforestation stage over and above these mandatory requirements.
The proposed Climate Resilient Reforestation Pilot Scheme aims to provide supports at reforestation that incentivise species and structural diversity. This can result in an increase in the resilience and adaptiveness of forest land to climate related threats.
Many forests in Ireland have been established and managed under an even-aged management structure and there is a need for a greater balance between these and forests managed under closer to nature silviculture such as Continuous Cover Forestry, and semi-natural forest.
This intervention will be delivered through a Reforestation Scheme with three elements:
1: Reforestation for Continuous Cover Forestry
2: Reforestation for Native Woodlands
3: Reforestation for Biodiversity and Water Protection
In addition to mandatory requirements set under replanting conditions, all elements will be subject to DAFM’s Forestry Standards, including the accepted species, origin and provenance list. Grant funding will be available for measures that ensure successful re-establishment, such as planting, plant protection (e.g. fencing) and maintenance.
631. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his main policy and legislative priorities for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55201/23]
View answerThe information requested is not readily available and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
632. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide data on the volume of whitethorn being imported into the State; if he will address concerns that this is having an adverse impact on the indigenous timber industry and negatively impacting the potential for employment in the timber sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55226/23]
View answerThe trade and movement of plants and plant products into and within the EU is governed by the EU Plant Health Regulation 2031 of 2016. This Regulation harmonises the rules on the introduction of plants and plant products into the EU from countries outside the EU and the movement of plants and plant products within the EU.
Within the EU, all plants for planting moving between professional operators require a plant passport. EU Plant Passports are issued by Professional Operators who are authorised to do so by the Competent Authority. Within the EU a protected zone can be applied to a region in which a harmful organism which has established in one or more parts of the EU is not present in that region. Ireland is recognised as having a favourable plant health status and has the highest number of protected zones in the EU with 23 pests and diseases listed.
Whitethorn is a host plant for the disease Erwinia amylovora (Fireblight) and Ireland has a protected zone for this disease. All host plants entering a protected zone are subject to advance notification and must be accompanied by a specific protected zone Plant Passport which certifies that the requirements of the additional requirements have been fulfilled..
To date in 2023, 1,006,150 plants of Crataegus (hawthorn/whitethorn) have been imported into Ireland from within the EU.
There are no commercial uses of whitethorn wood in the timber industry, therefore little or no impact on employment in the timber sector is anticipated.
635. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a fisheries matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55310/23]
View answerI am very aware of the challenges the Inshore sector is facing at the moment.
My Department has provided a range of supports to the inshore fleet over the past few years, funded under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), and will continue to provide supports to this fleet as further schemes are developed and implemented under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) over the coming years.
With the assistance of my Department, the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) achieved recognition as an EU Producer Organisation and joined the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO) in representing the inshore sector. These organisations, through the implementation of Production and Marketing Plans, will help to develop opportunities for their members. Both of these organisations are eligible for funding under the EMFAF programme to assist in the achievement of their aims.
It is vital that, in addition to funding supports, we also work to identify and develop new markets for these vessels. As such, I participate in an ongoing programme of trade missions and promotional activities to enhance the continuing efforts of Bord Bia and industry in marketing Ireland's high quality and sustainable seafood and agrifood produce in key priority markets such as China, South East Asia and West Africa and to a number of key European markets all of which are priority growth targets for Ireland’s seafood and agrifood export sectors.
Additionally, in terms of the domestic market, Bord Bia commenced an Irish seafood advertising campaign for four weeks on 4th December. This campaign includes radio advertising along with social media activity, which feature a series of Irish seafood recipe adverts on Bord Bia’s media channels. The species in this promotion are Irish crab, salmon, trout, langoustines, haddock, monkfish and oysters. This will increase the profile for Irish seafood in the run up to Christmas and should drive preferences for Irish seafood and increase consumption in the home market.
639. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date for the commencement of works of the sea wall at a location in County Donegal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55416/23]
View answerCoastal protection works and any decisions concerning seawalls at Magheraroarty Co. Donegal are a matter for the local authority concerned. The Coastal Protection funding scheme is administered by the Office of Public Works and would appear to be the appropriate funding avenue for a sea wall project.
640. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the total costs of ECCE pay for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [54453/23]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range. ECCE is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs from September to June.
The ECCE programme is provided by private providers who enter into contracts with my Department to provide the ECCE programme to eligible children.
Payment of ECCE is on a per-capita basis and the capitation rate is €69 per child per week. Wages are a matter between employer and employee. The figures below, which have been provided by Pobal the scheme administrators , is the funding paid by my Department in the programme years 2020-21 up 2022-23.
|
Programme Call |
ECCE Registrations |
ECCE Higher Capitation |
Total |
|
ECCE 2020/2021 |
€ 256,500,234 |
€ 26,780,420 |
€ 283,280,654 |
|
ECCE 2021/2022 |
€ 269,827,340 |
€ 28,781,059 |
€ 298,608,399 |
|
ECCE 2022/2023 |
€ 273,800,040 |
€ 0.00 |
€ 273,800,040 |
641. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the total costs of ECCE/ AIM pay (combined) for 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular. form. [54454/23]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a universal free two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range. ECCE is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and the programme year runs from September to June.
The ECCE programme is provided by private providers who enter into contracts with my Department to provide the ECCE programme to eligible children.
The key objective of AIM is to support early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that children with a disability can fully participate in the ECCE Programme, thereby reaping the benefits of quality preschool provision.
Payment of ECCE is on a per-capita basis and the capitation rate is €69 per child per week. Wages are a matter between employer and employee. The figures below, which have been provided by Pobal, the administrators of both ECCE and AIM, is the funding paid by my Department in the programme years 2020-21 up 2022-23.
|
Programme Call |
ECCE Registrations |
ECCE Higher Capitation |
AIM Level 1 |
AIM Level 5 |
AIM Level 7 |
Total |
|
ECCE 2020/2021 |
€ 256,500,234 |
€ 26,780,420 |
€ 5,064,486 |
€ 467,899 |
€ 19,340,347 |
€ 308,153,386 |
|
ECCE 2021/2022 |
€ 269,827,340 |
€ 28,781,059 |
€ 4,944,233 |
€ 662,183 |
€ 37,001,314 |
€ 341,216,129 |
|
ECCE 2022/2023 |
€ 273,800,040 |
€ 0.00 |
€ 5,418,799 |
€ 635,406 |
€ 41,803,660 |
€ 321,657,905 |
