Written Answers Nos. 107-115
107. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the works that were carried out in 2014 on a project (details supplied) co-funded by his Department in County Kerry; if further works are anticipated; if so, the plans for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1957/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRenard Pier is owned by Kerry County Council and responsibility for the maintenance and development of the pier rests with that local authority in the first instance. My Department, however, provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
My Department did receive an application for pier stabilisation works at Renard Pier from Kerry County Council under the 2014 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. The works included constructing a retaining cap around the top of the sheet pile to prevent further spread of sheet piles and phase 1 of stabilisation works to the pier.
A claim submitted for Renard Pier has been processed and I am happy to confirm to the Deputy that a payment in the amount of €112,500 has been furnished to Kerry County Council. The funding provided is 75% of the total cost of the project which is in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development programme.
At this point no decisions have been made on the issuing of a call to Local Authorities for projects for 2015.
108. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to concerns of agricultural planners due to timeframe opportunities for schemes being too short; the way he will address this problem to the benefit of farmers and planners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1965/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the concerns raised in this regard, which are specifically in relation to the new GLAS scheme. The closing date for the submission of applications under the GLAS Scheme is fixed by regulation and must be respected. However, in order to streamline the application process and maximise the use of time available my Department will provide an online application system for the preparation and submission of GLAS applications. This online system will provide advisors with details of all environmental assets, along with maps of LPIS parcels at farm level to facilitate the preparation of GLAS plans. While the timeframe is undoubtedly tight, this new online system will greatly facilitate the preparation of GLAS farm plans.
109. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the benefits he expects to accrue to beef farmers selling weanlings arising from the opening up of the US market to Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1966/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe opening of any major third country market for Irish beef is a very positive development for the entire beef sector given our heavy reliance on exports. This is particularly true of a huge market like the US, even more so given we are the first EU member State to secure such access which I believe is testimony to the quality and production values associated with Irish beef. The total US beef market is estimated at 11 million metric tonnes. It is split 60: 40 between food service and grocery retail (by volume). The US imports 1.2m tonnes of beef every year and demand for Irish beef there is expected to be immediate and exceptionally strong. I know that some of the leading Irish beef exporters have had people on the ground in the US for some time now in preparation for this announcement and they are reporting huge opportunities for Irish companies when the trade commences. Bord Bia has identified the primary target for US market entry as key culinary centres such as New York City, Boston and Washington DC, followed by listings in premium grocery retailers initially in the North Eastern states.
Undoubtedly the opening of any new market is good news for our beef producers, bringing as it does new outlets and new market opportunities which ultimately form the basis for the returns to the primary producers. Irish farmers undertake a variety of beef production systems and the specific practice of raising beef weanlings should benefit from the opening of the US market given that weanling prices are influenced by deadweight prices achieved through meat factories and by future projections of supply and demand, both in Ireland and elsewhere.
As regards the coming year, the forecast is for some slight improvement in Irish cattle prices in 2015 as a result of tighter Irish cattle supplies and a shift in the UK beef supply and use balance. While there are a number of factors which can of course influence the market, I am hopeful that Irish weanling prices should also increase in line with this movement in finished cattle prices.
110. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the benefits he expects to accrue to farmers in 2015 as a result of reduced oil, diesel and petrol prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1990/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would call on the fuel supply sector to ensure that the maximum possible benefits of the falling prices are fully reflected in retail prices, which will obviously be of direct benefit to the farming sector and all consumers. It is not possible to be precise in quantifying the benefits that might accrue to farmers this year arising from the recent fuel price falls. However I would expect that some indirect benefits may arise through downward pressure in contracting charges and fertiliser costs, although other factors may mitigate the extent to which these costs may fall. These factors include profitability challenges in the contracting sector and falling fertiliser manufacturing capacity in Europe over the past 10 years, which has reduced market supplies. Feed costs are not as heavily impacted by fuel prices and, although the costs of drying, processing and transport will be reduced, other factors will come into play such as global growing and harvest conditions in 2015.
On a broader level I note and welcome the fact that generally input prices are falling, as the CSO’s agricultural input price index was down 3.5% on annual basis in November 2014 compared with November 2013. This is an indication that, amongst other things, the recent fall in fuel prices is already having a real and measurable impact.
111. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 210 of 9 December 2014, when payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1997/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 7 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection.
This inspection has been completed and payments due under the Single Payment Scheme and the Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 11 December and 22 December 2014, respectively.
112. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the process for exporting beef to jurisdictions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2018/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is not currently approved for the export of beef to the Chinese or Taiwanese markets. However, there have been significant developments recently regarding China. Following political, technical and diplomatic engagement with the Chinese authorities over several years, the Chinese Ministers for Agriculture and for Quarantine and Inspection Services agreed, during my trade mission in November 2014, to send an inspection team to audit Ireland’s beef production system and BSE controls in particular, with a view to removing the ban on Irish beef.
The Inspection Team (comprising delegates from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)) duly visited Ireland from 10-20 December 2014. They also visited laboratories, meat plants, rendering plants, cattle farms and a feed mill. My Department is currently awaiting the report of the visit.
My Department and the Irish Embassy in Beijing will continue to engage with the Chinese authorities in order to progress this matter with a view to obtaining access to the Chinese market for Irish beef in the near future.
113. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the determination process of aquaculture licensing, his plans to carry out an appropriate assessment on Kincasslagh Bay in County Donegal to ensure compliance with the EU birds and habitats directives; when such an assessment on the bay will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2112/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraKincasslagh Bay is located within Gweedore Bay and Islands Special Area of Conservation (SAC). In order to ensure compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, an Appropriate Assessment has to be carried out before any aquaculture licensing determination may be made in respect of aquaculture applications for sites in the bay. My Department is working with the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to achieve full compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives through a multi-annual work programme. This programme required the gathering of the necessary baseline data appropriate to the Conservation Objectives of aquaculture sites located within designated Natura areas. This data collection programme, which is substantially complete, together with the setting of Conservation Objectives, will enable all new and renewal aquaculture applications to be assessed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. This work is ongoing and a great deal of progress has been made to date.
The Appropriate Assessment process has been completed in respect of a number of bays. While these Appropriate Assessments are carried out on a bay by bay basis, each licence application within the bay must be assessed individually. Factors to be considered include location of the site within the bay, species, scale, etc. In addition to the Natura requirements, under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, all licence applications must undergo an Environmental Impact pre-screening assessment. This requires significant input from the Department’s scientific and technical advisors. All applications, in compliance with the requirements of the Aarhus Directive, are advertised in order to facilitate public consultation, and submissions or observations received must be considered as part of the licence application determination process.
The list of bays is kept under continuous review by my Department so as to facilitate the use of scientific and other resources on a flexible basis across the full range of bays. A completion timeline for a number of bays, including Gweedore, is part of this review process. Every effort is being made to expedite the completion of the overall process as a priority, having regard to the need to comply with all national and EU legislation.
114. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a disadvantaged area payment and single farm payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2113/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 4 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection.
The inspection identified discrepancies between the areas declared and the area found resulting in an over-declaration in area of less than 3% and less than 2 ha. Under the Terms and Conditions of these schemes this resulted in the 2014 payments being based on the area found.
The person named was notified of this decision on 24 November 2014. The person named was also informed of the right to seek a review of this decision however no request for a review has been received by my Department to date. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of any such review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
Payment, on the basis set out above, under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 24 November 2014.
Payment, on the basis set out above, of the advance and balancing payments under the Single Payment Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 4 November and 1 December 2014, respectively.
115. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath received a REPS payment for 2014 which had been subject to a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2120/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named commenced REPS 4 in October 2009 and received payments for the first five years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. Following an inspection in July 2014 a letter issued advising the person named of the application of a 25% penalty for failure to abide by the regulations governing the “Protection and Maintenance of Watercourses” and a 2% penalty for failure to abide by the regulations governing the "Maintenance of the visual appearance of Farm and Farmyard". This initial inspection is currently being reviewed by the Regional Inspector who has been in contact with the herdowner with a view to completing the process as soon as possible.
