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Thursday, 29 Mar 2018

Written Answers Nos. 292-310

Climate Change Policy

Ceisteanna (292)

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony

Ceist:

292. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the consequence highlighted by an organisation (details supplied) if climate action, that is, environment protection is not undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14525/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am acutely aware of the importance of recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in relation to the challenges facing us all regarding mitigation of emissions and the need to ensure that we are resilient and can adapt to climate change. It is important that every sector plays its part given Ireland’s very challenging 2020 and, provisionally agreed ,2030 targets. We must look to 2030 and beyond in formulating policies that will address the twin challenges of climate change and the global increase in demand for food. It is projected that there will be a 50% increase in global demand for food by as early as 2030. The IPCC 5th assessment report highlighted that globally, food sources will become unpredictable, as population booms.

Therefore, it is more important than ever that we continue to produce food, especially as our agri-food production system has been independently and internationally recognised as both climate and resource efficient. Our grass-fed, low carbon model of livestock production places us at an advantage versus other livestock producing nations and with the right approach to sustainable agri-food and the right mitigation techniques, we can approach our responsibilities to climate change in a very positive and effective way.

At national level we are taking a whole of Government approach to climate policy. Officials from my Department work very closely with other Departments and in particular, with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, which is the lead department in this area.

We have used this collaborative approach to make the most of opportunities such as actively following the IPCC in relation to the development of their Special Report on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

Ireland supported the concept of a Special Report by hosting a preliminary workshop in 2015 and subsequently Ireland along with Costa Rica, New Zealand and Tanzania sent a letter to the IPCC proposing that a Special Report on Climate Change, Food and Agriculture be undertaken. The IPCC formally considered this and other various proposals for special reports as part of the 6th assessment cycle which will culminate in a 6th assessment report in time for the first global stock take in 2023. Following difficult discussions the IPCC agreed to produce three Special Reports one of which is on land/agriculture issues (Climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems’).

In 2017 Ireland again hosted the IPCC at which the terms of reference for the Special Report were agreed. This Special Report will be developed under the joint scientific leadership of Working Groups I, II and III supported by the WG III TSU (Technical Support Unit). Ireland will host the IPCC leader author meeting later this year with the Special Report expected to be completed in 2019.

GLAS Payments

Ceisteanna (293)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

293. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full payments in respect of the 2015 and 2016 scheme years.

The Department is aware of an issue with this case that resulted in the 2017 advance payment not being made. Department officials are currently identifying a solution to the issue and payment will be processed once this solution is implemented. GLAS 2017 advance payments began in November 2017 and are continuing to issue on a weekly basis.

Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme Applications

Ceisteanna (294)

Eamon Scanlon

Ceist:

294. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a young farmer capital investment scheme application by persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14553/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The above named applied for grant aid under the Young Farmer’s Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II on 22 February 2018. This application was rejected on 26 March 2018 as applications from Joint Ventures are not allowed under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (except in the case where ALL members of venture are qualifying young farmers). In order for other joint ventures to be eligible for Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme a Department Registered Farm Partnership must also be in place at date of application. It is open to the applicants to apply for grant aid under the other schemes of TAMS II, or to form a Registered Farm Partnership and reapply under the Young Farmer's Capital Investment Scheme.

Departmental Staff Training

Ceisteanna (295, 296)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

295. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount that his Department has spent on social media training and consultancy in each year since 2016. [14560/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

296. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if training has been delivered in his Department on the use of social media (details supplied); the frequency and cost of this training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14576/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together.

My Department's social media presence is managed by the Press and Information Office of my Department. Since 2011, staff members from the Press and Information Office and I.T. sections have attended 3 training courses on the use of social media, at a total cost of €475. Separate to these courses, a member of my Department's staff attended Social Media Dublin 2017, a conference on the topic of social media, in January 2017, and 3 staff members attended the same conference in 2018. Total expenditure by my Department for attendance at these events was approximately €1,000.

GLAS Payments

Ceisteanna (297)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

297. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a repayment to farmers (details supplied) in County Mayo will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14611/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The persons named were approved into GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of January 1st 2016 and have received all payments in respect of 2016 and the 2017 advance payment.

Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. An over-declaration was identified in this case which resulted in a penalty being applied. The persons named were notified by letter and provided with the option to request a review. No such request was received by the Department.

GLAS Payments

Ceisteanna (298)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

298. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [14612/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person named was approved into GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017.

Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue. Department officials are working proactively to complete the checks in this case and once this case clears validations the 2017 advance payment will be made. GLAS payments are being made on a weekly basis.

Departmental Contracts Data

Ceisteanna (299)

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

299. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of contracts for services awarded to a company (details supplied) by his Department since 2010, in tabular form; and the type of work undertaken by the company. [14621/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department had no contracts with the company named in the PQ during the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2018 to date.

In the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 the company in question was awarded contracts for services carried out on behalf of the Department. Details, as requested by the Deputy, are provided in the attached table.

2015

Nature of work undertaken by the Company

Value of Contract for services awarded to company

Workplace Investigation

1,542

2016

Nature of work undertaken by the Company

Value of Contract for services awarded to company

Workplace Investigations

18,839

2017

Nature of work undertaken by the Company

Value of Contract for services awarded to company

Workplace Investigation

6,073

Knowledge Transfer Programme

Ceisteanna (300)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

300. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a knowledge transfer payment for a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if payment will be processed in view of the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14684/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Knowledge Transfer (KT) is one of a suite of measures included under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and involves formation and administration of KT groups across the beef, dairy, equine, sheep, tillage and poultry sectors.

The person named is a participant of the KT Beef Programme and as outlined he attended four of the five meetings held by the Facilitator of his group. However, in order to comply with the requirements of Year 1 of the Programme, it was also open for farmers to attend an approved KT National Event such as a farm walk in lieu of one of the required five meetings. There were approximately 180 of such events last year throughout the country with approximately 80 of these approved for the KT Beef Programme. These events have proved very useful for farmers in KT Groups to date.

As the person named did not avail of the option to attend a KT National Event and did not attend a fifth meeting of his KT Group he is due a reduced payment in respect of his participation under the programme. This reduced payment will, as required under the governing EU Regulation, issue via his KT Facilitator shortly.

GLAS Data

Ceisteanna (301, 302, 303)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

301. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of the original 10,000 farmers who were deemed ineligible for 85% advance GLAS 2017 payments due to the requirement for an applicant to get maps redigitised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14688/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

302. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of GLAS applicants who were required to get maps redigitised to become eligible for payments in each of the years 2015 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14689/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

303. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of land parcels that had to be redigitised in each of the years 2015 to 2017 to become eligible for GLAS payments in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14690/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 to 303, inclusive, together.

The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) stores the land parcel details for all Department area based schemes. The information stored is used for BPS, ANC, GLAS, Organics and Forestry Schemes.

GLAS payments are made based on the land parcels that are claimed by the GLAS applicant in the annual BPS application. Parcels are re-digitised for a number of reasons including changes submitted by the Herd Owner on the annual BPS application, Department Ground and Remote Sensing inspections and reviews when new imagery is received. It is an EU requirement that all changes to land are recorded on the LPIS database and any ineligible land identified is recorded.

My Department does not hold the specific data requested. It should be noted that in the majority of cases where reconciliation of the data on the BPS application is required the issue is in relation to crop codes and not in relation to redigitisation of maps. These cases are identified in the validation process and my Department contacts the individuals affected to resolve the issue.

Land Parcel Identification System

Ceisteanna (304)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

304. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason redigitisation was required, other than in cases in which land parcel identifier numbers on GLAS maps did not correlate with parcels on BPS maps in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14691/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) underpins a range of area based schemes which are administered by my Department. In keeping with EU Regulations, the LPIS must be regularly maintained and kept up to date and accurate. The digitisation process is the means by which required changes to land parcel details are updated on the LPIS to ensure its continued accuracy.

The main reasons why digitisation would be required are

- Where a farmer submits an update to his maps with his BPS application form

- Where the Department is updating land details on foot of inspections

- Where the Department is updating land details on foot of new ortho-photography which is received on an ongoing basis, and

- General ongoing maintenance of the LPIS data.

Land Parcel Identification System

Ceisteanna (305)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

305. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the mapping systems used for GLAS and BPS applications are clashing or proving to be incompatible with each other; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14692/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The same mapping system is used for both BPS and GLAS to ensure compatibility.

The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) stores the land parcel details for all Department area based schemes. The information stored is used for BPS, ANC, GLAS, Organics and Forestry Schemes. GLAS payments are made based on the Land Parcels that are claimed by the GLAS applicant in the annual BPS application.

It is an EU requirement that all changes to land are recorded on the LPIS database and any ineligible land identified is recorded. As changes are recorded on the LPIS database, this may have a knock-on effect for any area based schemes.

GLAS Administration

Ceisteanna (306)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

306. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the detail of the information technology problems being experienced by his Department and for which his Department has indicated to many farmers as the reason GLAS payments have been delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14693/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In the context of the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 my Department has delivered over twenty new schemes that were supported by IT capability. 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.

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 of high quality ICT systems. We have been consistently among the first to make payments in the EU.

Currently 97% of eligible participants have received their 2017 advance payments. My Department will continue to process payments on a weekly basis for any participant that passes validations.

Agriculture Scheme Administration

Ceisteanna (307, 308)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

307. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount being spent per annum by his Department on information technology systems for both GLAS and BPS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14694/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

308. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the same companies have the contracts to supply information technology support for both GLAS and BPS; if not, if this is contributing to delays in GLAS payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14695/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 307 and 308 together.

The Department’s schemes and services are supported by a wide range of complex interconnected IT systems.  These systems are developed and supported using an appropriate mix of internal ICT staff supported by external resources.

The external support for each of the systems in question was sourced through separate procurement exercises, in order to meet the particular development requirements of the individual systems. In respect of BPS and GLAS, the same contracting company was successful in being awarded both contracts.  The awarding of these contracts had no negative effect on GLAS payments.

Details of the amounts paid in respect of contracts for external support in relation to the

- systems supporting the Basic Payment Scheme, Greening, Entitlements, National Reserve, Protein Aid Scheme, Young Farmers Scheme and maintenance of the Geospatial      Information/Land Parcel Identification System (Column A below)

and the

- Generic Claims Processing System supporting the GLAS scheme, TAMS II, Organic Farmers Scheme, he various KT schemes and GLAS Training (Column B below)

are as follows:

Year

A

B

2015

€2,853,660

€2,594,945

2016

€3,514,460

€3,300,640

2017*

€3,694,812

€3,087,563

Costs are associated with the contracts in place and are not associated with individual schemes.

* Includes software testing contract costs which are paid under a separate contract for the testing of all Departments systems since May 2017.

Rights of Way Provision

Ceisteanna (309)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

309. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an adequate right of way will be granted by Coillte to persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14807/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of their lands, are the responsibility of the company.

The company has, however, confirmed that the request for a right of way, to which the Deputy refers, is currently going through Coillte’s internal approval procedures and that the Coillte operational team expect to contact the persons requesting the right of way over the coming weeks with the intention of reaching an agreement.

GLAS Data

Ceisteanna (310)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

310. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons in receipt of GLAS 1, 2 and 3 who have received the 85% advance payment of their 2017 payment, by county in tabular form; the number of persons that have passed all payment approval checks and are awaiting the 85% portion of the 2017 payment; the number of GLAS recipients that have yet to receive this portion of payment by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14837/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The information requested by the deputy is in the following table.

Payments continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases clear all validations.

GLAS 1

GLAS 2

GLAS 3

TOTAL

County

Advance paid

Adv not paid

Advance paid

Adv not paid

Advance paid

Adv not paid

Advance paid

Adv not paid

Carlow

260

12

114

10

124

3

498

25

Cavan

871

30

400

28

522

13

1,793

71

Clare

1,526

73

650

31

781

26

2,957

130

Cork

2,034

87

927

62

885

48

3,846

197

Donegal

1,833

86

934

57

1,346

61

4,113

204

Dublin

54

4

17

0

18

1

89

5

Galway

2,851

186

1,181

102

1,521

57

5,553

345

Kerry

1,664

90

809

56

719

41

3,192

187

Kildare

220

21

62

14

101

13

383

48

Kilkenny

407

17

192

15

175

16

774

48

Laois

351

16

182

8

217

14

750

38

Leitrim

980

31

394

25

508

16

1,882

72

Limerick

1,004

36

273

23

393

7

1,670

66

Longford

496

13

326

14

320

8

1,142

35

Louth

132

15

69

8

92

2

293

25

Mayo

2,325

205

1,185

132

1,572

82

5,082

419

Meath

402

16

189

6

234

15

825

37

Monaghan

549

21

139

3

332

3

1,020

27

Offaly

449

25

252

22

280

13

981

60

Roscommon

1,461

53

509

39

692

20

2,662

112

Sligo

881

50

339

23

478

13

1,698

86

Tipperary

1,063

53

466

24

478

14

2,007

91

Waterford

318

35

110

20

109

12

537

67

Westmeath

619

20

248

10

267

12

1,134

42

Wexford

693

54

231

30

280

27

1,204

111

Wicklow

306

18

141

10

191

8

638

36

TOTAL

23,749

1,267

10,339

772

12,635

545

46,723

2,584

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