Written Answers Nos. 270-285
271. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the environmental sampling carried out in meat processing plants in which an outbreak of Covid-19 has occurred since July 2020; the results of such sampling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39104/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department participated in a National Outbreak Control Team (NOCT), convened by the Health Services Executive (HSE) to oversee the investigation of COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants (MPPs) and agreed to co-ordinate further studies of factors that might have contributed to within-plant transmission of COVID-19 – focusing on operational and environmental factors in affected meat processing plants (MPPs).
In the first instance, my Department conducted a pilot study (during July/early August 2020) in a single affected plant as a feasibility assessment of in-depth retrospective investigation. This pilot study was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team, comprising officials from different state agencies, academic researchers from three universities and technical managers at the pilot plant and it encompassed expertise in occupational health, medical microbiology, aerosol science, food safety regulation and meat processing operations.
The investigative team assembled documents describing the layout and operation of the plant, the sequence of events that had occurred and the distribution of COVID-19 cases. This was followed up by a site visit, which included a semi-structured interview with local managers (primarily to clarify how COVID-19 risk was assessed and managed on site) and a walk through different working areas of the plant to observe key operational steps and risk mitigation measures.
A subgroup of the investigative team spent several days undertaking physical and environmental measurements, including measuring bio-aerosols. Bio-aerosols were measured in the boning hall and compared with similar measurements in the abattoir. A gradual but steady increase in the concentration of bio-aerosols (and the concentration of CO2) was measured over the course of a working shift in the boning hall but not in the abattoir.
Although, these findings are preliminary and only represent one affected plant at one specific point in time, they corroborate other international findings highlighting a particular risk in MPPs relating to the re-circulation of chilled air in those working areas where meat is cut and packaged (an industry norm to comply with food hygiene regulations).
Further studies are warranted to establish if this is a consistent pattern in affected Irish meat plants and to validate additional mitigation measures.
In this context, my Department, senior UCD academics and other partners in Ireland, Northern Ireland and overseas made a grant application to Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) seeking funding for further studies in reply to their latest COVID-19 rapid research call. This research consortium includes the research group and meat processor involved in investigation of a large outbreak in a German MPP.
As a result of this application funding will be made available from 1 December to hire dedicated researchers to work with relevant state agencies and meat plant operators on a comprehensive suite of solutions to control and prevent COVID-19 in food businesses and other workplaces.
272. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the retrospective environmental investigation that has been carried out to further explore the potential underlying reasons for outbreaks of Covid-19 associated with meat processing plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39105/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department participated in a National Outbreak Control Team (NOCT), convened by the Health Services Executive (HSE) to oversee the investigation of COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants (MPPs) and agreed to co-ordinate further studies of factors that might have contributed to within-plant transmission of COVID-19 – focusing on operational and environmental factors in affected meat processing plants (MPPs).
In the first instance, my Department conducted a pilot study (during July/ early August 2020) in a single affected plant as a feasibility assessment of in-depth retrospective investigation. This pilot study was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team, comprising officials from different state agencies, academic researchers from three universities and technical managers at the pilot plant and it encompassed expertise in occupational health, medical microbiology, aerosol science, food safety regulation and meat processing operations.
The investigative team assembled documents describing the layout and operation of the plant, the sequence of events that had occurred and the distribution of COVID-19 cases. This was followed up by a site visit, which included a semi-structured interview with local managers (primarily to clarify how COVID-19 risk was assessed and managed on site) and a walk through different working areas of the plant to observe key operational steps and risk mitigation measures.
A subgroup of the investigative team spent several days undertaking physical and environmental measurements, including measuring bio-aerosols. Bio-aerosols were measured in the boning hall and compared with similar measurements in the abattoir. A gradual but steady increase in the concentration of bio-aerosols (and the concentration of CO2) was measured over the course of a working shift in the boning hall but not in the abattoir.
Although, these findings are preliminary and only represent one affected plant at one specific point in time, they corroborate other international findings highlighting a particular risk in MPPs relating to the re-circulation of chilled air in those working areas where meat is cut and packaged (an industry norm to comply with food hygiene regulations).
Further studies are warranted to establish if this is a consistent pattern in affected Irish meat plants and to validate additional mitigation measures.
In this context my Department, senior UCD academics and other partners in Ireland, Northern Ireland and overseas made a grant application to Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) seeking funding for further studies in reply to their latest COVID-19 rapid research call. This research consortium includes the research group and meat processor involved in investigation of a large outbreak in a German MPP.
As a result of this application, funding will be made available from 1 December to hire dedicated researchers to work with relevant state agencies and meat plant operators on a comprehensive suite of solutions to control and prevent COVID-19 in food businesses and other workplaces.
273. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if fur farming will be ended fully after the culling of minks which has been announced. [38946/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government 2020 contains a clear commitment regarding the prohibition of fur farming and officials from my Department are currently engaged in advancing the necessary legislative and related preparatory work to facilitate the achievement of this objective, and will be seeking Government authority at an early date.
Officials from my Department have also been in discussions with those who will be affected.
274. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any remaining mink in Ireland will be culled as a safety measure against the spread of Covid-19; if he is introducing measures to keep the associated fur farms closed thereby ending fur farming in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38964/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government 2020 contains a clear commitment regarding the prohibition of fur farming and officials from my Department are currently advancing legal and other preparatory steps necessary to facilitate the achievement of this objective, with a view to seeking Government authority at an early date.
The Chief Veterinary Officer within my Department received a communication from the Chief Medical Officer last week indicating that the continued farming of mink represents an ongoing risk of additional mink-adapted SARS-CoV-2 variants emerging and recommending that farmed mink in Ireland should be culled to minimise or eliminate this risk.
Officials in my Department continue to engage with the mink farmers to consider the next steps.
275. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a food-related virtual trade mission to Japan and United Arab Emirates early in 2021. [39024/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraGaining third country market access and opening trading opportunities around the world for Irish exports have long been integral to my Department’s strategic approach to the development of the agri-food sector. This is particularly important as we deal with the challenges presented by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trade missions have become an integral part of this strategy, and the selection of the destination of each mission is agreed following consideration of a number of factors, including Bord Bia's market prioritisation analysis. The latter exercise has already assisted in the selection of Japan as a destination for two very successful trade missions.
Of course, our traditional in-person method of developing trade with customers is not feasible currently. To that end, my Department, in conjunction with Bord Bia, is holding a series of Virtual Trade Missions on five dates spanning November and December with customers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. These interactive engagements will include Irish exporters and existing and potential overseas customers. Also in November, a series of virtual meetings has been held with key international customers in various countries, including customers from Japan and the UAE.
At the moment, I do not have any immediate plans to lead trade missions to Japan or the UAE. However, I can confirm that officials from my Department, in consultation with Bord Bia, are finalising my trade mission programme for 2021.
276. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which one can apply for live evaluation under the disease eradication schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39029/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe On-farm Market Valuation Scheme is the principal compensation scheme available to farmers who suffer a bovine TB breakdown. Under this scheme, applications for compensation on the basis of a live valuation are issued to all farmers who suffer a breakdown with the exception of those whose animals are discovered to have TB lesions at the time of slaughter. Live valuations are carried out by a panel of independent valuers. Compensation is paid at a rate that the animal would ordinarily be expected to achieve on the open market if the animal was not diseased.
277. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department and any commercial or non-commercial State bodies and private entities subsidised by 50% or more of public funding under the aegis of his Department have implemented social clauses in their public procurement contracts in the past three years (details supplied); and if so, the nature of these social clauses. [39042/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department ensures that there is an appropriate focus on good practice in procurement and that procedures are in place to ensure compliance with relevant guidelines and legislation. Social clauses cover a broad range of considerations and include for example labour standards, training for young people and environmental sustainability.
EU and national rules promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers value for money. These rules require suppliers to comply with social, environmental and labour laws.
My Department takes appropriate measures to ensure that in the performance of public contracts economic operators comply with applicable obligations in the fields of environmental, social and labour law. Suppliers obligations under social, environmental and labour laws are included in my Department's tender documents for procuring goods and services with an estimated value of over €25,000. All such tenderers are required to make declarations in relation to compliance with social, environmental and labour laws.
In October 2019, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issued Circular 20/2019 Promoting the use of Environmental and Social Considerations in Public Procurement. My Department considers the use of verifiable environmental criteria in the procurement process where appropriate.
In 2020, my Department has awarded two contracts for (1) a Social Farming Network and (2) a Programme for Nascent Rural Female Entrepreneurial Development. Funding for these projects comes from the Rural Innovation Development Fund.
Procurement is an operational matter for bodies that come under the aegis of my Department.
278. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there are no representatives for an association (details supplied) as part of the newly established forestry forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39075/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have recently established a new Forestry Policy Group to help inform forest policy development in Ireland. The group is due to have its first meeting this week. I expect the group to work together to contribute to the development of current and future forestry policy and to help in delivering on the ambitious objectives of the Programme for Government.
I have considered very carefully the membership of the group and have asked a wide range of organisations to participate, including sectoral stakeholders, environmental NGOs and a range of relevant State bodies. The sectoral stakeholders include a broad range from farm bodies to nurseries to sawmills. I believe that the Group has a wide and balanced membership and will fully reflect the views of all stakeholders.
279. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if owning land ten years in advance of getting a herd number transferred into one's name from one's parents has an impact on eligibility in terms of new entrant status, farm partnerships or eligibility as a new farmer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39098/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew Entrant to Farming is one of the two priority categories supported under the National Reserve. Part of the eligibility requirements under the new entrant category of the National Reserve is that the applicant must have commenced the present agricultural activity in the two calendar years prior to the year of application under the scheme. Additionally, the applicant is required to not have had any agricultural activity in his/her own name and at his/her own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity.
As part of the checks carried out on applications under the new entrant category of the National Reserve, my Department will examine the date the applicant has joined the herd number under which the application is submitted and will also check records held by the Department with regard to any herd number or other Department allocated reference numbers on which the applicant may have been named previously and were used for agricultural activity or to benefit under schemes and payments.
The Registration of Farm Partnerships Regulations 2015, as set out in Statutory Instrument 247/2015, lays down the criteria for Partnerships at Section 6 as follows:
6. (1) At least one partner in the farm partnership shall be a person who has been engaged in the trade of farming on land owned or leased by that person consisting of at least 3 hectares of useable farm land for at least 2 years immediately preceding the date of formation of the partnership.
(2) Where only one partner in the farm partnership satisfies the requirement of paragraph (1), at least one other partner shall be a natural person and that person shall-
(a) have an agricultural qualification listed in the Schedule or a qualification determined by Teagasc on behalf of the Minister as being of equivalence to those listed in the Schedule, and
(b) hold an entitlement to at least 20% of the profits in the farm partnership profit sharing arrangement.
The herd numbers of Registered Farm Partnership applicants are examined to verify compliance with these requirements.
280. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the application for protected geographical indication, PGI, status of Irish grass-fed beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39110/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the draft application by Bord Bia for a PGI for Irish Grass Fed Beef was agreed in principle by stakeholders at the last meeting of the Beef Task Force on 22 October.
My Department is currently completing the necessary steps to finalise the application for submission to the European Commission, and I hope that this will happen shortly.
These steps include the assessment of the submissions received in response to the National Opposition Procedure, in line with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 1151/2012. It is expected that responses to those who made submissions will be issued shortly.
281. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will instruct An Bord Bia to ensure that any PGI status application for beef includes criteria that are applicable on an all-Ireland basis, given recent developments with regard to the PGI application for Irish grass-fed beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39111/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the draft application by Bord Bia for a PGI for Irish Grass Fed Beef was agreed in principle by stakeholders at the last meeting of the Beef Task Force on 22 October. My Department is currently completing the necessary steps to finalise the application for submission to the European Commission, and I hope that this will happen shortly.
As the Competent Authority, my Department must be satisfied, in submitting a PGI application to the Commission, that there is a verification system in place to ensure that, if successful, the PGI is protected and that the claims made in a PGI application are verifiable.
The draft application for a PGI for 'Irish Grass Fed Beef' provides that the control systems already in place for the Bord Bia Quality Assurance schemes and Grass Fed Standard will be used to carry out the verification, with no additional requirements for farmers.
In the case of Northern Ireland, there is currently no equivalent verification system in place to verify that qualifying cattle are grass fed.
My Department and Bord Bia have discussed the draft application with Northern Ireland counterparts, and I have discussed with my counterpart Minister Poots also. I have recently advised Minister Poots that, when the final application is being submitted, I will inform the European Commission that Ireland would support the PGI being extended on an all-island basis, when a grass-fed verification system is in place in Northern Ireland.
282. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the analysis his Department has carried out into the role of compacted soil under single species grasses in causing flooding in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39180/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, through our agency Teagasc, conducted research under the 'SQUARE' research project on the extent of soil compaction in grassland soils across a range of different soil and drainage types.
In this research 40 grassland field-sites were assessed from across Ireland and within this a range of permanent pastures and improved grassland. Due to increased organic matter, and the permanent plant rooting in grassland soils, the levels of soil compaction detected were moderate across these Irish grasslands in general.
This research also showed that poorly drained soils have a higher risk of compaction under significant trafficking pressure, and that machinery trafficking poses a higher threat than livestock trafficking. When soil compaction was present the movement in the soils was more significantly reduced in well drained soils than in poorly drained soils which have lower water conductivity to begin with.
283. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department’s online system did not recognise that a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry has lands located in a chough area and should have been entered in as GLAS plus; if this error will be corrected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39218/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved into GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017 and has received full payments for scheme years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and has also received the 2020 85% advance payment.
In this case, the Chough action was not listed on the application at the time of its submission and approval. It is not possible to add additional actions once the GLAS contract is approved.
284. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expected figure for project pay-out by her Department in 2021 based on current commitments in the LEADER programme, given that the voted expenditure for LEADER for 2021 is €44 million; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38898/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra285. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding she expects to be left for new projects under the new State-led interim rural development programme in 2021 after the expected pay-out for projects and administration in 2021. [38899/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together.
The total allocation for LEADER next year is €44 million. This allocation will be used to fund existing projects as they come to completion and submit payment claims. It will also fund new projects to be approved under a new Transitional Programme and will support the administration costs of the Local Action Groups who deliver the programme in closing out the existing programme and delivering the Transitional Programme.
The Transitional Programme is currently being finalised and I hope to be in a position shortly to announce the full details of project and administration allocations under the Programme.
It is important to recognise that LEADER is a multi-annual programme and that payments in respect of projects which are approved in any given year are generally not drawn down until subsequent years as the projects are completed. Therefore, costs related to projects under the Transitional Programme are likely to be met from the provision in my Department’s Vote in 2022 and 2023, as well as in 2021.
Similarly, payments under the 2014-2020 LEADER programme can continue in 2021, 2022 and 2003 as projects which have been approved are completed and payment claims are submitted. The timing and level of expenditure is dependent on the completion of approved works by the project promoters and the submission of claims for payment.
Overall, the requirements for LEADER are managed year-on-year from within my Department's Vote.
