Written Answers Nos. 481-500
481. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his priorities for Ireland achieving the hugely ambitious forestry targets and the involvement of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund in this capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28474/25]
View answerThe Government’s afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year is set out in the Climate Action Plan. The current Forestry Programme is the largest ever funded Programme to date, which provides attractive financial incentives and a broad range of planting options in order to achieve these ambitious targets. The comprehensive package of measures included in the Programme introduced an increase in forestry premiums of between 46% and 66% and farmers will now receive 20 years of premium payments compared to 15 years for non-farmers. These rates are envisaged to incentivise behavioural change for landowners to engage with forestry.
The signs this year are hopeful in that new planting since January to date, at 1,186 hectares, is more than double what it was at the same time last year. In addition, there are around 6,000 hectares that are approved and not yet fully planted.
My Department has published a comprehensive communication plan to promote the options available to farmers and other landowners. Since the launch of the Programme, my department has engaged in advertising on both national and local radio, placing advertisements and infotorials in the national press, engaged directly with farmers and landowners through leaflets, text messages and four town hall events organised jointly with Teagasc, as well as other events such the National Ploughing Championships and the Tullamore show. Forestry is also promoted through my Department's social media channels on a weekly basis.
My Department has to date, funded forty two projects through an open call for promotion proposals. This level of promotion will continue throughout 2025. I am committed to promoting this valuable land use option for farmers and other landowners.
Coillte is actively contributing to the national afforestation targets and the company has set an ambitious target to enable the creation of 100,000 hectares of new forests in their Forest Estate Land Use Strategy. Coillte will put in place different initiatives to achieve this target, including the creation of mixed woodlands which will be done in cooperation with the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund. Coillte partnered with the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which is state-owned and part of the NTMA, and Gresham House to establish the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund in January 2023. Coillte’s role in this partnership is to source land, to plant new forests and to provide forest management services to the fund. The benefit of Coillte being involved is to ensure the forests are managed in accordance with Sustainable Forest Management standards and they will be open for public access for everyone to enjoy. Coillte will not sell any existing, publicly owned forest to the fund, nor will it seek to purchase any other public land on behalf of the fund.
Afforestation is a voluntary land use for private citizens with constitutional property rights and a range of alternative options for their land. However, my department offers a wide range of generous incentives to encourage people to plant trees and will continue to promote the benefits of forestry and the attractive options now available through every channel available.
482. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider introducing a subsidy scheme for inshore and islands fishermen, similar to those schemes available to farmers over many years. [28496/25]
View answerThe income supports for farmers that the Deputy refers to are provided within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and specifically on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 which sets out the rules for support under CAP Strategic Plans.
There is no similar or comparable provision in place under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in relation to primary producers in the seafood sector.
The primary source of funding for the seafood sector is the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) (2021 – 2027), one of a number of European cohesion funds. The EMFAF Regulation is aligned with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and the EMFAF Regulation does not make provision for the use of EMFAF funds to provide income supports to primary producers in the seafood sector.
There is no provision in the relevant EU Regulations governing state aid that would allow any exchequer funded subsidy scheme for the seafood sector.
I must note that my Department has significantly improved the financial supports available to the inshore fleet in the last year, implementing a number of schemes to specifically support inshore fishers and improving the aid rates available under these schemes. These include the Small-scale Coastal Fisheries Scheme which provides unprecedented enhanced grant rates of up to 80% to inshore fishers for both on-board and on-shore investment; grant rates of 100% are now in place for inshore fishers participating in the Lobster V-notching scheme and an innovative scheme to support the economic development of the inshore fishing fleet was put in place in 2024 - the Inshore Fleet Economic Assessment Scheme.
Inshore fishers can also access supports under other schemes such as the Fleet Safety Scheme and Seafood Training Scheme.
All of these schemes are administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) on behalf of the Department, and further details can be found on bim.ie/fisheries/.
Income supports are provided by the Department of Social Protection, with a specific category of Jobseekers Allowance for fishers, known as Fish Assist, further details are available here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/services/jobseekers-allowance/. Any inshore fisher who requires such financial assistance is advised to contact their local INTREO centre. Details of INTREO centres are available here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-social-protection/services/find-your-local-intreo-centre/.
My Department and BIM will be engaging with the inshore sector to develop a successor to the Strategy for Inshore Fisheries Sector 2019-2023. This will provide an opportunity to fully consider the challenges facing the inshore fleet and identify potential measures to mitigate these challenges.
483. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that the Quota Management Advisory Committee meets soon to agree on the allocation of mackerel and other species. [28497/25]
View answerIn Ireland, fishing quotas are a public resource and are managed to provide for proper management, conservation and rational exploitation of the State’s fishing quotas. Quotas are managed as a public good that ensures that property rights are not granted to individual operators. This is seen as a critical policy in order to ensure that quotas are not concentrated into the hands of large fishing companies whose owners have the financial resources to buy up such rights. In Ireland, any movement towards privatisation and concentration of rights into the hands of large companies would seriously risk fishing vessels losing an economic link with Ireland’s coastal communities and undermining the socio-economic importance of the fishing industry in the coastal communities dependent on fishing.
The result of this long-standing policy is that the Irish fishing fleet involves a balanced spread of sizes and types of fishing vessels who have retained a strong economic link with our coastal communities and have delivered economic activity including vital employment in these communities, where there are very limited alternative economic activities.
Consultation on the management of quotas within National Policy is carried out each month at the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC) meeting involving fishing industry representatives from the catching and processing sectors, my Department and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). The QMAC examines in detail the operation of each fishery, available quota and uptake patterns for the different metiers of fishing vessels. The purpose of these meetings is to make recommendations to the Minister on monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly regimes for particular stocks and industry representatives bring the benefit of their knowledge and experience of fishing to these discussions.
As far as possible, I, as Minister, follow the QMAC's recommendations for regimes for particular stocks, subject to the proper management and rational exploitation of our fisheries. The fish quota management system is designed to ensure, having regard to fishing patterns and market conditions, the best possible spread both between fishing vessel operators and in terms of take-up of quota during the year.
The last QMAC meeting was held on 14th May 2025. The QMAC is due to meet again on 17th June 2025.
484. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if special schools located in DEIS areas can provide a breakfast club through the EU school milk scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28529/25]
View answer485. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a school (details supplied) are eligible to provide a breakfast club through the EU school milk scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28533/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 484 and 485 together.
Funding for breakfast clubs falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, and I understand that milk is an option under the breakfast club for the school year 2024/2025.
Separately, the EU funded School Milk Scheme falls under the responsibility of my Department. The scheme is designed to inform healthy eating habits of children at an early age and support their nutritional requirements.
The EU School scheme is open to all educational establishments including pre-schools, primary and secondary schools.
Both the educational establishments and the children attending the schools participate in the EU scheme on a voluntary basis, the children through voluntary enrolment by a parent/guardian. The scheme is operated in Ireland by the National Dairy Council (NDC) through the Moo Crew Programme. The NDC engages directly with the schools regarding voluntary participation.
Under the School Milk Scheme a portion of fresh drinking milk (189ml approximately) is distributed to each participating child on a daily basis. As part of the mandatory EU Regulatory requirements, the Scheme must be supported by strong educational accompanying measures to educate children about the health and nutritional benefits of milk. The Scheme is required to be delivered in a collective educational setting.
The EU School Milk Scheme is currently implemented in Ireland under a six year EU School Scheme Strategy 2023-2029 approved by the European Commission. The scheme is funded annually by the European Union and is subject to a specific regulatory framework. Taking account of the scheme's requirements and associated controls, breakfast clubs do not form part of the EU School Milk Scheme Strategy in Ireland and therefore milk under the EU school scheme is not available to such breakfast clubs.
The records indicate that the School referenced by the Deputy is not a current participant in the EU School Milk Scheme. It is most welcome to join and may contact the NDC directly in order to facilitate its participation in the scheme as implemented under the Strategy. It is also open to the School to contact the Department of Social Protection with regard to matters concerning breakfast clubs.
486. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received under the 2025 open call for farmer safety, health and wellbeing projects, which closed on 19 May 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28543/25]
View answer487. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expected timeline for the assessment and announcement of successful projects under the farmer safety, health and wellbeing this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28544/25]
View answer488. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of the types of projects submitted and indicate whether any are based in the Longford-Westmeath region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28545/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 486, 487 and 488 together.
This year, my Department is implementing a range of initiatives to improve the safety, health and wellbeing of our farming community through dedicated funding of €2.5m. One of these initiatives is the open call for proposals for farm safety, health and wellbeing projects which Minister Healy-Rae T.D., Minister of State with special responsibility for farm safety and I launched in April.
A total of 48 applications were received in response to the open call. There are four applications from the Longford / Westmeath region. The applications were evaluated by an evaluation panel which includes representatives from my Department, the Health and Safety Authority, the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive.
In total, 27 applications focused on a single theme with the remainder seeking to address two or more themes. The number of applications which included each theme is set out in the following table.
|
Theme |
Number of Applications |
|
Farm Safety |
22 |
|
Farmers Physical Health |
12 |
|
Farmers Mental Health and Wellbeing |
26 |
|
Farmers Physical and Mental Health Checks |
8 |
|
Tractor Driving Awareness Training for Children 14 years of age and older |
7 |
|
Chainsaw Training for Farmers |
6 |
|
Farm Safety, Health and Wellbeing Events/Engagement |
14 |
The successful projects will be announced when the administrative process is complete.
My Department continues to engage with all stakeholders to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing and to reduce the unacceptable level of deaths and injuries on farm.
489. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the ‘reported deceased’ figure of 2,571 for non-coursing greyhounds whose year of birth was 2021 (details supplied) represents all deaths recorded in both the Irish Coursing Club Stud Book, and on Rásaíocht Con Éireann’s traceability system; the cause of death for all 2,751 non-coursing greyhounds reported deceased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28567/25]
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 Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the organisation charged with the role of Keeper of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) since 1923. The Stud Book records pedigrees, ownerships, breeding data and transfers of ownership primarily of all greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.
The ICC has informed my Department that it is not in a position to provide the information requested in the time frame provided.
My officials will forward the information directly to the Deputy when it becomes available.
490. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason non-coursing greyhounds are still required to be registered in the Irish Coursing Club’s Stud Book as all relevant information currently recorded in the Irish Coursing Club Stud Book is captured on Rásaíocht Con Éireann’s traceability system (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28568/25]
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.
491. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of export licences for dogs granted by his Department for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, by country of destination, in tabular form. [28569/25]
View answerCommercial movement of pets is defined where a pet, or pets, is either travelling unaccompanied, or is travelling for the use of trading, or for shows, sporting events or where an owner has more than 5 pets travelling. All commercial movements of dogs require certification, the type of certification is dependent on whether the destination is to other EU countries or non-EU countries.
The number of dogs exported commercially from Ireland in the past five years are listed in the tabular form below:
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2020 |
8,993 |
|
2021 |
10,581 |
|
2022 |
7,089 |
|
2023 |
9,440 |
|
2024 |
8,768 |
|
Total |
40,280 |
The number of dogs exported commercially from Ireland by destination in the past five years are listed in tabular form in the attachment.
492. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's plans to support peatland restoration and enhance biodiversity through sustainable agricultural practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28576/25]
View answerMy Department is focused on tackling climate change, protecting the environment and maintaining biodiversity, as well as ensuring farmer’s livelihoods and the family farm model of agriculture is protected and sustainable here in Ireland.
One of the priorities for my Department is to ensure that we continue to make progress on reducing emissions from land use by the improved management of organic soils. The quality of our water and biodiversity are also affected by how we manage our peat soils.
At farm level, Ireland's flagship €1.5 billion-euro agri-environmental scheme ACRES, contains approaches to facilitate peatland restoration. ACRES has facilitated an estimated area of ca. 560,000 hectares of peatland scoring across private peatland, commonage peatland, low input peat grassland (private land) and low input peat grassland (commonage). Most of this is typical upland blanket bog or lowland Atlantic bog (Western Blanket bogs). ACRES facilitates the provision of a suite of actions, some of which specifically target active peatland restoration.
My Department has funded several European Innovation Projects, including FarmPEAT and Farm Carbon which operated as locally led, innovative, results-based farm schemes for farmers who manage lands that surround some of Ireland's finest remaining raised bogs.
My Department is fully committed to working with farmers, farm organisations, and other stakeholders to support peatland restoration and enhance biodiversity through sustainable agricultural practices. Ultimately, incomes of current and future generations of farmers must be protected whilst meeting national and EU environmental targets.
493. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his policy position on the use of genetic modification to prevent diseases in crops and in animals; if any research work is being carried out by his Department or agencies in the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28776/25]
View answerThe Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, (supported by the Environmental Protection Agency) is responsible for the authorisation of Genetically Modified (GM) crops for cultivation. In 2018, the Government approved the transposition of Directive 2015/412 which enabled Ireland to opt out of cultivation of GM crops approved for cultivation elsewhere in the EU. There are no approved GM crops cultivated in Ireland.
New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), or gene editing techniques, are relatively new technologies, and have the potential to address current challenges in the agri-food system such as food security, climate change and biodiversity reduction and can deliver benefits to farmers, consumers and the environment.
Plants obtained by NGT’s are different to traditional Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in that they do not introduce genetic material from non-crossable species. Teagasc are currently conducting research on NGTs and their potential for developing new crop varieties with a lower requirement for the use of plant protection products.
The EU Commission adopted a proposed regulation on NGTs on 5th July 2023. Among the main objectives of the proposal are to maintain a high level of human and animal health and the environment and to enable the development and placing on the market of plants and plant products contributing to EU innovation and sustainability objectives.
My Department is responsible for negotiating Ireland's position on this new regulatory proposal. Our position is one of support which has been informed by a number of factors including the outcome of a public consultation which showed strong support for the proposal, the scientific opinion from EFSA that NGTs plants are as safe as conventionally bred plants and the synergies of the proposal with wider policies to improve the sustainability and environmental credentials of agriculture sector.
Member States representatives endorsed the Council's negotiating mandate on the proposed regulation on 14th March. Negotiations on the proposed regulation are now in the trilogue phase.
495. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the number of staff by position in a centre (details supplied); the staffing cost by position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28404/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my officials have asked Oberstown Children Detention Campus to respond directly to you on this matter.
496. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there is any capital funding that a family centre in Clondalkin that receives funding from Tusla can apply for to finance a new build; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28536/25]
View answerIn relation to capital funding, I wish to inform the Deputy that neither my Department nor Tusla have capital funding to develop Family Resource Centre-type capital infrastructure projects, including delivering new facilities. Tusla does not have a dedicated budget for capital or building works for third party organisations.
I would suggest, in relation to any proposed new-builds, that the local County or City Council be considered as a starting point in the context of capital funding.
497. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a person (details supplied) will receive an appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28557/25]
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.
498. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the State intends to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Details Supplied) before the summer recess or before the end of 2025, given that Ireland remains one of only 20 countries worldwide yet to ratify the protocol; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28563/25]
View answerThe Government is firmly committed to ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Ireland signed the Second Optional Protocol in 2000, and the Government is committed to taking the further step of ratifying it as soon as possible. In Irish treaty practice, the State must be in a position to meet the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment it enters into force. Often it will not be possible for the State to meet these obligations without first taking steps required by domestic law, or otherwise, enabling it to do so.
Following consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, several legislative measures have been implemented which were necessary to ensure that Ireland is in compliance with the obligations of the Optional Protocol. Enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 were significant steps on the pathway to the ratification of the Optional Protocol.
The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024 (Act 28 of 2024) was signed into law on 17 July 2024, which amends the Sexual Offences (Jurisdiction) Act 1996 and the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008; and provides for related matters, for the purposes of giving effect to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Ireland is almost ready to ratify following the introduction of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024.
Officials in my Department met recently with the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs on the next steps to ensure readiness across all relevant departments in progressing ratification of the Optional Protocol in 2025. Following this engagement, officials in my Department will be consulting with the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that all relevant legislative provisions have been made to enable ratification.
499. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the cost of 1,000 and 100,000 personal assistance hours. [28589/25]
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.
500. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the cost of 1,000 and 100,000 disability home support hours.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28590/25]
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.
