Written Answers Nos. 2446-2464
2446. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department made in relation to reports of the importation of bees here from Italy (details supplied) to ensure that such importation does not result in the parallel importation of the small hive beetle which is prevalent in Italy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18338/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2447. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action that has been taken by his Department to ensure that imported European strains will not interbreed with native bees affecting the unique biodiversity of Irish bees as was witnessed previously with the varroa mite given that Ireland has the purest remaining population of black bees in Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18339/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2446 and 2447 together.
I fully acknowledge the important contribution bees make to agriculture and biodiversity as both pollinators and honey producers. In this regard, my Department provides a range of supports and initiatives to encourage and assist beekeepers and the national beekeeping associations. These supports include funding to carry out applied research through the National Apiculture Programme, grants to national beekeeping associations and grant aid to fund capital investments for beekeepers. My Department is also a partner in the All Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021 – 2025 and is a member of the All-Ireland Honeybee Strategy Steering Group.
My Department has funded a number of studies under the Genetic Research Grant Aid Scheme looking at various aspects of this honeybee species and specifically apis mellifera melliferra. In 2021, funding has been allocated for an innovative queen rearing project. My Department also supports the work of the Native Irish Honey Bee Society.
Regarding designation as a protected species, honeybees are not listed under the EU habitats directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) which lists the most endangered species across the EU.
In relation to the importation of honeybees into Ireland, this is allowed under regulations governing intra-Community trade with other EU Member States. The specific health requirements for trading in bees are laid out in Council Directive 92/65/EEC. All imports of bees must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the country of export. This is to ensure that imported bees are healthy and do not harbour pathogens or parasites that may be harmful to our native bee stocks, including the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida).
2448. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures his Department is taking to protect the native Irish honey bee that is under significant health threats as a result of the high levels of bees being imported into the country; the efforts he is taking to prevent the native bee from being destroyed and to have it protected as a native and rare species to be preserved; the protections his Department is putting in place as a result of the large increase in bee imports in 2020 which is up 327% on 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18349/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI fully acknowledge the important contribution bees make to agriculture and biodiversity as both pollinators and honey producers. In this regard, my Department provides a range of supports and initiatives to encourage and assist beekeepers and the national beekeeping associations. These supports include funding to carry out applied research through the National Apiculture Programme, grants to national beekeeping associations and grant aid to fund capital investments for beekeepers. My Department is also a partner in the All Ireland Pollinator Plan 2021 – 2025 and is a member of the All-Ireland Honeybee Strategy Steering Group.
My Department has funded a number of studies under the Genetic Research Grant Aid Scheme looking at various aspects of this honeybee species and specifically apis mellifera melliferra. In 2021, funding has been allocated for an innovative queen rearing project. My Department also supports the work of the Native Irish Honey Bee Society.
Regarding designation as a protected species, honeybees are not listed under the EU habitats directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) which lists the most endangered species across the EU.
In relation to the importation of honeybees into Ireland, this is allowed under regulations governing intra-Community trade with other EU Member States. The specific health requirements for trading in bees are laid out in Council Directive 92/65/EEC. All imports of bees must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the country of export. This is to ensure that imported bees are healthy and do not harbour pathogens or parasites that may be harmful to our native bee stocks.
2449. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of hectares of peat soil per county in tabular form. [18352/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold the data requested by the Deputy. I would refer the Deputy to the Teagasc/EPA Irish Soil Information System National Soil Map which is indicative of soil types, including peat across the country.
2450. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a list will be provided of the areas of peat soils which will be included in GAEC 2 of the new CAP in County Tipperary; and the number of farms effected. [18353/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraNegotiations on the new CAP are on-going and the text is still subject to change. However, officials of my Department are examining the proposed GAEC 2 provisions including applicable definitions, mapping requirements and protection standards.
2451. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the GAEC 2 proposal in the new CAP; and if he will guarantee that this land continues to be viewed as eligible agricultural land and ensure there will be no reduction in farmers' CAP payments as a result. [18354/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CAP post-2020 legislative proposals were launched in June 2018 by Commissioner Hogan. The proposals outline a greater environmental ambition in the next programming period and recognise the role the agriculture sector has to play in helping Member States achieve their environmental and climate change targets.
Trilogue negotiations between the three institutions, which are aimed at reaching a final shared agreement on the shape of the new CAP, commenced at the end of 2020, and are ongoing. One of the issues still to be agreed upon is the proposed new green architecture, which is aimed at achieving a higher level of climate ambition.
The proposed CAP Strategic Plan Regulation introduces GAEC 2 in Annex lll with a view to protecting wetland and peatland ecosystems. It is important to note that the Council General Approach includes proposed amendments to ensure that agricultural land which is subject to measures relating to climate change, environmental or biodiversity objectives will remain eligible hectares with regard to receipt of Direct Payments.
My Department is carefully considering all aspects of the CAP proposals in order to assess their potential impact on farmers. However, final agreement on the CAP is dependent on the outcome of the trilogue process, which is expected in the coming months. I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to actively participate in the negotiation process and work with my European counterparts to secure the best possible outcome for the Irish agri-food sector.
My strong desire is to ensure the protection of farmers on peatlands is central to the GAEC regulations and I am committed to delivering the best outcome to farmers in the these regions.
2452. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will quantify the extent of the avian flu impact on the Irish poultry sector for each of the past five years; the financial supports available from his Department on this matter; his views on the desirability of a poultry health fund for the sector and the possibility of insurance cover against such disease incidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18455/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am acutely aware of the difficulties faced by the poultry industry in regard to an Avian Influenza outbreak. Over the past five years, there has been one case of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N8) and 14 cases of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H6N1) which have affected the poultry industry, both of which occurred in 2020.
I would like to advise the Deputy of the financial support that has been provided by my Department to operators that were affected by disease outbreaks during 2020. In relation to the outbreak of Low Pathogenic H6N1 Avian Influenza outbreak in early 2020, my Department provided once-off ex gratia support, which was made available to all affected operators and all those that applied have now received payments from the Department. While no legal basis exists for a mandatory compensation scheme under EU legislation in respect of Low Pathogenic H6N1 Avian Influenza, my Department successfully secured financial support for the affected farmers.
Regarding the December 2020 outbreak of Highly Pathogenic H5N8 Avian Influenza, the Animal Health and Welfare Act, No. 15 of 2013 does allow me, as Minister, to support farmers in the event of outbreaks of certain diseases which includes Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and this provision is currently being availed of. The applications for compensation are being progressed and payments are expected to issue shortly.
In addition, some excellent supports are already in place such as the use of the RDP-funded Targeted Advisory Service for Animal Health measure for assessing farm level biosecurity risks that is available at no cost to poultry farmers, as well as support for on-farm capital investment under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II (TAMS II) scheme and knowledge transfer and innovation measures, aimed at underpinning farm viability, sustainability and growth through the adoption of best practice and innovative solutions.
My officials continue to evaluate what additional measures could be utilised, within the context of existing national and EU legislation, to support the industry as much as possible in their pursuit of establishing a funding support system for use by the industry in the face of poultry disease challenges. I fully understand the sector’s aim to seek mitigation, as far as possible, of the risks that are faced by its members, and where possible to provide some reassurance to them. I support this aim.
My Department has been and will continue to engage with representatives of the poultry sector, to seek to ensure that outbreaks of avian influenza are continually dealt with in a timely and effective manner. Engagement in regards to the Poultry Working Groups (PWG) proposal for a health fund for the sector are ongoing and my officials will be meeting members of the PWG in the near future to update industry on the continuing work being undertaken by my Department on all matters raised.
2453. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers will still be able to claim their single farm payment for planted forestry land after their forestry premium runs out after 15 years and their agroforestry premium runs out after five years (details supplied); his plans to change the current situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18479/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraLand which was afforested since 2009 is eligible to draw down a BPS payment provided that the afforested land meets the following requirements:
- The land to be afforested was declared on a 2008 Single Payment Scheme application form
- The area must have given a right to payment under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme
- The farmer must be the person or persons eligible for payment of the forestry premium
- The afforested land meets all the requirements of the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme, FEPS, the Native Woodland Establishment Scheme, the Agroforestry, or the Forestry for Fibre Scheme
Where the period of premia payments under the afforestation measure has concluded, farmers can continue to claim these parcels as eligible for BPS once they maintain the commitment to that particular afforestation measure. This includes agroforestry.
2454. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 250 of 25 March 2021, if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; his views on whether the timeline given by his Department in relation to the matter of two-to-three months is a misleading timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18539/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn my previous response to the Deputy on this matter, I noted that an ecologist will examine the application within two to three months of receipt of a Natura Impact Statement (NIS). I further noted that a decision would issue once the full assessment of the application is complete. This does not necessarily mean that the decision will issue within two to three months of receipt of a NIS, merely that the ecological assessment will normally be completed in that time. The NIS and/or the ecological assessment may occasionally raise further queries, which must be resolved before a final decision on the application will issue.
I would like to take this opportunity to set out for the Deputy the sequence of events in relation to the application noted in the details supplied. The application was first submitted to my Department in November 2017 and referred to the local authority. The applicant and the Registered Forester concerned were requested to provide further information, to which no response was received and the application was withdrawn. Upon request by the forester, in August, 2018 the application was reinstated, referred to my Department’s Archaeology Unit and to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). A report was received from the Department’s Archaeologist in April 2019. At the same time, a reminder was sent to the NPWS, but their response was not received until late June 2019. The application was referred to my Department’s Ecology Unit in July 2019.
The Ecologist determined that a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) would be required and this was requested in September 2019. The NIS was not received until December 2020 and was immediately referred again to my Department’s Ecology Unit. The ecological assessment was completed in February 2021, well within the two to three months timeframe given in the response to the Dáil Question to which the Deputy refers. The application was returned to the Forestry District Inspector (DI). However, a matter arose during the DI’s final assessment of the application that required the referral of the application to An Taisce. A final decision was made on the application, which was issued to the applicant and their Registered Forester in April 2021.
2455. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider fast-tracking afforestation projects through the licensing system which are screened out by forestry companies and their ecologists. [18570/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2456. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of forestry projects and respective area of land in hectares which are screened out by the appropriate assessment process that have received approval in 2021. [18571/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2457. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average time it took to approve screened out projects. [18572/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2458. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of screened out projects that were referred to the ecology section by the district forestry inspectors. [18573/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2459. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a mechanism for highlighting screened out projects to ecology in order that they can be fast-tracked and be with files that need more ecological attention and-or a site visit. [18574/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2460. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actual processing time for files with Natura impact statements submitted over the past six to nine months. [18575/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2455 to 2460, inclusive, together.
The Deputy will be aware that under the Appropriate Assessment procedures in place for assessing forestry licence applications, some are “screened in” for referral to the Ecology Unit and others are “screened out”, which means they may be decided upon by the Forestry Inspector without ecological input. Screened out applications, by their nature progress through the application system more quickly than screened in applications, therefore do not require “fast-tracking”.
The Department has approved 84 afforestation applications that were screened out, comprising 576.81 hectares, from January to March this year. In 2020, for all afforestation applications decided in that year that were not referred to the Department’s Ecology Unit, the average time from application to decision was 4.9 months. Once an application has been screened out by a Forestry District Inspector, it is in the main, not referred to my Department’s Ecology Unit. Therefore, there is no reason to provide a mechanism to highlight such projects with the Ecology Unit. In the past six months, where an applicant decided to supply a Natura Impact Statement (NIS), in support of the afforestation application, those applications took on average, 83 days from receipt of the NIS to a decision issuing.
I am aware of the issues facing the forestry sector and considerable efforts have been made to address them. Additional resources have been recruited and training, information and guidance has been provided to both Departmental staff and registered foresters and, as a result, we have seen gains in terms of output.
We know, however, that there is room for further improvement and the introduction of Project Woodland, recently launched by Minister of State Senator Pippa Hackett, who has responsibility for forestry, is our strategy for resolving the licensing issues. This new structure aims to ensure that the current backlog is addressed and that more efficient and effective processes are introduced. It is a task-driven process, with clear deliverable and milestones.
I remain hopeful and confident that the changes envisaged under Project Woodland will bear fruit, particularly to give confidence to all applicants that they can receive a timely decision on their forestry licence application.
2461. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that his Department is challenging a decision made by the Agriculture Appeals Office in relation to a person (details supplied); his views on whether the challenging of decisions made by the office by his Department undermines the independent mandate of Agriculture Appeals Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18583/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named applied successfully for GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1st January 2017. The participant was selected for an on-farm inspection on 13th December 2018 and was notified of the inspection findings by letter dated 15th May 2019. On foot of this inspection, the contract was rejected due to the minimum area of the Wild Bird Cover action not being reached.
The person named submitted a request for a review of the inspection findings and the original decision to reject the application was upheld.
An appeal of this decision was submitted to the Agricultural Appeals Office. The Agricultural Appeals Office decision letter issued on 16th July 2020, partially allowing the appeal.
A review by the Director of Agriculture Appeals Office of the decision of the Appeals Officer has been requested in this case in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001. It is very rare that the Department seeks such a review unless it believes the appeal decision is based on an erroneous interpretation.
The Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office will notify the person named directly, in writing, when this review is complete. Any decision of the Director is accepted as final by the Department.
2462. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there will be an increase in TAMS grants in view of increased costs on both timber and steel with further increases forecasted (details supplied). [18613/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a wide variety of items available under the suite of seven measures under TAMS II. To date, total expenditure under the seven measures of the TAMS, including transitional expenditure, has reached in excess of €278m with commitments of an additional €130m made to scheme participants who have yet to draw down those commitments.
The rate of grant aid is set at 40% except in the case of qualified young farmers where the rate of grant aid available to such farmers is increased to 60%. As regards the costings of items available under TAMS, these are subject to regular review and are currently being reviewed. Any changes identified will be considered once this review process has been completed.
2463. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications that have been received by the Forest Service for approval under the reconstitution and underplanting scheme that was introduced in June 2020; the number of these applications that have been approved to enable landowners to remove their diseased ash trees and replant their land; if his Department have a target in terms of issuing approvals under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18618/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra2464. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will act on the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and the Marine and introduce a 15 year premium from the date of replanting diseased ash and remove the age discrimination in the current scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18619/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2463 and 2464 together.
My Department launched the Reconstitution and Underplanting (Ash Dieback) Scheme in June, 2020 and received applications from that date. To date, my Department has received 265 applications for a total of 1,069 hectares. Of those, 24 applications have been approved, for 81 hectares.
Premium payments have already issued up to the time the crop became infected, therefore they restart from the date the last premium was paid. Additional payments are available for site clearance and for the establishment of a replacement crop. Older plantations near maturity have not been included for payment under RUS as it has been determined that they would have significant merchantable volumes of timber and therefore the landowner will be in a position to realise their timber revenue.
