Paul Murphy
Ceist:132. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his views on making the recognition of trade unions mandatory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28145/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTrade Union Recognition
Ceisteanna (132)
Freagraí scríofa
It has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to promote collective bargaining both through a legislative and an institutional framework that is fully supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations and one that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. This approach is consistent with the Constitution and has served our country well in delivering industrial peace in recent years. It has also been a contributory factor to our economic success in the past and is playing a central role in Ireland’s ongoing economic recovery. This Government is in the process of refining and improving this framework. The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015, which is expected to be enacted shortly, provides, for the registration of collective agreements with the Labour Court, and will deliver an improved framework for workers who are in dispute with their employer regarding their terms and conditions in situations where there are no arrangements in place with their employer to resolve the matters through collective bargaining.
The enactment of this legislation will fulfil a key commitment in the Programme for Government to reform the current law on employees' right to engage in collective bargaining and will also address the shortcomings in the previous legislation around Registered Employment Agreements identified by the Supreme Court in its McGowan judgment.
In developing the legislative proposals on collective bargaining and the registration of collective agreements, the Government has been keen to respect the positions articulated by stakeholders to develop proposals that sustain our voluntary system, but also ensures that workers have confidence that, where there is no collective bargaining, they have an effective system that ensures they can air grievances about remuneration, terms and conditions and have these determined by the Labour Court if necessary based on those in similar companies and not be victimised for doing so.
Question No. 133 answered with Question No. 131.
Superlevy Fine
Ceisteanna (134)
Joe Carey
Ceist:134. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the terms and conditions for the instalment scheme for the payment of the 2014-2015 super levy, as presented by his Department in June 2015, are being followed by all milk purchasers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28022/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, I announced the detailed rules for the Instalment Scheme for the payment of the 2014/2015 super levy on the 18 June and these rules were issued to all milk purchasers on the same day . The scheme is the national implementation of the Commission’s initiative to facilitate payback of the superlevy bill over an extended three year period on an interest free basis. On the basis of the larger than usual superlevy bill faced by farmers I was anxious to implement the scheme here as quickly as possible. My Department consulted widely with both milk suppliers and purchasers and this is reflected in the final scheme design which has been broadly welcomed. After receiving the detailed rules on 18 June, milk purchasers distributed the information on the instalment scheme, in addition to the application forms , to all the suppliers in their area who incurred a super levy liability in the 2014/2015 quota year. Milk producers who intend to avail of the scheme were required to complete the first section of the form and return it to their milk purchaser by the 30 of June. Milk purchasers must then complete the second section of the form and have until the 15 of July to return the completed forms to my Department. This process is currently underway and it is after this date that we will have more information on the level of uptake of the scheme.
Under the terms of the scheme milk producers can pay their super levy liability over three years. Producers who participate in the scheme must have paid at least one third of their super levy liability to their milk purchaser in time for the purchaser to forward the payment to the Department by the 1 of October 2015. The second and third instalments must be paid by the producer in accordance with the terms of the formal agreement that will be signed by each participating producer. This will require that at least two thirds of the entire levy due from a producer will be paid by the 30 of September 2016, with the outstanding amount paid by the 30 September 2017. The repayments will be required in equal amounts in the months of May to September in each of those years.
It should be noted also that the scheme design allows for participation from farmers who are no longer supplying milk to the milk purchaser with whom they incurred the levy as well as allowing for suppliers to switch his or her milk purchaser at any time during the lifetime of the scheme subject to their own milk supply arrangements with their purchaser.
I am satisfied that there are systems in place to ensure compliance with the scheme.
My Department issued a detailed FAQ note at the time of the scheme launch which is also available on our website and which answers most of the main queries. Department staff are also available to answer any queries which co-ops or farmers may have and the helpdesk number is 01-6072857.
Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme
Ceisteanna (135)
Jim Daly
Ceist:135. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grant assistance is available to a herd owner (details supplied) in County Cork to apply for a partial reimbursement of the costs associated with the construction of a new milking parlour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28059/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have recently announced the opening of the new TAMS II Dairy Equipment Scheme. This is the second of the new Targeted Modernisation Schemes (TAMS II) to be launched under the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. An indicative allocation of €50m is being made available under the terms of this Scheme over the full RDP period. The total allocation for the various on farm investment Schemes planned under TAMS II, including the Dairy Equipment Scheme, is €395m over the course of the programme. The specific areas of investment will include milking machines, milk cooling and storage equipment, water heating and in-parlour feeding systems; however there is no provision for the construction of dairy buildings. The Scheme is open to all farmers who meet the general eligibility criteria, offering a standard rate of aid of 40%. It is a strict condition of all the Department’s on farm investment measures that grant-aid shall not be paid in respect of works already commenced or equipment purchased before written approval has issued to a farmer under the Scheme concerned.
Equine Data
Ceisteanna (136, 138)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:136. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of horses in the country during the years 2011 to 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28074/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThomas P. Broughan
Ceist:138. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the central equine database collects information on the unregulated sector of horse breeding; if he has information on the number of such equine animals each year from 2011 to date in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28076/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 138 together.
There are no definitive statistics on the total number of horses in the country for the years in question.
The central equine database , which was introduced by my Department in 2013 , incorporates all relevant identification information recorded on the individual databases of approved equine Passport Issuing Organisations (PIO) operating in Ireland, as compiled during the course of the equine identification and passport issuing process. The central database was retrospectively populated with relevant equine identification data dating back to 1 January 1980 and current updates commenced on 1 May 2013.
A study undertaken by my Department and completed in 2012 indicated that there were approximately 200,000 horses in the country in 2010. It is estimated that this number has declined significantly since then due to a sharp decrease in the number of foals born and an increase in the number of horses slaughtered: the number of foals born in 2013 was 32% lower than the number recorded in 2008 and slaughtering levels in 2011 and 2012 averaged over 20,000 head per annum compared with 2,000 in 2008.
Equine Data
Ceisteanna (137)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:137. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of thoroughbred foals born each year since 2011; the number that enter the racing industry each year; the number of thoroughbreds that leave the industry each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28075/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act 2001, is responsible for the development and administration of horseracing. The following table which was provided by HRI outlines the number of thoroughbred foals born in each of the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The number of horses in training, which is an estimate of the number of horses in the racing industry, is also shown in the table.
HRI advises that the number of thoroughbreds leaving the industry each year is a difficult figure to quantify as a number of factors need to be taken into consideration. Some horses may be exported for racing or breeding purposes. Some horses may retire from racing for breeding purposes and remain in Ireland whilst others may be removed from training or breeding altogether due to age, death or injury.
|
Year |
Thoroughbred foals born |
Horses in training |
|
2011 |
7,550 |
9,832 |
|
2012 |
7,546 |
9,238 |
|
2013 |
7,757 |
9,199 |
|
2014 |
7,999 |
8,613 |
Question No. 138 answered with Question No. 136.
Equine Identification Scheme
Ceisteanna (139)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:139. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the horse passport and chipping programme for each year from 2009 and for 2015 to date; if he will bring in legislation or a statutory instrument to ensure that each change of ownership is recorded on the horse passport or chip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28077/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Commission Regulation 504/2008, as transposed into national law via S.I. 207 of 2014 (as amended) sets out the rules in relation to the identification of equidae. With effect from 1st July 2009, it is a requirement that any equine issued with an identification document also has a transponder implanted by a practising veterinary surgeon, which creates an unequivocal link between the animal and the identification document. This legislation also requires the issuing Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) to record certain equine identification details under a unique identification number on a database in respect of each identification document issued. These data are subsequently forwarded to the central equine database on a regular basis.
With regard to the transfer of ownership of equines, I introduced legislation in 2014 requiring all changes in the ownership of equine animals to be recorded. This Regulation (S.I. 601 of 2014) provides that the purchaser of an equine animal must complete a declaration confirming the purchase and detailing his/her name and contact details. In addition, it is a legal requirement that the purchaser, within 30 days of the transaction, submits that declaration (and the corresponding identification document, if required by the PIO) to the PIO that issued the identification document in respect of the animal. The issuing PIO is required to record the contact details of the new owner in its database and is further required to send that information to the central equine database for inclusion there. All PIOs require new owners to submit the identification document in order to record to new ownership.
The central equine database shows that a total of 172,792 equine identification documents were issued by approved PIOs in the years 2009 to date. A breakdown by year is set out in the following table.
EQUINE IDENTIFICATION
|
YEAR |
No. of Equines Identified by approved Passport Issuing Organisations |
|
2009 |
30,320 |
|
2010 |
23,531 |
|
2011 |
26,661 |
|
2012 |
31,329 |
|
2013 |
27,762 |
|
2014 |
26,124 |
|
2015 (to date) |
7,065 |
Control of Horses
Ceisteanna (140)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:140. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on current funding for horse control measures to avoid the terrible suffering of animals revealed in the ongoing round-up of distressed equines by the local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28078/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Control of Horses Act, 1996 delegates to local authorities responsibility for issues relating to stray, abandoned and/or neglected horses in both urban and rural areas. My Department provides funding to the local authorities to assist their work in applying the provisions of the Act. To date in 2015, an amount of almost €484,000 has been paid to local authorities throughout the country to assist in control of horses activities. Figures received from local authorities for 2015 indicate a decline in the number of horses being seized under control of horses legislation. Nevertheless, in an effort to reduce the incidence of horse abandonment and encourage good care and welfare of horses, I have allocated €1 million for horse projects to support facilities for the urban horse population and to address, through education, the promotion of care and welfare of horses. My officials are actively engaging with and advancing a number of horse projects throughout the country, in conjunction with local authorities and with traveller groups.
As a further step in protecting the welfare of neglected horses throughout the country, my Department provides funding to animal welfare charities to assist their work in horse care. In 2014, funding of €1.8m was made to 142 organisations involved in the care of animals. In addition to funding provisions, service agreements have been agreed with the DSPCA and the ISPCA under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 empowering their inspectors to intervene in situations of horse neglect and cruelty.
Horse Slaughtering Data
Ceisteanna (141)
Thomas P. Broughan
Ceist:141. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is conducting any studies on the ongoing slaughtering of horses for meat exports, given the great suffering involved for these companion animals, and the dangers to human health from this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28079/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Slaughter of horses for human consumption is subject to compliance with relevant EU regulations, which are designed to ensure inter alia that food is safe, to protect human health and to safeguard animal welfare at time of slaughter.