Written Answers Nos. 334-347
334. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of proposals to construct a breakwater extension at Dunmore East, County Waterford to provide shelter for vessels and users of the harbour and scope for enhanced marine leisure activities. [18829/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.
I am happy to advise the Deputy that in excess of €14 million has been invested in maintenance, development and upgrading works at Dunmore East FHC as part of my Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme from 2010 to 2017, including the €6 million dredging project in 2015 which has improved conditions for fishing vessels in the harbour and manoeuvrability for fish landings.
This year I allocated further funding of €2.4 million for the ongoing maintenance and development of Dunmore East Fishery Harbour Centre during 2018. Significant works in this year’s capital programme include the completion of the west wharf upgrade works.
In relation to a proposed breakwater at Dunmore East, the Department engaged consulting engineers to examine options for the citing and construction of a breakwater on the west side of the harbour. Wave modelling carried out by engineers in this regard suggests that all the various options would have a negative impact on the sandy coves in the general vicinity.
The Department is conscious of the issues and will keep the situation under review while considering what other options may be possible.
As the Deputy is aware, all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres will be considered under future Capital Programmes on the basis of available exchequer funding and competing national priorities.
335. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of commercial fishing vessels registered to owners in County Waterford; and the comparative figure for 2012. [18830/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Registrar General of Fishing Boats is charged with maintaining a Register of Fishing Boats and with the proper management of the capacity of the Irish fleet.
The Registrar General advises me that the number of commercial fishing vessels registered to owners with an address in County Waterford is currently eighty three compared to ninety five at 31 December 2012.
336. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1121 of 17 April 2018, if the figures provided by Bord na gCon (details supplied) are for unregistered greyhounds re-homed by the Irish Greyhound Board in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [18967/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraBord na gCon is a commercial State Body, established 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 entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon.
I will request officials in my Department to refer the question to Bord na gCon for direct reply to the Deputy.
337. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department will not accept the verbal confirmation from the NPWS that works carried out by a farmer (details supplied) did not damage the special protection hen harrier area; if the cross compliance penalty applied in respect of this damage will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19040/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Terms and Conditions of the Basic Payment Scheme and other EU funded schemes an applicant, as well as meeting the scheme criteria, must also comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance.
An inspection was carried out by my Department on 30th August 2016. The report of this inspection detailed breaches relating to the cross compliance requirements in respect of the Statutory Management Requirement (SMR) 2 on the Conservation of Wild Birds. This resulted in a 20% penalty being applied against the Direct Payments Schemes and other EU funded schemes, where applicable.
The breaches identified related to the removal of the peat/topsoil layer from a designated hen harrier site. Prior approval of the NPWS to undertake works on such a designated site is required and in this case no written confirmation that such prior approval had issued was provided to my Department. This written confirmation of prior approval is an essential record in determining whether or not a breach of the requirements has occurred and is also necessary to meet EU audit requirements.
The person named was notified of the decision on the breach on 20th November 2016 and of their right to seek a review of the findings. A review was requested, the outcome of which was to up-hold the original inspection findings. A letter detailing this outcome issued to the person named on 8th March 2018.
If the person named is dissatisfied with this outcome the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months. I understand that to date no such appeal has been lodged with that office.
338. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the introduction of a comprehensive licence for salmon fishing will be supported for traditional salmon fishermen who have waited 11 years for an initiative addressing the impact of the ban on salmon fishing on their livelihoods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18586/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis. This management is carried out by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the State Agency with statutory responsibility for inland fisheries. This is based on the fact that each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers, river sections, estuaries, etc., has its own genetically unique stock of salmon which migrates to sea as juveniles and returns to the same river in adulthood to spawn and create the next generation of fish exclusive to that river. The Atlantic salmon is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive with which Ireland’s current salmon management regime complies. In order to align fully with the Directive and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) principles, the Irish Government closed mixed stock fisheries in 2007, including coastal and offshore fishing for salmon,
The government introduced a Hardship Scheme under which, fishermen active in the commercial salmon fishery could opt to voluntarily cease fishing and undertake not to seek a licence in the future. In excess of €25 million was allocated to the scheme to facilitate payments to fishermen, with a further €5 million provided for community development projects. It is considered that river stocks in Ireland would be in a far more perilous state if the closure of mixed stock fisheries had not been implemented.
Harvest fisheries are now only allowed on individual river stocks which are shown to have a surplus of fish over the conservation limit. Fisheries in estuaries may also be permitted where the stocks from individual rivers entering the estuaries are each meeting their individual conservation limits. One hundred and five licences are available for salmon fishing this year in respect of the commercial salmon season which opens on 12 May.
During migration from rivers to marine feeding grounds, salmon from both rivers in Ireland and rivers in other countries travel through Ireland’s coastal waters. These "mixed stocks" pose particular difficulties for management as they contain individual fish often from a wide range of rivers internationally some of which are below sustainable reproductive capacity. Any deviation from current policy would be contrary to the international independent scientific advice and would lead to indiscriminate exploitation as the “home river” of off-shore salmon cannot be identified and it is not possible to disaggregate the individuals or stock groups at sea.
Such a move could potentially lead to conflict with EU and international obligations on grounds of not protecting vulnerable Irish and international salmon stocks. The conservation imperative demands that current salmon stocks are not further eroded by mismanagement or inappropriate exploitation, whether via angling, commercial fisheries in rivers inland or through the operation of mixed stock fisheries at sea or in estuaries.
Ireland is committed to international agreements entered into at EU level and at NASCO and the prohibition of mixed stock fisheries is a key element of international best practice in salmon conservation and management.
339. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 422 and 430 of 5 December 2017, the position regarding the proposed roll out of a scheme to assist households with paying for large amounts of waste due to medical conditions. [18875/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the commitments set out in A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, published in 2012, and in the interest of encouraging further waste prevention and greater recycling, flat-rate fees for kerbside household waste collection are being phased out over the period autumn 2017 to autumn 2018, as customers contracts come up for renewal. The necessary regulatory steps have been put in place to give effect to this measure. It is worth noting that this measure is not ‘new’ for about half of kerbside household waste customers, who are already on an incentivised usage pricing plan, i.e., a plan which contains a per lift or a weight related fee.
As announced in mid-2017, mandatory per kilogramme 'pay by weight' charging is not being introduced. Allowing for a range of charging options, which encourage householders to reduce and separate their waste, provides flexibility to waste collectors to develop various service-price offerings that suit different household circumstances.
An annual support of €75 per person is being made available for persons with lifelong or long-term medical incontinence. This will help people meet the average annual cost for the disposal of medical incontinence products. My Department is currently in discussion with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive to finalise the administrative details and arrangements of the support. I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to finalising the details for this support as a matter of urgency.
340. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if funding will be provided to Inland Fisheries Ireland to enable it to carry out a research programme at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19041/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland that it is likely that any investigation of the status of sea trout in the Currane catchment will have three elements: census data, and freshwater and marine sampling programmes to measure performance of different life stages of Sea Trout and to determine the environmental and ecological status of the freshwater and marine habitats. IFI have worked with the Waterville Lakes and Rivers Trust and have examined the options for such a programme. Indications are that, given the extent of the programme, the estimate cost would be of the order of €500,000 over the lifetime of the programme.
Funding is not currently available within IFI’s voted allocation for 2018. However, IFI have advised that they will consider what, if any, alternative funding sources may be available.
341. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if salmon fishing licences will be introduced for persons living on islands (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18551/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Atlantic salmon is a protected species under the EU Habitats Directive with which Ireland’s current salmon management regime complies. In order to align fully with the Directive and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) principles and in view of a sharp decline in salmon stocks, the Irish Government closed mixed stock fisheries in 2007 including coastal and offshore fishing for salmon. Ireland manages salmon stocks on an individual river basis. This management is carried out by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), the State Agency with statutory responsibility for inland fisheries. This is based on the fact that each of Ireland’s 147 salmon rivers, river sections, estuaries etc. has its own genetically unique stock of salmon which migrates to sea as juveniles and returns to the same river in adulthood to spawn and create the next generation of fish exclusive to that river.
Management of salmon stocks is informed by scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Ireland’s Standing Scientific Committee. Research in coastal areas and in the marine environment concentrates on increasing knowledge of migratory patterns, marine based mortality and return rates to home rivers as stock assessments can only be carried out on the individual stock in each river.
Harvest fisheries are now only allowed on individual river stocks which are shown to have a surplus of fish over the conservation limit. Fisheries in estuaries may also be permitted where the stocks from individual rivers entering the estuaries are each meeting their individual conservation limits.
During migration from rivers to marine feeding grounds, salmon from both rivers in Ireland and rivers in other countries travel through Ireland’s coastal waters including waters around offshore islands. These "mixed stocks" pose particular difficulties for management as they contain individual fish often from a wide range of rivers internationally, some of which are below sustainable reproductive capacity. Any deviation from current policy would be contrary to the international independent scientific advice as the “home river” of off-shore salmon cannot be identified and it is not possible to disaggregate the individuals or stock groups at sea.
Such a move could potentially lead to conflict with EU and international obligations on grounds of not protecting vulnerable Irish and international salmon stocks and the possibility of action against Ireland by the EU. The conservation imperative demands that current salmon stocks are not further eroded by mismanagement or inappropriate exploitation, whether via angling, commercial fisheries in rivers inland or through the operation of mixed stock fisheries at sea or in estuaries.
Ireland is committed to international agreements entered into at EU level and at NASCO and the prohibition of mixed stock fisheries is a key element of international best practice in salmon conservation and management. It is considered that river stocks in Ireland would be in a far more perilous state if the closure of mixed stock fisheries had not been implemented.
The Deputy will be aware that there was a Private Members Bill before the House on 1 February last on the issue of fishing licences for island fishermen. It was confirmed in the debate that salmon are not included in the scope of the proposed Bill.
342. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding devices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18557/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the two products referred to by the Deputy are over-the-counter products, which can be added to fuel and lubrication fluid respectively. I also understand that similar products are already available in the State. The regulation of such products does not fall under my remit. However, I would direct the Deputy to the National Standards Authority of Ireland, in the first instance, for assistance in this regard.
343. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a similar system to the television licence system can be put in place to identify households that are not contracted to a refuse company for bin collections and verify the way in which their rubbish is being disposed of in order to assist in tackling the spate of dumping across many rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18564/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach local authority is responsible for the supervision and the enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Waste Management Act 1996 in relation to the holding, recovery and disposal of waste within its functional area. Local authorities have specific powers under the Act to require measures to be taken, or to take measures directly, to prevent or limit environmental pollution caused or likely to be caused by the holding, recovery or disposal of waste, and to mitigate or remedy the effects on the environment of such activity. My role, as Minister, is to provide the legislative and policy framework under which both local authority and Environmental Protection Agency enforcement action is initiated. Enforcement action against illegal waste activity is a matter for the local authorities and the Office of Environmental Enforcement of the EPA as appropriate.
Underpinning waste enforcement is state funding for waste enforcement officers. I have made €9 million available from the Environment Fund this year to support the Waste Enforcement Regional Lead Authorities and the recruitment and continued employment of a network of local authority waste enforcement officers. This investment is critical in providing an enhanced response on the ground to other infractions of the waste code.
Funding has been provided under the 2018 Anti-Dumping Initiative to support a pilot project undertaken by Sligo County Council aimed at tackling and addressing the source of illegal dumping. The aim of this project is to create and maintain a register of how households are managing their waste based on information provided by Waste Collectors. It is anticipated that this approach will facilitate the process of trying to deal with illegal dumping, burning of waste and unauthorised waste management and may form a model of best practice for other Local Authorities to adopt, which in turn will work towards curbing illegal dumping activity nationally.
The Regional Waste Management Planning Offices are also currently preparing a template to help standardise bye-laws on the presentation of waste. The draft template bye-laws aim to place the onus of proof on the householder to prove that they are managing their waste correctly by signing up to a waste collection service or providing receipts for the deposit of waste in authorised facilities.
344. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the provision of broadband around the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18571/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, almost 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. Since this Government came into office almost 400,000 additional premises have access to high speed broadband. This will increase to nearly 8 out of 10 premises by the end of this year and by 2020, 9 out of 10 premises will have access to a high speed broadband connection. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. In April 2017 I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie . This Map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the NBP.
The Map is colour coded and searchable by address/eircode:
- The AMBER areas represent the target areas for the proposed State led Intervention under the NBP and are the subject of an ongoing procurement process.
- The BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.
- The LIGHT BLUE areas represent eir's commercial rural deployment plans to roll-out high speed broadband to 300,000 premises by the end of this year as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with me in April 2017.
The Commitment Agreement signed with eir relates to its plans to provide high speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas on a commercial basis. eir has committed to completing the roll-out by the end of this year. Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/.
A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie.
My Department is in a formal procurement process to select a company who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network in the State intervention area. That procurement process is now in its final stages.
In the interim, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.
Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements with operators and clearing obstacles to developing infrastructure. There is a link to a list of these local Broadband Officers on my Department's website.
345. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has developed a national e-commerce strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18635/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation leads in policy development and implementation to enhance Ireland's enterprise environment to support the start-up and growth of competitive firms in Ireland and sustainable development for enterprises of all sizes. My Department, through the Trading Online Voucher Scheme, is contributing to this work by assisting small businesses that are not yet trading online, to develop their ecommerce capability, pairing training with financial support of up to €2,500. The scheme which is developed and funded by my Department is delivered throughout Ireland by the Local Enterprise Offices and is contributing to the sustainable development of these enterprises.
The Scheme has been highly effective in achieving its objectives with 4,300 vouchers approved to date and over 10,000 businesses benefitting from training delivered by the Local Enterprise Offices since 2014. Businesses, both urban and rural, who participate grow their sales on average by 21%, increase employment by 35% and 3 out of 5 begin exporting for the first time.
My aim is to help even more businesses to trade online. My Department is currently scoping initiatives to build on the success of the scheme, including the development of a national website infrastructure for online application to the scheme to make it easier for more businesses to apply and for businesses to obtain information when developing their online trading presence businesses.
346. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of homes that have been upgraded under the warmth and well-being scheme; the average cost per home; and the amount spent to date under the scheme. [18793/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Warmth and Well-being scheme is a joint pilot initiative between my Department and the Department of Health and is being delivered under the Government’s Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty and the Healthy Ireland Framework. The main aim of the scheme, which began in 2016, is to demonstrate the positive effects that making homes warmer and more energy efficient can have on the health and well-being of people in energy poverty who are living with chronic respiratory conditions. An independent analysis is being carried out to assess the health and well-being impact the scheme is having. At the conclusion of the scheme and with independent evidence on its effectiveness, the potential for a wider roll-out will be considered. In total to date, 534 homes have received upgrades under the scheme, with an average cost of €15,700 per home. The upgrades have meant a significant improvement in the condition of the home and, anecdotally, in the quality of life of the occupants.
I have allocated €20million in funding to this 3 year pilot. This should allow for the upgrade of the number of homes needed to develop the evidence base on the impact on the health outcomes of participants, and make the business case for a wider roll-out of the scheme.
The Deputy may also be aware that the Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme is available on a nationwide basis to low income households who are at risk of energy poverty. More information on this scheme is available on SEAI’s website at
http://www.seai.ie/Grants/Warmer_Homes_Scheme/About_the_BEWH.html or Freephone: 1800 250 204.
347. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the voluntary national review of the sustainable development goals which is due in July 2018; if he or his officials have consulted with NGOs, interest groups or stakeholders as part of this review; if so, the NGOs, interest groups and stakeholders consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18938/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have lead responsibility for promoting and overseeing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a whole-of-Government basis, and for the establishment of a robust SDG implementation and reporting framework. Ireland has committed to delivering its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the SDGs to the United Nations' High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development [HLPF] in July of this year. I will be delivering the VNR at the HLPF and my Department is currently finalising the draft VNR, in consultation with the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group, which is comprised of representatives from all Government Departments. My Department has not formally or informally consulted with any stakeholder directly regarding the VNR to date, but intends to announce VNR consultation arrangements this week. The list of stakeholders who participate in that consultation exercise will be made publically available through my Department's website.
I launched Ireland’s first Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018 – 2020 (the Plan) on 26 April 2018. My Department prepared this first Plan, again in consultation with the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group. In drafting the Plan, my Department carried out a stakeholder consultation in December 2017. While this consultation exercise related to the Plan and not the VNR directly, Ireland's approach to the VNR process is set out in the Plan and this would have informed stakeholders' responses. The list of stakeholders who provided my Department with feedback through this consultation exercise is set out in the following table.
|
Stakeholders |
|
|
1 |
National Milk Agency |
|
2 |
Business in the Community Ireland |
|
3 |
Jeanne Moore (in a personal capacity) |
|
4 |
Development Perspectives |
|
5 |
Vincent Carragher, Research Fellow Trinity College |
|
6 |
World Vision Ireland |
|
7 |
Environment Protection Agency |
|
8 |
The Wheel |
|
9 |
David O'Flynn (in a personal capacity) |
|
10 |
SDGHub at Trinity College Dublin |
|
11 |
Social Justice Ireland |
|
12 |
Kerry County Council |
|
13 |
National Youth Council of Ireland |
|
14 |
‘Domestic Sector’ of Coalition2030 |
|
15 |
ICMSA |
|
16 |
Galway City Community Network |
|
17 |
Irish Development Education Association |
|
18 |
Presentation Interprovincial Justice Desk |
|
19 |
Community Work Ireland |
|
20 |
ECO-UNESCO |
|
21 |
Chambers Ireland |
|
22 |
Steering Committee of Coalition 2030 |
|
23 |
Irish Congress of Trade unions |
|
24 |
UCD Centre for Sustainable Development Studies |
|
25 |
All Together in Dignity Ireland |
|
26 |
Irish Family Planning Association |
|
27 |
European Anti-Poverty Network |
|
28 |
Irish Rural Link |
|
29 |
Road Safety Authority |
In launching the Plan, I highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement to support the effective implementation of the SDGs, which is why an SDG Stakeholder Forum will be established as a priority action under the Plan. My Department will seek to ensure that the widest practicable range of stakeholders are represented within the forum.
