Written Answers Nos 1629-1648
1629. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contracts awarded to a company (details supplied) per annum since March 2011, in tabular form by his Department or agency or body under the aegis of his Department; the cost per contract; the basis for each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27445/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table.
I have requested the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond directly to the Deputy, on the specific information requested, as this is an operational matter for the organisations themselves.
March-December 2011
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost € (VAT @ 23% included in Cost) |
|
Procurement expenditure and supporting business processes |
An analysis of an internal review of Procurement |
Work done on a pro - bono basis |
|
Shared services opportunities for payroll, ICT and accommodation between the Department and five of its agencies |
An examination of the opportunities and capacity for further shared services between DAFM and its non-commercial state agencies |
Work done on a pro - bono basis |
|
Department’s role in meat plants |
A review of the Department’s role in regulating meat plants |
Work done on a pro - bono basis |
|
Maintenance and Enhancement of the Single Payment scheme (SPS) Computer System April 2011 to March 2014 |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the SPS Computer System |
3,453,775 |
|
Contract for Business Analyst |
To work with the Fisheries Business stakeholders in the preparation of business requirements documents for Fisheries application development |
102,694 |
|
Contract for Java Developer |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the Fisheries systems |
95,125 |
|
Contract for software development of the Generic Claims Processing System (GCPS) |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the GCPS Computer System |
134,501 |
2012
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost € (VAT @ 23% included in Cost) |
|
Contract for software development of the Generic Claims Processing System (GCPS) |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the GCPS Computer System |
245,086 |
|
Contract for Java Grails Developer |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the Fisheries systems |
145,410 |
2013
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost £ |
|
Nil |
2014
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost € (VAT @ 23% included in Cost) |
|
Software development and maintenance of the Animal Health Computer System (AHCS) |
To work with the Department’s IMT staff in maintaining and developing the Animal Health Computer System (AHCS) |
3,433,223 |
2015
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost £ |
|
Nil |
2016
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost € (VAT @ 23% included in Cost) |
|
A review of the Department’s enterprise architecture |
To work with the Departments IMT staff to identify the technologies and processes required to best support development of modern and secure systems and applications |
213,405 |
2017
|
Title of Contract awarded to Accenture |
Basis for Contract |
Cost € (VAT @ 23% included in Cost) |
|
Nil |
1630. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a TAMS grant payment will issue to persons (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27530/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe applicants have approval in place for milk storage and cooling investments under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II. No claim for payment has been received from the applicants in respect of this investment as yet.
The applicants have made a further application for a number of additional investment items on 3 April 2017. This application has passed the administrative checks and will be progressing to the Ranking and Selection process in the near future. Following this process and if the application is successful it will be assessed in the local office for technical issues prior to approval being granted.
1631. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a felling licence for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27542/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for a felling licence, which was received on 2nd February 2017, has been reviewed by my Department. National Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries Ireland were also contacted for their observations, which will inform my Department's our recommendations on this application.
These recommendations are expected shortly and the applicant will receive a decision on her licence application by post in the coming days.
It should be noted that there is no fee payable to the Department for a Felling Licence application. If an individual retains a contractor to carry out the felling operation, this is a private arrangement to which my Department is not a party.
1632. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of entitlements not transferred to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27583/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraA 2014 Transfer of Entitlements application form was submitted to my Department seeking the transfer of entitlements by sale to the first named person from the second named person.
Additional information required to facilitate the processing of the transfer application was requested on three separate occasions from the legal representatives of the second named person. As this information was not received the transfer was deemed unsuccessful and both parties were notified of this decision in writing in June 2015 and offered the option to appeal the decision. No appeal was subsequently received by my Department.
1633. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the charges of €145 per year (details supplied) by Teagasc to farmers for participation in the knowledge transfer groups is within the terms and conditions of the scheme in view of the fact Teagasc is already receiving a €500 per year payment for each participant in their groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27667/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Knowledge Transfer Programme under Ireland's Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 is delivered by a network of approved Knowledge Transfer Facilitators. Facilitators who meet their commitment under the programme are due a payment per participant of €500 for each year of the three year programme while farmers are due €750. Payment to facilitators under the programme covers the cost of preparing for and holding meetings as well as the time they spend producing an individualised Farm Improvement Plan for each farmer participant. My Department does not require a participant under the Knowledge Transfer Programme to be a client of Teagasc. It was open to participants to enrol in a group facilitated by either a private or Teagasc advisor.
In addition to its involvement in the Knowledge Transfer Programme, Teagasc also provide an extensive range of Advisory Services to Ireland’s farmers, including 45,000 direct contracts. The primary purpose is to maximise the income and sustainability of farm families within rural communities through improved farm efficiency, based on the transfer of knowledge, new technologies and best practice to all sectors of the industry. The cost of delivering these services is partially borne by the State in the form of an annual Grant-in-Aid, with the balance provided by fees charged to farmers, and some programme support from industry – mainly dairy processing co-ops.
1634. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the significant problems that arose with his Department's information technology systems which caused delays in payments in rural development schemes such as GLAS; if he can now reassure persons that all these problems have been rectified in order that there will be no recurrence in respect of the applications for schemes in late 2017 and 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27669/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the context of the Rural Development Programme 2015 - 2020 the Department has delivered over twenty new schemes that were supported by IT capability in last two years. In the first two years of the current RDP programme my Department has already implemented substantially more RDP schemes than were implemented over the entire ten year lifetime of the previous RDP programme. To date Ireland has drawn down funding at a rate that is 2.4 times higher than the EU average. This rate of delivery and draw-down would not have been possible without the availability of high quality complex IT software systems to support the business units in operating these schemes. Since 2014 my Department has adopted a policy of implementing fully digital end-to-end support for all but the smallest of schemes.
My Department has an excellent record in the delivery high quality ICT systems. In that respect my Department is ahead of the rest of our European partners and is also highly regarded across the Civil and Public Service. We have been consistently among the first to make payments in the EU.
A number of issues arose in relation to the GLAS system and, as I advised previously, I regret the difficulties that this may have caused to a number of farmers. All but a very small amount of outstanding work has been completed and plans are in place to address this over the coming period.
1635. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cattle and in particular the number of cows that have been imported from Scotland for direct slaughter in meat processing plants here from 1 January 2017 to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27670/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFigures extracted from my Department's Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database give the following details for live imports of cattle from Scotland for slaughter thus far in 2017*;
|
Imports from Scotland |
Male |
Female (Total) |
Females over 24 months |
|
580 |
7 |
573 |
573 |
The Deputy should note that in this context, there is no further breakdown available in relation to whether those females over 24 months are heifers or cows. In this period, Irish meat factories have slaughtered approximately 700,000 head of cattle. The overwhelming majority of cattle slaughtered in the state were born and raised in Ireland the live imports constitute a very small percentage of the overall total national kill.
* as of June 9th.
1636. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria being employed by his Department for land eligibility inspections on commonage and upland areas; the criteria the inspectors are employing in determining the eligibility of lands affected by the birds and habitats directive on designated Natura 2000 sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27671/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor land, including commonage and upland areas, to be eligible for the various area-based schemes it must be “agricultural area” or “agricultural land”. This is clearly stated in the booklet “A Guide to Land Eligibility” which my Department issued to all farmers in 2015. The booklet describes the type of land that is agricultural area/land and the type of land that is not agricultural area/land. There has been no change in the treatment of commonage and upland areas since the publication of this booklet in 2015. A copy of the booklet is available on the Department website -
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingschemesandpayments/basicpaymentscheme/LandEligibility2015Booklet010515.pdf.
The booklet also details the provision, set out in the EU regulations governing the area-based schemes, where areas have become ineligible and this is due to compliance with the requirements of the birds and habitats directives. This provision prescribes specific criteria whereby such land may be deemed eligible for payment and can only apply to agricultural land that has not been abandoned.
1637. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount his Department or a body under its aegis has paid to a company (details supplied) for advice, the use of intellectual property and other services. [27702/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has made no payments to the company referred to.
I have requested the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond directly to the Deputy, on the specific information requested, as this is an operational matter for the organisations themselves.
1638. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on opinions expressed with regard to the lack of a wholesale whiskey market (details supplied); his plans for policy measures to help develop a wholesale whiskey market; his further views in relation to structural problems in the whiskey market here which inhibit the ability of small whiskey brands to develop the potential of the whiskey industry to mirror the success of the Scottish whiskey industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27741/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIrish Whiskey is currently the fastest growing spirit drink in the world and the industry here has expanded to deliver exports worth €505 million in 2016. Export volumes are projected to increase from 7 million cases in 2014 to 12 million cases by 2020 and 24 million cases by 2030.
Significant investment supported by Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia has taken place in recent years in the expansion of existing facilities, development of new distilleries and marketing. As Irish Whiskey must, under EU and Irish law, be matured in wood for at least three years it will take some time for increased production to reach the market, but this should improve opportunities for the creation of a wholesale market. I would welcome any industry initiative to facilitate the development of a wholesale Irish Whiskey market but I do not have the power to compel individual distilling companies to set aside part of their production for such a market.
1639. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue in respect of a felling licence for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27775/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for a felling licence, was received on 2nd February 2017 on behalf of the named person and has been reviewed by my Department. National Parks and Wildlife Service and Inland Fisheries Ireland were also contacted for their observations, which will inform the Inspector's recommendations on this application.
The Inspector's recommendations are expected shortly and the applicant will receive a decision on her licence application by post in the coming days.
1640. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an AEOS payment will be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27795/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1st September 2011. Payment issued in respect of the 2011-2015 Scheme years.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System must take place. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for the person-named, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. This process is on-going and payments are issued on a weekly basis as cases are finalised.
1641. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any former Members have been appointed to State boards under his remit by the Public Appointments Service; if so, the names and positions of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28208/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not appointed any former TDs to the boards of the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department.
1642. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1172 of 2 May 2017, if he will provide the evidence to demonstrate the difference among EU member states, in view of his statement (details supplied); the information as to which member states he is referring to; and the way in which standards and legislative codes of practice here are higher. [28057/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs an island nation that relies on the transport of cattle by sea, my Department has put in place stringent rules governing the approval of dedicated livestock vessels. The Diseases of Animals (Carriage of Cattle by Sea) Orders, 1996 and 1998 set out the requirements for approval. The arrangements include the submission of voyage plans and journey reports, and the ability to revoke approval in cases of non-compliance.
European Union legislation in respect of animal welfare conditions during transport are laid down in EC No 1/2005 (Protection of Animals During Transport and Related Operations). This Regulation includes a provision expressly requested by officials of my Department, which states in Article 1(3) that “This regulation shall not be an obstacle to any stricter national measures aimed at improving the welfare of animals during transport taking place entirely within the territory of a Member State or during sea transport departing from the territory of a member state”, thereby safeguarding the stringent Irish measures that are in place.
My Department updated the existing Diseases of Animals (Carriage of Cattle by Sea) Orders, 1996 and 1998 requirements with current legislation enacted by SI 356 of 2016 (Carriage of Livestock by Sea Regulations 2016). These Regulations continue to play a critical role in safeguarding the welfare of animals transported by sea, and are unique by European Union standards.
1643. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if employees of his Department, including Met Éireann employees, have attended the meetings of a group (details supplied); and if so, if they have reported back to his Department on the proceedings of the meetings of the group. [28062/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that no employee of my Department has attended the meetings referred to in this question. Regarding Met Éireann employees, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment is the parent Department and therefore best placed to provide this information.
1644. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on designing, implementing and supporting the Eircode system in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [28132/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total cost of designing, implementing and supporting the Eircode system is €278,875 from 2011 to date. The main development costs were incurred during 2014 and 2015 (see Table 1 below).
Table 1 – Breakdown of expenditure on design, implementation and support of the Eircode system from 2011 to date
|
Year |
Expenditure € |
|
2011 |
500 |
|
2012 |
1,000 |
|
2013 |
1,000 |
|
2014 |
65,500 |
|
2015 |
205,875 |
|
2016 |
5,000 |
|
2017 |
Nil |
|
TOTAL |
€278,875 |
1645. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a TAMS application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28175/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe applicant in question submitted a claim for payment under the LESS Scheme of TAMS II. The claim was approved for payment on 8 June 2017.
1646. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28202/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe applicant in question has created a draft claim for expenditure under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme. However this claim has not yet been submitted. The applicant has been contacted by phone to advise him of the position. When the applicant submits his claim for payment it will be processed and payment made in due course.
In addition, the applicant has received approval for a mobile handling unit. A further application has been received for a Mass Concrete tank and Animal Housing under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS). The application in this case has passed the administrative checks and it is anticipated that it will be sent to the local office in the near future for final technical checks before approval issues.
1647. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the Government's publication, Ireland and the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, and in particular the implications for trade and customs on businesses, particularly in the agrifood sector here, in view of the fact that the UK is its largest export market; the actions that are being taken by him and his Department to consult with the business sector here; and the ramifications of changes on customs, in particular on the business sector. [22096/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 2 May, the Government published a comprehensive document on Ireland and the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This document sets out the approach of the Government to the forthcoming negotiations, following the successful campaign to have key Irish issues recognised in the EU negotiation position.
Following on from this publication, work is underway to prepare a further paper on economic implications of the Brexit challenge. This will draw on the work to date across Departments, which will be developed to mitigate emerging sectorial challenges. These plans will build on ongoing cross-Government research, analysis and consultations with stakeholders, and will reflect the core economic themes of the Taoiseach's speech to the IIEA on 15 February last.
Ireland’s economic interests lie firmly in a strong and well-functioning EU with continued and unfettered access to the single market. There is a lot of negotiation to be done around trading arrangements. Our contingency work is examining all scenarios and we cannot pre-empt the outcome at this stage. We are not under any illusions about the complexity of these negotiations and are engaged in detailed planning to prepare for these.
My Department and its agencies have conducted various analyses of the likely impact of Brexit on the agrifood sector. These analyses range from initial and ongoing internal departmental assessments, to published work by Teagasc and Bord Bia. This is an ongoing process, which will continue to take place as the negotiations unfold.
An important input to this analysis comes from businesses and stakeholders through the extensive consultation processes that I and my Department have put in place. Our Stakeholder Consultative Committee is comprised of representatives from across the sector and has met on a number of occasions since the UK referendum, most recently on 11 April. It is complemented by the agrifood and fisheries sectorial dialogues that I have hosted under the All-Island Civic Dialogue process, which have given businesses and representatives north and south of the border the opportunity to have their concerns discussed in some detail, including in relation to customs-related issues. Five of these dialogues have taken place for the agrifood and fisheries sectors, most recently with the drinks sector on 3 May and with the equine and greyhound sectors on 9 June.
While the main impact to date of the Brexit vote has been the effect of sterling volatility on those businesses that have a significant trading relationship with the UK, the medium to long term threats include the possible introduction of tariffs on trade between the EU and UK, potential divergences in regulations and standards between the EU and UK post-Brexit, and the implications of border controls and certification requirements. Difficult challenges also arise in relation to potentially restricted access to fishing grounds and resources.
In response to the challenges posed, I have undertaken a number of important steps within my own Department, which include the establishment of a Brexit Response Committee and a dedicated Brexit Co-ordination Division.
Last October, as part of Budget 2017, I announced measures aimed at alleviating the exchange rate volatility pressures, which include the introduction of the ‘Agri Cashflow Support' loan fund of €150 million; enhanced taxation measures and an additional allocation of €2 million to Bord Bia (on top of previous additional funding in 2016 of €1.6 million) to ensure that it is in a position to provide Brexit-related supports to affected businesses, including through its new Brexit Barometer. I also provided for increased funding under the Rural Development Programme and Seafood Development Programme.
I am very aware of the potential threats created by Brexit for the agri food sector, and I remain fully focused on supporting the industry through the challenges ahead. I will continue to consult with the industry as the negotiations develop, and to press Ireland's case for continued free access to the UK market, without tariffs and with minimal additional customs and administrative procedures, together with a minimisation of the risk from UK trade agreements with third countries.
1648. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department has in place to incentivise no till agriculture in the interest of protecting soils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27937/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minimum Tillage and Catch Crop actions under the Green Low-carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) operated by my Department contribute to the objectives of reducing emissions and protecting soil structure. Almost 30,000 hectares of catch crops are being delivered and over 10,500 hectares of tillage crops are sown under the scheme without any primary cultivation by using minimum tillage sowing equipment.
