Written Answers Nos. 395-403
395. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter regarding the consequential effects of a farm inspection in relation to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55274/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Regulations governing the administration of Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases ground inspections, are completed before any payments issue. The 2021 application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection.
Following the inspection, Part 1 of Control report (the Farm Inspection Summary) was sent to the applicant detailing the issues found at the inspection. On 4 November 2021, Part 2 of Control Report (the letter of findings) issued to him. This letter identified an over-declaration in land area and afforded the person named the opportunity to submit his own comments on the inspection findings.
The applicant’s advisor has now submitted comments to the Department's local office on behalf of the applicant and these will be considered in detail before the final decision letter issues.
If the person named is dissatisfied with the final decision, he has the right to request a review and this will be outlined in the decision letter that will issue to him.
396. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive their GLAS payments for 2018, 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55333/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved in to the GLAS 2 scheme with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2016. Payments have issued for scheme years 2016 – 2019 and the 2020 Advance payment.
Following the outcome of an internal review, the person named is due outstanding payments in respect of the commonage action. The outstanding 2017 payment issued on 13 April 2021. Processing of the 2018 and 2019 outstanding payments are at an advance stage and pending final validation checks will issue shortly. Following this, the outstanding 2020 balancing payment will issue.
397. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 171 of 3 November 2021, the locations of the current 86 vacancies in the regional veterinary offices; the job title of each vacancy; if a breakdown of vacancies in each regional veterinary office area will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55353/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Human Resources Division uses workforce planning processes and undertakes recruitment via the Public Appointments Service (PAS) or direct recruitment competitions to fill prioritised vacancies.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of vacancies in the Regional Veterinary Offices currently stands at 85. Work is actively ongoing to fill vacancies in the Regional Veterinary Offices, with assignments expected to be completed across a range of grades and locations in the immediate future.
The detailed information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table attached.
398. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if hedgerows, all small-scale planting and all small blocks of scrub are measured in the inventory of forest cover; if so, the way they are measured; the percentage of the State that is occupied by such forest cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55384/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Environmental Protection Agency has overall responsibility for the national greenhouse gas inventory in Ireland’s national system. Each year, a National Inventory Report is prepared in compliance with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting guidelines, that outlines the level of emissions and the methods used to derive these estimates.
Forest areas that are 0.1 ha in size or more are included in the inventory report, which includes small blocks of scrub that are comprised of tree species. The national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11% of the total land area, with a wide variety of forest types present. Ireland’s forests are an important store of carbon, estimated stocks at over 312 million tonnes. In our recent greenhouse gas reporting to the UNFCCC, Ireland reported a removal by forests of circa 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere in 2019, which includes the carbon stored in harvested wood products.
My Department recognises the significant role that our hedgerows provide to the natural landscape of our countryside. Not only do our hedgerows contribute to the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere but they are also vital as a habitat for wildlife, a resource for biodiversity and a unique heritage feature that must be managed and protected. Hedgerows are not considered forest and they are not currently included as part of the land use sector for national greenhouse gas reporting purposes.
To address the lack of data on sequestration of carbon by hedgerows, Teagasc are undertaking a research project called “Farm-Carbon – Farm Hedgerows and Non-forest Woodland Carbon”. The overall objective of this project is to “advance the understanding of the contribution of hedgerows and non-forest woodland to carbon stocks in agricultural landscapes, and to identify approaches to maintain and enhance this contribution”. I am confident that the final results will provide the necessary data required for the inclusion of hedgerows in the national inventory calculations.
399. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the agencies that carry out forestry research; the level of expenditure on such research in 2020 and 2021; the level of funding to be provided for this research in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55385/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, through its competitive research programme, provides a diverse portfolio of competitive funding instruments to address complex and inter-connected challenges and opportunities in the Irish agri-food and forest sectors through research and innovation.
There are 14 research performing organisations that have received funding for forest research from my Department, including Universities, Institutes of Technology, Teagasc, National Botanic Gardens and BirdWatch Ireland.
Expenditure on forestry-based research in 2020 totalled €1,141,873. For the year 2021, expenditure to date is €310,590, with further payments scheduled prior to year-end. In addition, project proposals submitted under the most recent funding Call, DAFM Thematic Research Call 2021, are at a late stage of contract negotiations. Successful projects, some of which may be forest research, are expected to be awarded in December. An advance payment of 30% is made available to successful projects in 2021.
It is not possible to specify the level of funding for 2022, for a number of reasons. Projects funded are in receipt of payments throughout the duration of the project. Payments are determined by a financial evaluation of vouched expenditure and a technical evaluation of annual progress reports. The scale of the funding, per project, varies by the length of the project, with projects ranging from one to five years.
Teagasc, as an agency of my Department, also carries out forest research in addition to the research funded through my Department’s competitive research programme.
400. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the additional measures that will be implemented to eliminate the unacceptable delays in processing applications for forest planting and felling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55398/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFirstly let me say how seriously both myself and Minister Hackett take the forestry licensing issue. Significant time and resources have been devoted to dealing with the backlog and this is beginning to have the desired effect.
In the last two months we have issued over 1,000 licences. This means that licences are issuing at nearly double the rate of applications received and every week means a net reduction in the number of licences on hand. I remain confident that we will reach our target of 4,000 licences this year.
As to additional measures to assist with improving our process, Project Woodland is the framework introduced earlier this year to help with the effectiveness and efficiency of the licensing system.
I am pleased to report that substantial work has been undertaken by all Working Groups and the Project Board of Project Woodland, with regular meetings held resulting in a high level of output in both terms of quality and quantity. The Project Board, published its second interim report on the 29th October, which updates on progress to date and is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/642e6-forestry/#project-woodland
Of particular relevance to licensing is the external regulatory review. My Department has placed a contract for the regulatory review with report due by end February, 2022. It will review the existing statutory framework for the licensing of forestry activities in relation to environmental and public participation obligations in order that practical advice can be provided to the Department on how to work more efficiently within the existing legal framework.
In addition, an independent Systems Analyst is conducting an end-to-end process review with a view to licensing process improvement and an interim report on this work has recently been submitted to the Project Board.
There has been significant work carried out on all other aspects of Project Woodland too and some of these, along with the process and regulatory review, will inform the setting of definitive timelines for the delivery of forestry licences. These include:
- A pilot project for pre-application discussions.
- Payment of an Environmental Planning Grant.
- A new Customer Charter for forestry.
- A Communication Plan that assists in conveying the multi-functional benefits of forestry.
- A review of the organisational structure of forestry within my Department.
- Commission of a Training Needs analysis.
- Definition of the backlog and associated dashboards.
- Actions relating to reduction of the backlog.
Alongside Project Woodland, my Department continues to address the licensing issue, and we have invested significant resources to deal with the backlog, which I know is impacting the sector. We now have 27 ecologists, and additional forestry inspectors and administrative staff have been put in place. Furthermore, improved processes have been introduced to allow ecologists focus on the ecological aspects of files referred to them.
In conclusion, I would like to recognise the momentum and progress made under Project Woodland and the increased momentum in terms of licences issued. I would also like to reiterate my commitment and that of Minister Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, to ensuring that that we maintain and improve on our licence delivery for the benefit of the sector, as well as society as a whole.
401. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review a statement (details supplied); the actions his Department has taken on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55410/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am very aware of the significant increase in fertiliser prices over the last year, particularly in recent months and its impact at farm level.
The fertiliser market is largely driven by global supply and demand and, while there are a number of factors influencing fertiliser price, the major driving factors for the increase in prices are increased global demand due to strong growth in agricultural commodity prices, rising production costs due to increased raw material and energy costs and issues with supply for certain fertiliser products.
In line with the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Climate Action Plan commits to more targeted and reduced use of chemical nitrogen fertiliser while maintaining the same level of grass production through a number of measures including improved soil fertility and greater use of clover and multi-species swards.
I have introduced a number of initiatives to support farmers reduce their dependence on fertiliser use, including tasking Teagasc with developing a roadmap for farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers on farms, a new €1 million initiative to support the planting of multi-species swards and a pilot Soil Sampling Programme.
The European Commission is following the market situation closely and fertiliser price is likely to be discussed at next week's Agri Fish Council. I will ensure the topic is raised.
My Department will continue to closely monitor the fertiliser market and how it develops in the weeks and months ahead.
402. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if emergency funding will be provided to community groups whose fundraising has been curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are struggling to pay utilities and insurance costs on their premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55247/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health.
On Thursday, 11th November 2021, I was pleased to launch the new Community Activities Fund. This €9m fund is being provided by the Government to support community and voluntary groups impacted by Covid-19. This once-off funding will be allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programme and in order to ensure there is sufficient flexibility to allow funding to be targeted to where it is needed in each Local Authority area, it will be administered locally by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs).
The Community Activities Fund will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility (Electricity, Heating charges) or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Groups will also be able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment.
My Department currently supports over 420 community organisations under the Community Services Programme (CSP) to provide local services through a social enterprise model. In response to the difficulties faced by organisations due to COVID-19, my Department developed a €7.95m CSP Support Fund which assists CSP supported organisations to continue to retain their CSP supported employees on their payroll and also provides assistance for the employers PRSI contribution, during this crisis period up to June 2021. This additional funding also assisted those organisations most in need to meet their ongoing operational costs such as insurance, light and heat and audit fees.
In 2020, my Department supported close to 600 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities, through the €45m COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises. A further allocation of €10m was provided to the Stability Fund for 2021 as part of the revised Resilience and Recovery Plan announced on Tuesday 23rd February by the Taoiseach.
The COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 was launched in May, and was targeted at organisations which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which faced closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic. 244 organisations have been supported under the 2021 Stability Fund. The Stability Fund is now closed. All allocations are published on the Gov.ie website. There are no plans for any further rounds of the Stability Fund.
In general, I would encourage all organisations to continue to engage with their Local Authority and Local Development Company, and to check on the Gov.ie website in order to be aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
403. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of funding for Kerry County Council under the town and village renewal scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55284/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme provides funding to support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages. This year's Town and Village Renewal Scheme places particular emphasis on addressing vacancy and dereliction, supporting remote working, and enhancing town centre living in line with the objectives of “Our Rural Future –Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025".
I can confirm that an application for the project referred to by the Deputy was received by my Department for consideration for funding under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Applications to the scheme are currently being accessed and I expect to announce the successful projects before year-end.
