Written Replies Nos. 236 to 246
236. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeline for finalising a veterinary health certificate with AQSIQ to allow beef access to China; the expected date for an inspection visit by the Chinese certification and accreditation administration to approve individual processing plants for export; if this will take place in 2017 or 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22583/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI was very pleased to welcome Minister Zhi of AQSIQ to Ireland last month as a follow-up to our negotiations in Beijing last September. China is now such an important partner of Ireland on agri-food issues and they are our third largest trading partner in this sector. Irish Agri-food exports to China have increased from approximately €240 million in 2012 to €780 million in 2016, a three-fold increase.
Signing the Beef Protocol on the export of beef from Ireland to China with Minister Zhi marked another major milestone in the process of getting Irish beef exported to China. It is the culmination of five years of intensive political, technical and diplomatic engagement with the Chinese authorities. The Protocol sets out the obligations of the Department in trading beef with China.
In order to complete the process to allow Irish beef exporters access to the Chinese market a veterinary health certificate with AQSIQ must be finalised. This is the document which would accompany the actual consignment of beef. Some of the criteria that will need to be in the certificate are already set out in the Protocol.
This will be followed by an inspection visit by the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) to approve individual processing plants for export.
The conclusion of this process is regarded by my Department as a matter of the highest priority and is currently being progressed in conjunction with the Irish Embassy in Beijing. Ultimately, however, the timeline for the finalisation of these arrangements is a matter for the Chinese Authorities.
237. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the ceiling per person in place for annual basic scheme payments under Pillar 1 in CAP 2014 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22584/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe maximum payment that can be granted to any one farmer under the Basic Payment Scheme (excluding the Greening Payment) in Ireland in any one scheme year is capped at €150,000. The EU regulations allow for a sliding scale of reductions above this €150,000 threshold, and Ireland implemented a 100% reduction thus setting the cap at the lowest level allowable.
238. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the ceiling per person in place for the greening portion of payments under basic scheme payments of Pillar 1 in CAP 2014 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22585/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll eligible farmers will receive a payment under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and a Greening Payment. The Greening payment is a top-up of the BPS and amounts to approximately 44% of the total value of entitlements activated. Over 90% of farmers will automatically qualify for the Greening Payment on the basis of their current farming practices. The remainder will have to undertake specific measures to qualify as outlined in the 2017 BPS Terms and Conditions Booklet.
239. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of each EU Agriculture Council Ministers' meeting at which he made the case for the need for a revision of EU Regulation No. 1407/2013 to protect agri enterprises and related jobs during the UK’s two-year exit from the EU; the date of every such meeting at which this was raised, in tabular form; the status of progress being made at EU level to increase current state aid thresholds to support agri enterprises in the event of a hard Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22586/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra240. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of each EU Agriculture Council Ministers' meeting at which he made the case for a revision of state aid de minimus rules up to a maximum amount of at least €30,000 per farm (details supplied); the date of every such meeting at which this was raised, in tabular form; the status of progress being made at EU level to increase current state aid thresholds to support farm enterprises in the event of a hard Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22587/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 240 together.
I raised the question of revising State Aid rules to increase the agriculture de minimis limits in 2016 during discussions at the Council of Agriculture Ministers, as a potential measure that could be introduced to assist primary producers in the wake of the market difficulties they had been experiencing in the previous 12-18 month period.
I have also discussed this question informally with Commissioner Hogan.
Having said that, I and my officials are continuing our engagement with the Commission and with other Member States to ensure that Ireland’s concerns and requirements in relation to Brexit are fully understood.
As the deputy is already aware, a number of measures were introduced to support the agri-food sector in dealing with the fall in value of sterling against the euro. These support measures include additional funding for Bord Bia and Bord Iascaigh Mhara, increased expenditure on the Rural Development Programme and the Seafood Development Programme and enhanced agri-taxation measures. From a state aid perspective, the recently launched €150 million low-cost loan scheme, includes de minimis aid to permit the funding to be used for non livestock farmers, in particular tillage and horticulture farmers.
As regards a revision of EU Regulation 1407/2013, or the general de minimis regulation, this is something that falls within the remit of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (D/JEI).
241. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has applied for funding from the European Fund for Strategic Investments, EFSI, for projects to support SMEs; the projects that were approved for funding; the amount of funding allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22588/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2014, my Department contributed projects for inclusion in Ireland's project list as submitted to the “EIB-Commission-Member State Special Task Force on developing an investment project pipeline in the EU". The possible projects and project areas that were outlined at that time included:
- An Agri-Food Loan Fund
- Afforestation and the creation of woodland
- Capital projects in Fishery Harbours
- Marine Research and Infrastructure Initiative, the Irish Digital Ocean.
This was in advance of the launch of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI), which is now available to provide loans and guarantees for strategic investments, and is managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The recent Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme was developed by my Department in cooperation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI). My Department contributed €25million, including €11.1 million from the EU’s ‘exceptional adjustment aid for milk and other livestock farmers’ and some €14 million in national funding. This allowed the Scheme to leverage €150 million in total funding for farmers. SBCI did not providing funding, but along with COSME (the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs) and EFSI, is providing the guarantee required to underpin the loan’s flexibility, and lower the cost of the loans.
My Department will continue to engage with the European Investment Bank in relation to funding options for the agri-food sector.
242. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 675 of 11 April 2017, if the moneys under assigned revenue for conformity clearance and European Agriculture Guarantee Fund irregularities were returned to the Exchequer or the EU budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22589/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAmounts reported as Assigned Revenue arise from a number of different sources. Recoveries from Irregularities and Superlevy (until 2016) come directly from beneficiaries and are transferred to the EU. Conformity Clearance amounts are charged to the Exchequer and paid over to the EU via the prescribed budget lines.
243. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual budget allocated to voluntary coupled payments under Pillar 1 of CAP 2014 to 2020, in tabular form. [22590/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs provided for in Article 49 of EU Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 member states are allowed to use part of their national ceilings for direct payments for coupled support in certain sectors or regions in clearly defined cases. The annual budget for Ireland for Voluntary Coupled Payments under Pillar 1 of CAP 2015 - 2019 is €3million per year.
244. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 21 June 2016, the details of the proposed free allowance for adult incontinence wear in view of the imminent introduction of pay-by-weight charges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22518/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.
My Department is currently reviewing, together with the regulatory authorities and industry representatives, the introduction of an incentivised system which encourages people to prevent, reduce and segregate their waste. This approach is in line with Government waste policy to reduce our reliance on landfill for waste disposal and will also facilitate the provision of a range of options for people to manage their waste costs. The issue raised by the Deputy will be considered as part of the review.
I have already indicated quite clearly that any such system will encompass more than just the previously proposed pay-by-weight per-kilogramme model. It is important to acknowledge that many people are already on plans which encourage waste prevention and segregation, including models which contain an element of weight-based charging.
245. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the documents his Department requires from a person (details supplied) in County Kerry to claim an asserted right to fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22491/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. I have been informed by IFI that where an individual is claiming a right to angling the onus is on the individual to prove their title either through the production of appropriate title documentation available from the Property Registration Authority of Ireland or the right would need to be proven to the satisfaction of the courts.
246. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the procedure for persons in Northern Ireland who wish to exchange their British driver licences for licences from this State. [22431/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder EU legislation, Member States issue driving licences to persons whose normal residence is within their jurisdiction. If a person is normally resident in Northern Ireland, we are therefore not able to issue them with an Irish driving licence. If a person from Northern Ireland moves to this jurisdiction, they may exchange their driving licence for the Irish equivalent.
