Written Answers Nos. 773-783
774. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of successful animal welfare prosecutions his Department has appealed from 2016 to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43449/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has not submitted any appeals to successful animal welfare convictions for the period in question.
The Deputy’s question does not distinguish between an appeal and a judicial review. The Department has sought one judicial review of a conviction taken to regularise a Court Order to ensure that penalties lawfully imposed can be enforced.
775. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of unsuccessful animal welfare prosecutions his Department has appealed from 2016 to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43450/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no such appeals for the period in question.
776. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the drug research unit of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board was closed; the way in which any associated animals were disposed of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43451/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraHorse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. The Board is a company limited by guarantee set up by the Turf Club (established 1790) and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee (established 1866) for the purpose of carrying out the regulatory and licensing functions for Irish horseracing.
The role of the IHRB is provided for under the Irish Horse Racing Act 2016 and subsequent Statutory Instruments.
The question raised by the Deputy are operational matters for HRI and the IHRB and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.
777. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, with regard to Article 41 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 809/2014, a beneficiary’s eligibility for a payment can be amended using evidence gathered during an on-the-spot or physical inspection in which no control report was completed under; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43452/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procedure is that every on-the-spot check for land eligibility and area based scheme requirements should be the subject of a control report as detailed in Article 41 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 809/2014. It is important to note that the control report can comprise of a number of documents which issue during the process of the inspection. If the Deputy has a specific case in mind, I will be happy to ask officials to check it if he forwards the details.
778. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an issue with his Department's connection to a mart (details supplied) which has resulted in a degraded export service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43453/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department continues to offer the full range of export services to the mart referred to. The export service includes verification of animal identity by DAFM technical staff, the movement of animals for export in accordance with the DAFM Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM) and attendance by veterinary inspectors to inspect and certify matters in relation to export.
779. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of suckler farmers in the State; the number of Bord Bia approved suckler farmers by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43454/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of herds with at least one suckler cow in December 2020 was 55,505. It should be noted that many of these herds will have additional enterprises associated with them also.
The number of farms engaging in cattle rearing as their primary farm enterprise is significantly lower, approximately 25,400 according to the Teagasc National Farm Survey 2020.
There are in excess of 50,000 participants in the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme. Information relating to operational matters can be obtained directly from Bord Bia by emailing info@bordbia.ie.
780. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of refused applications to the BEAM scheme on the grounds of the applicant not being a member of the Bord Bia quality scheme by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43455/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached table.
|
COUNTY |
NO_OF_APPLIATIONS |
|
Carlow |
8 |
|
Cavan |
19 |
|
Clare |
18 |
|
Cork |
40 |
|
Donegal |
13 |
|
Dublin |
2 |
|
Galway |
39 |
|
Kerry |
26 |
|
Kildare |
6 |
|
Kilkenny |
19 |
|
Laois |
13 |
|
Leitrim |
6 |
|
Limerick |
18 |
|
Longford |
4 |
|
Louth |
7 |
|
Mayo |
29 |
|
Meath |
19 |
|
Monaghan |
37 |
|
Offaly |
22 |
|
Roscommon |
28 |
|
Sligo |
18 |
|
Tipperary |
25 |
|
Waterford |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
16 |
|
Wexford |
8 |
|
Wicklow |
8 |
781. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of refused applications to the beef finisher payment on the grounds of the applicant not being a member of the Bord Bia quality scheme by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43456/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the attached table.
|
County |
NO_OF_APPLIATIONS |
|
Carlow |
10 |
|
Cavan |
56 |
|
Clare |
35 |
|
Cork |
45 |
|
Donegal |
36 |
|
Galway |
86 |
|
Kerry |
28 |
|
Kildare |
6 |
|
Kilkenny |
18 |
|
Laois |
11 |
|
Leitrim |
9 |
|
Limerick |
37 |
|
Longford |
34 |
|
Louth |
13 |
|
Mayo |
37 |
|
Meath |
22 |
|
Monaghan |
41 |
|
Offaly |
18 |
|
Roscommon |
39 |
|
Sligo |
10 |
|
Tipperary |
25 |
|
Waterford |
12 |
|
Westmeath |
31 |
|
Wexford |
11 |
|
Wicklow |
14 |
782. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered allowing mart operators apply for Covid IT grant supports on a retrospective basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43457/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 1st March this year, I announced funding to livestock marts for ICT infrastructure Scheme. Livestock marts can apply to the Department for a grant of a maximum of €5,000 to cover 50% of expenditure by a mart on ICT infrastructure, under the Marts ICT Infrastructure Scheme 2021. The closing date for applications is the 15 November this year. Further information is available on the Department’s website at gov.ie - Livestock Mart Licence Application (www.gov.ie).
The scheme only covers expenditure which occurs after the 1st March 2021. Expenditure incurred prior to this commencement date is not eligible under the scheme.
783. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the TB incidence rate in cattle for the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43458/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra784. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the TB incidence rate for each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by county and quarter in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43459/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 784 together.
The attached spreadsheet provides TB herd incidence rates per quarter for the years 2018 -2020, and 2021 (Q1 and Q2). The Department does not publish monthly TB statistics.
Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish farmers, there had been a concerning incremental increase in the disease from 2016 onwards. I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional impact there is on farm families impacted by a TB outbreak and I am committed to driving down rates nationally. In 2020, herd incidence (on a year to date basis) breached 4% for the first time since 2012 and reactor numbers exceeded 20,000 – the highest number since 2009.
These trends highlighted the need for urgent action by all stakeholders to manage the risk more effectively across all transmission routes.
Whilst the 2017-2020 trend was disappointing, overall good progress has been made over the past decade, and figures to the end of quarter 2, 2021 are showing promising signs of improvement with herd incidence being 0.21% lower than the same period in 2020.
Earlier this year I launched a new launched a new Bovine TB Eradication Strategy 2021-2030. The implementation of this strategy is overseen by an established TB Forum group supported by three working groups – a scientific group, implementation group and finance group which will ensure that all aspects of the Strategy are addressed.
The strategy is not set in stone and it will be subject to amendment and refinement on an on-going basis. This new TB Strategy is available on www.bovinetb.ie. It is my hope and my expectation that the implementation of the strategy in partnership with all stakeholders will serve to drive disease incidence down even further.
