Written Answers Nos 96-103
96. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the future development and expansion potential of the artisan food sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34850/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Replies to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 7249/15 and 13361/15 on 18 February and 31 March respectively, I indicated that the artisan or speciality sector was valued at €615 million in 2012, that some 350 producers employ over 3,000 people and that the sector can have a significant impact on local economies. The development of programmes such as Food Academy and Food Works and promotional ventures such as the Artisan Market at Bloom and the three year 'Discover Farmhouse Cheese' promotion funded by the trade, the EU and my Department are assisting small producers to build food and drink businesses.
Identity is important to the future development and expansion of the artisan sector. So the publication by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland of Guidance Note No. 29 setting out a definition of the term Artisan/artisanal is significant. Artisan businesses are defined as micro-enterprises with a turnover up to €2m, employing fewer than 10 people and producing food in limited quantities (weekly average under 1,000 kg or litres ) using skilled craftspeople, a traditional method and characteristic ingredient(s) produced within 100 km. (https://www.fsai.ie/publications_food_marketing_terms/). The Note also defines the terms Farmhouse, Traditional and Natural.
The FSAI definition was included in Food Wise 2025, the agrifood development strategy launched in July, which recognises the highly fragmented nature of the artisan/small business sector, which encompasses a diverse range of food and drink products, and identifies the opportunities offered by the resurgent interest in locally sourced foods, local food networks and short supply chains. These have led to an evolution of food markets and festivals, which often act as incubation units for start-up food and drink businesses.
Food Wise 2025 recommends actions to help the artisan sector to realise its potential, including festival markets, a pipeline for new entrants to the Artisan Food Market at Bloom, promoting meet the buyer opportunities, delivery of small business specific consumer and market insights and programmes to assist producers to extend their business reach. The commencement of the Ascent programme, a partnership between Bord Bia and PWC to support small food companies to scale their businesses, is one such programme. It will contribute to the implementation of Food Wise by the development agencies, Departments and the food sector and to delivery of sustainable growth.
97. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects new markets to open up markets for all Irish food and food products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34851/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe opening of new markets for Irish food and food products is of critical importance to the ongoing development of the agrifood sector in this country, and will play an important role in helping to achieve the sustainable growth targets in the Food Wise 2025 industry development strategy.
Agrifood exports to non-EU markets grew to a record €3.1 billion in 2014, an increase of 15% over 2013, with particularly strong growth in exports to Asia (+36%) and the Gulf States (+39%). Non-EU markets accounted for 28% of total Irish agrifood exports last year, with significant potential for further growth. These new markets, with growing middle class populations and increasing levels of disposable income, will provide significant growth opportunities for Ireland’s agrifood and drinks sectors in the coming years.
Since my appointment as Minister, I have led several successful trade missions to facilitate trade promotion and market access to markets outside the EU, including to the United States, China, the Gulf States and Algeria. These visits provided the numerous Irish companies who accompanied me with an opportunity to increase their profile in new markets and build upon existing trade relationships. My visits to China and the US were also instrumental in helping to re-open these valuable markets to Irish beef.
To date this year, I have:
- led successful trade missions to the US in February and September to launch beef access to this very valuable market;
- welcomed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Agriculture Minister Han Changfu on a farm visit in Mayo, which proved an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the best of Irish farming to the Chinese Government and the Chinese media;
- hosted meetings with Ministers and high level delegations from several non-EU countries.
I am presently finalising plans to lead trade missions to Vietnam and China, and also to West Africa, before the end of this year. These are key markets which have been identified by Irish exporters as being of major strategic importance. The West Africa mission in particular will offer Irish food companies an opportunity to showcase their produce to a large and emerging market outside of our more traditional destinations.
98. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects the innovative ability of the Kerry Group to become a main player on global markets, given its pivotal location and expertise, to continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34852/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe completion of the Kerry Group Global Centre facility in Naas is the largest single investment in food innovation ever by a company in Ireland. It represents a huge vote of confidence in the Irish economy. Equally importantly, it represents a resounding endorsement in the quality and expertise of Irish food science graduates and in their capacity to deliver cutting edge solutions in pursuit of new and innovative products. By extension, this will drive expansion for the industry into new and exciting domestic and export markets.
The Government’s support for the agrifood sector at all levels from farming right through to processing has been a priority for us over the term of this Government and will remain the case. Events such as the opening of Kerry’s new facility in Naas are what mark out the importance of the agrifood sector for our overall economy, our people in terms of job creation and the positive knock on effects for the wider economy and in particular the rural economy.
Investments such as this one are vitally important to the sustainable future of the Irish agrifood sector because they provide the essential infrastructure needed to target key markets. The innovation behind turning local raw materials into world-class ingredients and consumer products is one of the key goals in the Food Wise 2025 Strategy and I am committed to working with companies like Kerry to achieve these goals.
99. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of disease control, traceability, and isolation in the context of the prevention of bovine diseases; whether he remains satisfied that existing measures remain adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34853/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs stated in my reply to you on 1 July last , my Department has robust notification and traceability systems to ensure the early detection of diseases. It is a legal requirement to notify my Department of any suspicion of all relevant diseases, including those affecting bovines. Vigilance against the introduction of ‘Class A’ disease including foot and mouth disease, avian influenza, bluetongue and African swine fever, remains a priority for my Department and previous experience has demonstrated the absolute necessity of properly regulating trade, high levels of bio-security, continued vigilance, contingency arrangements and robust legislation to deal speedily and effectively with disease threats and outbreaks.
My Department has contingency plans in place to deal with disease threats and outbreaks. These plans are based on existing EU legislation and criteria identified during outbreaks in Europe and aim to mitigate the risk of disease introduction into Ireland and to control and eradicate them quickly if outbreaks occur. The continued focus of the Department is on constantly reviewing, refining and updating our various contingency plans and arrangements and ensuring that we have all of the necessary measures in place and tools available to us to deal with any suspect or actual outbreak of these diseases.
In the event of an outbreak or the threat of an outbreak, the key focus will be on bio-security measures at the optimal level on farms as well as on-going co-operation contact with other state agencies (including NI), industry and farm representatives to ensure that a high degree of vigilance is being maintained with a view to preventing the incursion of the disease, insofar as this is possible, and to detect an outbreak at an early stage in order to prevent its spread.
100. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when headage payments for 2015 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34873/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) was received from the person named on 19 May 2015. Processing of the ANC Scheme application has recently been finalised, with payment under the ANC scheme due to issue shortly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
101. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34886/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 30 April 2015. Processing of the application under the ANC Scheme is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the ANC application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
102. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34887/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 30 April 2015. Processing of the application under the ANC Scheme is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the ANC application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
103. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons receiving farm subsidies; the total amount paid out, by county; the highest amount paid to a person, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34894/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulation (EU) No 1306/2013 provides that information relating to beneficiaries of EU funded and co-funded Common Agricultural Policy schemes be published on a publicly accessible website and remain available for a period of two years.
In respect of payments made in the financial year 16 October 2013 to 15 October 2014 the specific requirements included publication of:
- The name of the beneficiary (unless the amount of payment under CAP funds is less than €1,250 in which case the individual will be identified by a code).
- The municipality where the beneficiary is resident;
- The amount of payment corresponding to each measure received by a beneficiary; and
- The nature and description of each measure.
My Department published the data before the 31 May 2015 deadline and this information remains available at the address below:
www.agriculture.gov.ie/agri-foodindustry/euinternationalpolicy/commonagriculturalpolicy/capbeneficiariesdatabase/
The specific information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. The total number of beneficiaries, including County Development Boards and Local Development companies, amounted to 129,977. In most cases the highest amount paid within each county is to such bodies. Consequently the information below details both the highest total payment and the highest amount paid to a person in each county. The county in these cases relate to the postal address of the beneficiary with some of these addresses being outside the state.
|
County |
Total |
Highest |
Highest |
County |
Total |
Highest |
Highest |
|
Overall |
Individual |
Overall |
Individual |
||||
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
||
|
CORK |
216,052,368.29 |
3,815,984.21 |
444,412.16 |
WESTMEATH |
48,463,145.13 |
2,344,387.38 |
171,536.38 |
|
GALWAY |
136,345,933.66 |
2,704,894.41 |
162,013.09 |
MONAGHAN |
46,397,615.10 |
4,789,181.96 |
136,080.00 |
|
TIPPERARY |
128,071,553.93 |
3,942,300.80 |
309,610.92 |
OFFALY |
44,857,489,87 |
2,716,579.70 |
440,000.00 |
|
MAYO |
102,931,928.61 |
2,776,178.60 |
127,870.17 |
KILDARE |
39,055,022.26 |
2,830,795.64 |
312,967.95 |
|
KERRY |
94,625,407.38 |
3,188,406.65 |
200,000.00 |
WICKLOW |
36,752,463.14 |
2,853,254.41 |
244,931.71 |
|
DONEGAL |
85,499,258.65 |
4,009,465.55 |
179,630.23 |
SLIGO |
36,743,639.50 |
1,562.039.12 |
76,007.95 |
|
CLARE |
75,684,557.84 |
4,088,775.90 |
138,372.98 |
LEITRIM |
33,499,914.95 |
2,219,660.45 |
114,738.58 |
|
WEXFORD |
75,276,717.93 |
3,120,175.43 |
377,648.67 |
CARLOW |
30,935,813.32 |
1,818,390.96 |
312,000.00 |
|
LIMERICK |
74,324,335.74 |
5,323,251.21 |
209,767.49 |
LONGFORD |
30,164,552.53 |
1,877,860.13 |
96,968.00 |
|
KILKENNY |
65,497,565.76 |
2,005,851.18 |
316,144.49 |
LOUTH |
25,309,565.99 |
2,453,775.58 |
236,816.62 |
|
MEATH |
58,603,563.49 |
1,633,262.92 |
260,805.52 |
DUBLIN |
14,650,553.43 |
1,244,147.07 |
193,760.56 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
56,014,348.89 |
2,917,320.89 |
119,279.07 |
N IRELAND |
2,583,421.76 |
56,111.32 |
56,111.32 |
|
CAVAN |
55,713,771.16 |
3,083,693.64 |
306,480.00 |
UK |
76,530.57 |
15,114.80 |
15,114.80 |
|
LAOIS |
48,744,616.88 |
2,727,836.67 |
213,184.67 |
USA |
10,765.34 |
10,765.34 |
10,765.34 |
|
WATERFORD |
48,486,478.30 |
2,539,119.95 |
686,958.77 |
GERMANY |
5,965.35 |
5,956.35 |
5,956.35 |
