Written Answers Nos. 1140-1157
1140. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the grant aids, incentives and other supports which are currently available to persons and organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19714/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a range of supports and initiatives to encourage and assist beekeepers and the beekeeping associations recognising the important role bees play within agriculture and for biodiversity as both pollinators and honey producers, the value of honey bees as pollinators far exceeding their value as honey producers.
In terms of grants directly available to individual beekeepers and national beekeeping associations, my Department implements the annual Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector under which beekeepers can apply for funding. This competitive grant aid Scheme is fully funded by the Irish Exchequer and provides up to 40% grant aid (50% for approved applicants under 35 years of age) towards the cost of approved capital investments in specialised horticultural equipment and buildings. These include investments in bee breeding and honey production equipment as well as facilities e.g. honey houses, honey extractors and bottling equipment. Grant aid is not paid for bee colonies. The minimum proposed investment for beekeepers is €2,000 excluding VAT.
In addition my Department also pays annual grants to Irish National Beekeepers associations to help their associated members and branches to pursue the craft of beekeeping to the highest standards and to also inform the general public about the environmental role that bees play in maintaining Irish bio-diversity and crop production.
Recognising the importance of maintaining a healthy honey bee population the Department has put a number of measures in place over time. These include establishment of a sentinel apiary programme, introduction of legislation relating to the control of diseases in bees, funding to cover the costs of bee disease diagnosis, controls on the imports of bees and co-funding of Ireland’s National Apiculture Programme.
The National Apiculture programme 2016-2019, which is co-funded by the EU and my Department, is providing annual funding totalling €72,000 towards research projects aimed at improving overall honey bee health in Ireland. The current National Apiculture Programme is exploring the efficacy of alternative controls for Varroa under Irish conditions as well as monitoring Irish over-winter colony losses, in addition to providing technical assistance to beekeepers through workshops and lectures at local associations of the federation of Irish Beekeepers. This applied research programme has a strong emphasis on dissemination of results to beekeepers and is designed to benefit all Irish beekeepers.
Potential funding for beekeeping groups is also available under the Scheme for Conservation of Genetic Resources to develop breeding programmes/strategies to protect the Irish Dark Native Honey Bees.
This year my Department is providing further support through funding the cost of sample analysis for all samples submitted by beekeepers to the Bee Disease diagnostic service provided by Teagasc at Oakpark in Carlow. This means that beekeepers can now submit samples of bees or honey for disease diagnosis for free.
1141. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 297 of 2 March 2017 and based on 2016 figures, the amount of revenue that would be forgone in each category in the livestock sector if the fee amount for each species was reduced by percentages (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19149/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe revenue from the collection of veterinary inspection fees on the export of live animals in 2016 is set out in the table to facilitate the calculations referred to by the Deputy.
|
Animal |
Fees collected |
|
HORSES |
€69,000 |
|
PIGS |
€147,000 |
|
SHEEP |
€24,000 |
|
CATTLE |
€638,000 |
|
OTHER ANIMALS |
€5,000 |
|
TOTAL |
€883,000 |
I am very conscious of the vital role that live exports play in stimulating price competition and providing an alternative market outlet for farmers. The ongoing search for new third country markets is a priority for my Department, particularly in the context of Brexit. Last month, I outlined a plan for my Department to increase international market access for Irish food and drink exports.
In relation to veterinary inspection fees on live exports of calves, the Deputy will be aware that, earlier this year, I reduced the fees payable on younger bovines in order to remove the disproportionate impact of these fees on exports of calves relative to older animals.
Total live exports of cattle amounted to 146,000 in 2016. To date this year, cattle exports amounted to approximately 87,000 head, a 40% increase on the same period last year.
The value of live pig exports amounted to approximately €45m last year, with about 414,000 head exported to Northern Ireland. Sheep exports increased to nearly 48,000 head last year, up from 32,000 in 2015.
Animal health and animal welfare are important contributory factors to the quality and safety of food and to the prevention of the spread of animal diseases. The veterinary inspection of live animals for export contributes to maintaining Ireland’s reputation as an exporter of livestock of high health status, which is vital to my Department’s efforts to source additional markets abroad.
1142. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19171/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraNo application for the Reconstitution Scheme (Windblow - Storm Darwin) has been received for the person named or anyone by the surname given or anyone at the address given. The contract number (CN) supplied is also incorrect.
The last reference provided refers to different parties.
1143. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of animal feed imported in each of the years 2010 to 2015; the top five countries of origin of the feed, in tabular form; and if he has given consideration to the concerns expressed by an organisation (details supplied). [19172/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy:
|
YEAR |
Total Animal Feed Imported (Tonnes) |
Top 5 countries of origin |
|
2010 |
3,644,703 |
United Kingdom United States Argentina France Brazil |
|
2011 |
2,543,107 |
United States Argentina United Kingdom France Canada |
|
2012 |
3,051,687 |
Argentina United States France Poland Netherlands |
|
2013 |
3,411,548 |
United States Argentina France Poland Ukraine |
|
2014 |
2,837,488 |
United States Argentina France Canada United Kingdom |
|
2015 |
2,875,923 |
Argentina United States France Canada United Kingdom |
In terms of the use of biofuels and consequent availability of by-products for the feed industry, the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive (as amended by the 2015 ILUC Directive), limits to 7% the amount of energy from crop based biofuels, whose use could lead to Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC) that Member States can count towards their 2020 renewable energy targets in transport.
In November 2016, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Renewables Directive that envisages an overall European Union renewable energy target of at least 27% in 2030. It is proposed in the draft Directive that the amount of energy from crop based biofuels which can be counted towards renewable transport targets in the period after 2020 will be progressively reduced to 3.8% in 2030. I am satisfied that the proposed changes will not have a demonstrable effect on the supply of animal feed in future years.
It is important that biofuel production deliver required greenhouse gas savings and not impact negatively on food production and land use. It is also important that the development of advanced biofuels, which pose little risk of ILUC, are encouraged and measures to incentivise the production of these biofuels are contained in the ILUC Directive and the proposed new Renewables Directive.
It is anticipated the ILUC Directive will be transposed into Irish legislation by DCCAE by the deadline of 10 September 2017.
1144. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that from 1 October 2017, the quota for sugar and the minimum price for sugar beet will be abolished and that sugar beet growers will lose a third of their CAP subsidies in 2018; his views on preferential trade arrangements introduced by the EU (details supplied). [19173/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBy way of explanation I would like to give the Deputy a short background to this issue. My Government colleague Minister Coveney sought agreement at EU level to allow for the growing of sugar beet for the manufacture of sugar/bioethanol, at the earliest possible date. In this connection, he secured agreement as part of the overall CAP reform package at the final EU Council of Agriculture Ministers, which he chaired in June 2013, to abolish all sugar quotas by 30 September 2017. This agreement removes, with effect from 1 October 2017, the current EU quota barrier for operators in Ireland or other Member States wishing to re-establish a sugar industry and this opportunity has been broadly welcomed.
Two commercial groups have conducted feasibility studies into the possibility of establishing a new sugar/bioethanol production facility but it is important that any venture to develop a combined sugar/bioethanol production facility in Ireland would have to be a viable commercial proposition, and supported by a sufficiently robust business case in order to attract the funding from investors for the very substantial capital investment required.
The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive (as amended by the 2015 ILUC Directive) limits to 7% the amount of energy from crop based biofuels, whose use could lead to Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC), that Member States can count towards their 2020 renewable energy targets in transport. In November 2016, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Renewables Directive that envisages an overall European Union renewable energy target of at least 27% in 2030. It is proposed in the draft Directive that the amount of energy from crop based biofuels which can be counted towards renewable transport targets in the period after 2020 will be progressively reduced to 3.8% in 2030.
While recognising that a resource-efficient agriculture and land use sector can play an important role in supporting use of 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels, it is equally important that bio-fuel production deliver greenhouse gas savings and not impact negatively on food production and land use.
In conclusion, I am also pleased to confirm the current Programme for a Partnership Government makes clear that “State enterprise bodies will be asked to examine any substantial business plans related to rebuilding the industry with a view to considering appropriate State supports”. It is now available to those interested parties to move the project forward and to garner sufficient commercial and financial support to turn their plans into a viable reality.
1145. Deputy Michael D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by persons (details supplied) in County Wexford for a GLAS payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19230/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe persons named submitted an application for GLAS 3 which needed to be reviewed. This review has now been completed and the application of person named has now been approved into the scheme with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017. The approval letter with this decision will issue to the persons named shortly.
1146. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to make historical Land Commission records available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19263/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no immediate plans to make the 8.8 million or so records of the former Commission generally available to the public for research purposes or otherwise as they are still working documents and have not been handed over to the National Archives. My officials regularly access these records or service queries from the public relating to current and past transactions and for the full completion of the work of the Land Commission. Clearly Data Protection issues can arise here particularly with regard to the General Data Protection Regulation which comes into effect in Ireland in 2018. Wider access will be a matter for consideration when the completion of the work of the former ILC is at a more advanced stage. The records which are available in paper format only are fragile, some dating back as far as the late 1800s and are an irreplaceable resource should they get damaged. In order to maintain them it is essential that they are handled and stored appropriately. Opening up access to these files cannot be considered until appropriate measures are undertaken to minimise potential damage from routine handling. While limited access is granted to persons on application, the office does not provide a research facility as the provision of such a service would require much greater resources than those currently available. Furthermore, this would require consultation with the National Archives and consideration of the National Archives Act 1986. However, I am continuing to keep the matter under review.
1147. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 512 of 28 March 2017, the number of attachés stationed at each embassy indicated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to my response of 28 March 2017 the following table indicates the number of agriculture attachés in the locations identified.
Abu Dhabi - 1
Beijing - 1
Geneva - 1
London - 1
Moscow - 1
Paris -1
Rome - 1
Washington - 1
Permanent Representation Brussels - Brussels - 4 staff (2 attachés, 1 Counsellor and 1 Executive Officer).
1148. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if provisions are in place to allow holders of BIM lifejackets to take these jackets off the boats they were originally registered to; if not, if such provisions can be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19314/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1149. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the requirements for acquiring a BIM lifejacket can be amended to allow for the acquisition of a jacket without being first assigned to a boat in view of the fact that fishing vessels require persons to have a BIM jacket but that a jacket cannot be acquired until a person is assigned to a boat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19315/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1150. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if steps will be put in place to ensure that BIM lifejackets unique to the person that acquired them will be kept with them should that person be fired from their employment on a certain boat in view of the fact that at the moment those lifejackets are kept by the owner of the boat and not the person the jacket is registered to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19316/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1148 to 1150, inclusive, together.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara operates a Fleet Safety Scheme and an Enhanced Safety Scheme with Exchequer funding from my Department.
The Fleet Safety Scheme provides grant aid to the owners of registered fishing vessels for the purchase and installation of safety items, including statutory lifesaving, fire-fighting, navigation and communication equipment listed in the Scheme brochure. This includes life jackets, personal flotation devices and personal locator beacons (non-integrated). Grant aid is a maximum of 60% of eligible costs for vessels under 12 metres and 40% for other vessels, with maximum amounts of aid specified for different size vessels.
The Enhanced Safety Scheme provides a one-day training course designed to provide skippers and crew of registered fishing vessels with up-to-date training in personal survival techniques, fist-aid, fire-prevention and health and safety in the workplace. The owner of a registered fishing vessel applies for this training in respect of his or her skipper and crew and pays a fee for each individual. The owner receives, for each course participant, a voucher to cover the full cost from designated outlets of a personal flotation device (PFD) with integrated personal locator beacon for use by the skipper or crew member while on board. The fee paid covers a portion of the cost of the PFD and the provision of the PFD is equivalent to a grant to the vessel owner of 40% to 60%, depending on vessel size. The PFD remains the property of the vessel owner, as he or she was the grant applicant and paid for the balance of the cost through the course fee. If the vessel owner disposes of the PFD within 5 years, he or she must refund BIM the value of the grant.
Any skipper or crew member moving to a different vessel should be provided by the vessel owner with a PFD. Where necessary, the vessel owner should apply to BIM through the Enhanced Safety Scheme for a training and a new PFD for the individual concerned. A PFD may also be re-registered to the crew member's new vessel by agreement between the vessel owners.
1151. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider changing back the name of a horseracing track (details supplied) in view of the fact its previous name was more synonymous with the area it is located in. [19317/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The matter referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI.
In line with Dáil procedures, this request can be made directly to HRI using the dedicated email address: oireachtas@hri.ie. The Deputy's question has already been passed on by my Department via this mechanism.
1152. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to extend the pilot scheme with regard to pearl mussels to bring in new members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19322/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI presume the Deputy is referring to the Kerry Life scheme. I am glad to say that under the Locally-Led measure of the Irish Rural Development Programme we have firm plans for the introduction of an extensive new scheme targeting the conservation of the freshwater pearl mussel. This will focus on a number of key areas which are critical for the survival of the mussel, including a number of areas in Kerry. While the detail of the new scheme has yet to be worked out, I envisage that it will complement the work of the Kerry Life project and will work closely with that project in many respects.
The first step for my Department is to recruit a dedicated project team capable of delivering this new scheme at local level in a number of different areas across the country. Once in place this team will begin to design the measure in consultation with all stakeholders, including the local farming communities, and will then directly recruit farmers to the scheme.
1153. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) who has completed a project will have a field inspection in order to progress a grant payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19335/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named has submitted a payment claim for completed investment works under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II.
The payment processing checks are completed and payment will issue to the person concerned in the near future.
1154. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 439 of 28 March 2017 regarding greyhound exports, the specific countries which do and do not provide the expected levels of greyhound care and management as defined in the IGB's Code of Practice; and the position of China and Pakistan in this regard. [19344/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraBord na gCon is a commercial state body, established in 1958 under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Bord na gCon’s position with regard to greyhound welfare is illustrated by its commitment to and enforcement of welfare regulations in Ireland.
Bord na gCon has informed me that it has no control of events outside the jurisdiction of Ireland and has no statutory function regarding the regulation of greyhound exports. However, Bord na gCon advises all owners involved in the export of greyhounds to only export to destinations that provide the expected levels of greyhound care and management as defined within Bord na gCon’s Code of Practice.
Bord na gCon have informed me that it is an active member of the International Greyhound Welfare Forum (membership of this Forum includes representatives from Dogs Trust, ISPCA, Blue Cross) and it is expected that the members of this Forum will, in the near future, make recommendations as to suitable destinations where greyhounds may be exported to.
1155. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the names of the persons that wrote the report to close the three regional veterinary laboratories in counties Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19345/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1156. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he or a committee will make the final decision on the closing of regional veterinary laboratories in counties Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19346/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1157. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the next steps the report penned on the closing of regional veterinary laboratories in counties Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo recommends to be taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19347/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1158. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the regional veterinary laboratory in County Sligo will be closed in view its importance to farmers therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19348/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1155 to 1158, inclusive, together.
My Department tasked a working group, led by Professor Alan Reilly, and comprising senior officials of the Department with undertaking a review of its laboratory services, including both its Central Laboratory complex in Backweston, Co. Kildare and its network of Regional Laboratories in Athlone, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo. The ultimate objective of this review is to assist the Department in developing a long-term strategy for its laboratories that builds on existing capability and expertise in animal health, food safety and plant sciences, and ensures that it achieves both operational and scientific excellence.
The Working Group has presented a report to the Department, which makes recommendations on:
- Oversight and co-ordination of the laboratories activities;
- Re-organisation of Divisions and support functions within the Central Laboratory complex;
- Options for the future development of the Regional Laboratories – with a view to improving disease investigative and surveillance capability but with the over-riding imperative of maintaining and enhancing services to farmers; and
- Human resources management within the laboratories - with a focus on grading structures, career development opportunities and workforce planning.
To date no decision has been taken in respect of the options proposed for the Regional Veterinary Laboratories (RVLs). My Department is currently completing a consultative process with all relevant stakeholders on the Working Group report (including on the options for RVLs). A cost-benefit analysis of the various options proposed will be undertaken. Any decision on the RVLs will be informed by the consultative process and the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis.
