Written Answers Nos. 219-233
219. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the livestock schemes proposed in the CAP Strategic Plan that will require Bord Bia Quality Assurance membership; the ones that will not; the justification for inclusion and not inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59284/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMembership of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef Quality Assurance Scheme is an eligibility condition of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme and the Dairy Beef Calf Welfare Scheme as part of Ireland's draft CAP strategic plan. The full details of the draft CAP strategic plan are available on the Department's website.
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme is an environmental scheme and a core metric underpinning it is the measurement and tracking of the carbon footprint for each participant farm. The sustainability survey in the SBLAS audit provides a carbon footprint using an established model.
It is imperative that the scheme includes strong and measurable environmental actions which will further drive the environmental efficiency of suckler beef farming, as well as contributing to the sector's efficiency and competitiveness and supporting farm incomes.
In the case of the Dairy Beef Calf Welfare scheme, the inclusion of the QAS eligibility requirement strengthens the welfare credentials of the scheme. Ireland’s draft SWOT Analysis and the Commission’s recommendations for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan both identify the need to improve the welfare of male dairy calves, while also noting that actions are needed to improve the viability of male calves from the dairy herd in locally based production systems.
QAS membership is not an eligibility requirement for the proposed Sheep Improvement Scheme because it is not considered integral to the aims of the scheme.
The Deputy will be aware that the costs associated with SBLAS audits are funded directly by my Department rather than by the participating beef and sheep farmers.
220. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the remedy open to ensure compliance with environmental regulations relating to air quality in which a farmer is not in receipt of CAP payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59285/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has overall responsibility for the implementation of the NEC Directive, which covers ammonia.
The NEC Directive is focused on overall emissions levels at a national level, it does not cater for farm level emissions, similar to our climate targets. The issue of whether a farmer is in receipt of CAP payments is not relevant in this instance.
In late 2019, my Department published a Code of Good Practice on ammonia emissions. Teagasc has also produced an ammonia marginal abatement cost curve (MACC). Taking these measures into account, DECC produce a National Air Pollution Control Programme, which sets out the practical measures farmers can take at farm level to reduce ammonia emissions.
Other legislation, such as the water quality legislation, include limits on chemical fertiliser at farm level with amendments proposed under the Nitrates review will mean that chemical fertiliser usage will likely decline over the coming years. This will have positive benefits for ammonia emissions also. In addition, many farmers will be mandated to use Low Emission Slurry Spreading techniques to apply their organic manures.
This will also have a very positive impact in reducing on farm ammonia emissions. Any changes to the Water quality legislation (Nitrates regulations) will apply to all farmers, whether or nor they are in receipt of a CAP payment.
221. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the statutory instrument which facilitates his Department to imposing penalties on payments relating to Pillar 1 payments of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59286/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe rules governing undue payments, penalties and interest under Pillar 1 schemes are set down in a combination of EU Regulations and Statutory Instrument. The details are given in Terms and Conditions of the Basic Payment Scheme.
The 2021 Terms and Conditions state "Where farmers do not meet scheme rules, their payments can be reduced, and penalties applied. Where the claimed area is over-declared and the total eligible area determined is not sufficient to support the number of entitlements held, then reductions/penalties will be applied as per Article 19(a) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 640/2014. Revised penalty arrangements apply from 2016 for the EU Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), the Young Farmers Scheme, the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme and the Areas of Specific Constraints (Islands) Scheme only. The existing penalty arrangements as per Article 19 of Regulation No. 640/2014 will continue to apply for all other area-based schemes. Article 54 of Commission Regulation 1306/2013 states “for any undue payment following the occurrence of irregularity or negligence, Member States shall request recovery from the beneficiary within 18 months after the approval”. Article 58 of the same regulation also states that Member States shall “recover undue payments plus interest”. Furthermore Article 7 of Commission Implementation Regulation 809/2014 states that “if undue payment is made, the beneficiary shall repay the amount in question plus, where applicable, interest.”
In terms of the collection of outstanding debts, the 2021 Terms and Conditions also state "
"Any outstanding debts due to the Department in respect of the Direct Payment Schemes and payments under Rural Development Schemes will be subject to interest charges in accordance with the provisions of the SI No 13 of 2006, European Communities (Recovery of Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations, 2006. Such debts will be recovered from future payments due if not already refunded in full by the farmer".
222. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Baccalauréat Professionnel level 4 on the European Qualifications Framework is recognised as fulfilling the need for a Green Certificate level 5 Quality and Qualifications Ireland in relation to requirements to participate in departmental schemes; the reason for such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59287/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently persons are required to hold the minimum of a Level 6 award in agriculture, horticulture, forestry or equine in order to meet Young Trained Farmer (YTF) educational requirements.
The approved qualifications are listed in Revenue Schedule 2B SCDA 1999. In addition to these qualifications, Teagasc may certify other qualifications as corresponding to a Schedule 2B qualification. When reviewing qualifications in terms of equivalence to the Green Cert, Level 6 award, Teagasc assess awards under two criteria:
Comparable level on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)
Content/ syllabus (using course and module descriptors)
To compare ‘international’ qualifications to the NFQ, Teagasc refer to NARIC Ireland foreign qualifications database, which is maintained by Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the national agency for the development, recognition and awarding of qualifications in Ireland.
In this specific case, NARIC shows the Diplome Baccalaureat Professionnel qualification comparable to Leaving Certificate across Level 4/5 on the NFQ. It is therefore, lower than the required Level 6 award for Young Trained Farmer status.
Teagasc education officers are available in every county to discuss training options to meet Young Trained Farmer requirements.
223. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of seed potato produced in the State; the amount imported to the State from Scotland by year in each of the years 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59288/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe quantity of seed potato certified by my Department’s inspectors since 2016 to 2020 is listed in Table 1 below. The quantity of seed potato imported from Scotland for the same period is listed in Table 2. Figures relating to 2021 are not currently available.
Table 1
|
Year |
Certified Seed Potato (tonnes) |
|
2016 |
3,308 |
|
2017 |
2,744 |
|
2018 |
2,825 |
|
2019 |
2,903 |
|
2020 |
2,123 |
Table 2
|
Year |
Seed Potato Imported from Scotland (tonnes) |
|
2016 |
2990 |
|
2017 |
3529 |
|
2018 |
3014 |
|
2019 |
3638 |
|
2020 |
4015 |
I am very much aware of the impact of Brexit on the seed potato sector and am committed to the development of this sector.
224. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the increased resources provided to his Departments seed certification team in order to increase domestic capacity to produce seed potato in response to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59289/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware the average area of seed potatoes certified in Ireland for the years 2016 - 2020 was 231 hectares, ranging from 203 hectares in 2019 to 253 in 2016.
The area for certification in 2021 increased to 299 hectares giving a 29% increase over the mean of the previous five years.
The Department has sufficient staff resources assigned to the inspection and certification of seed potato crops. In the event that there is a significant increase in the area of seed potatoes entered for certification in 2022, as a result of the reduction in imports following Brexit, my Department is committed to ensuring that adequate resources are made available to certify the additional area.
My officials are monitoring the area to be entered for certification in 2022.
225. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding allocated for young farmers under Pillar 1 of the CAP in each of the years 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59290/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe amount of Pillar I funding paid to Young Farmers in respect of financial years 2016 to 2021 is as follows:
|
Annual Account |
Period (Financial Year) |
Total |
|
2016 Annual Account |
16.10.15 – 15.10.16 |
€18,390,272 |
|
2017 Annual Account |
16.10.16 – 15.10.17 |
€19,468,019 |
|
2018 Annual Account |
16.10.17 – 15.10.18 |
€19,686,343 |
|
2019 Annual Account |
16.10.18 – 15.10.19 |
€20,197,920 |
|
2020 Annual Account |
16.10.19 – 15.10.20 |
€20,478,661 |
|
2021 Annual Account* |
16.10.20 – 15.10.21 |
€11,770,376 |
*Draft Account due to be submitted to the Commission 15th Feb 2022.
226. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to resume convergence in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59291/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraConvergence is a feature of the current CAP and the new CAP proposals intend to continue with this policy. Ireland has supported this element of these proposals. Convergence aims to redistribute and flatten the value of CAP payment entitlements across Ireland and all Member States.
Under the current CAP, some €93million was redistributed from farmers with payment entitlements values above the national average to raise the value of payment entitlement held by farmers that were below the national average. This was implemented in a planned, phased manner over the five years of the Basic Payment Scheme and the steps of the convergence was notified to each farmer. This period of planned convergence ended in 2019 following its successful implementation.
My Department is currently finalising the arrangements for submission of Ireland's CAP strategic plan. In this plan, starting in 2023, convergence of payment entitlements values will continue. This process will see a minimum entitlement unit value of 85% of the average by 2026, carried out in equal steps over four years from 2023 to 2026.
By the time of my appointment in September 2020, there was insufficient time to put in place the IT infrastructure to allow for convergence to continue for 2021.
It has been critical to devote all available resources this year to ensure we have the correct operational infrastructure in place to finalise our CAP Strategic Plan, including the rate of convergence, and have it in place to ensure farmers will be able to draw down all payments in 2023. I am committed to delivering CAP Strategic Plan that is fair and farmer-friendly. I believe that the CAP Strategic Plan (2023 to 2027), including the rate of convergence, will be one that will deliver for Irish farm families.
227. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the allocation to offset the additional cost to farmers resulting from mandatory EID tagging of cattle is intended to fully or partially offset the cost for those farmers who do not reach the schemes cap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59292/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA financial support package of €4.25 million has been secured to offset the additional cost on farmers in the move to mandatory electronic identification of cattle from January 2022 onwards. The intention is that the scheme will operate over three years (2022 to 2024 inclusive) with the first payments scheduled to take place in quarter four in 2022, expected to be in the region of €2.25 million.
Payments will be calculated on the number of new EID tag sets purchased from 1st January 2022 at a rate of €1 per new EID tag set. There is a maximum payment of €100 per farmer over the life of the scheme and no application process will be required. The scheme is proportionally weighted in favour of smaller producers. For example, a farmer who purchases 30 new EID tags sets each year will be eligible for a payment of €30 in each of the three years of the scheme.
In this example, the scheme will offset 100% of the additional cost of EID tags for three years. For herds who order in excess of 100 tags per year, the scheme will offset 100% of the cost of EID tag for the first 100 tags purchased.
Farmers can only order annually the number of new tag sets required commensurate to the number of breeding females in the herd.
228. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will give favourable consideration to the issues detailed in correspondence concerning the need to improve the conditions of a Department scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59312/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new CAP places a particular focus on promoting the participation of women in the socio-economic development of rural areas, with special attention to farming.
Member States are required to strengthen their capacity in gender mainstreaming and in the collection of sex disaggregated data. The SWOT and Needs Analyses exercises prepared as part of the development of Ireland’s new CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 point to the need to increase opportunities for women in agriculture and business development.
Some 45 submissions on the need to increase supports for women in agriculture were received as part of the public consultation on the proposed draft interventions for the CSP. My Department has engaged extensively with stakeholders and has taken these submissions into consideration, resulting in some new innovative proposals to promote gender equality in the draft CSP.
In addition, to date, some 29 submissions on supports for women in agriculture have been received as part of the current public consultation on the draft Environmental Report on the draft CSP. These submissions will be considered as part of the process to finalise the CSP in advance of the end-of-year deadline.
Consultation is also continuing via the CAP Consultative Committee and through bilateral engagement with the main representative bodies, including the Women in Agriculture group.
Measures in the CSP will be complemented by the new stakeholder strategy for the Irish agri-food sector, Food Vision 2030, which recognises the important contribution of women to the sector's long-term sustainability and includes a number of actions to promote and improve gender balance at all levels.
229. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of forestry planting licences issued by his Department in 2021; the total number of hectares involved; the total number of planting licences issued in 2020; and the total number of hectares involved; the steps he will take to expedite the issuing of planting licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59383/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra230. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of forestry felling licences issued in 2021 by his Department; the total number of cubic metres involved; the total number of felling licences issued in 2020; and the number of cubic metres involved; the steps he will take to expedite the issuing of felling licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59384/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 and 230 together.
To date 26th November, the Department has issued 2,552 tree felling licences for an area of 26,500ha and a volume of 7.612 million cubic metres.
This compares very favourably to the same week ending in 2020, when my Department had issued 1,529 tree felling licences for 16,161ha and 4.424 million cubic metres. In other words, the number of forestry licences issued this year is 167% of that issued to the same date last year and 172% of the volume issued. However, it must be noted that last year was an exceptionally challenging year. It looks likely that 2021 will be a record year for felling licences in terms of volume of timber licenced.
Coillte is almost fully licensed for 2022 also. It had its contract recently (17th November), where sawmills received half of their Coillte supply of logs for 2022. The sawmills are also receiving a steady stream of logs from felling licences issued to private landowners, with 870 private felling licences issued since 1st June 2021
Progress has been slower in issuing afforestation licences, however. Efficiencies that have been in place for some months for tree felling and forest road licence processing are now being applied to afforestation licences.
In addition, we now have 10 ecologists dedicated to afforestation and we intend to increase this number by reallocating resources and recruiting additional ecologists. As afforestation is a land-use change, it is essential that careful attention is paid to the likely affects forestry may have on the surrounding countryside and environment. To 26th November, 461 afforestation licences have issued, for 3,819ha.
As recommended by Project Woodland, the 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.
I would like to reiterate my commitment and that of Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, in ensuring that we maintain and improve on our licence delivery for the benefit of the sector and for society as a whole.
231. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated number of cubic metres of raw timber imported for processing in sawmills in the State in 2020 and 2021, respectively; the jurisdictions the timber is coming from; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59385/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pest Free Area (PFA) of South West of Scotland is the only zone from which coniferous roundwood with bark is imported into Ireland.
This is because UK Forest Commission have surveyed and continue to survey and found it to be free from Protected Zone (PZ) bark beetles. This roundwood must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate from the UK authorities with a declaration of pests freedom.
No other area of GB outside the PFA or Europe can deliver this pest freedom status, hence such coniferous roundwood logs with bark are not imported from these locations.
In 2020, some 125,000 tonnes of roundwood logs were imported into Ireland from this area. In 2021 to date this figure is 214,000 tonnes of roundwood logs.
To put this in context ,my Department issued licences for five million tonnes of timber in 2020. Using CSO statistics for timber processed in Ireland last year, which was four million m3, this means that only 3% of timber processed here last year was imported.
We are also on track to issue licences for almost eight million m3 this year so this proportion will reduce even further.
Furthermore, there has been a reduction of imports from Scotland in the last three months from its peak over the summer. This is thought to be due to greater stability on the Irish market owing to the greater number of felling licences issuing and the easing of timber demand globally.
To date 26th November, theDepartment has issued 2,552 tree felling licences for an area of 26,500ha and a volume of 7.612 million cubic metres. This compares very favourably to the same week ending in 2020, when my Department had issued 1,529 tree felling licences for 16,161ha and 4.424 million cubic metres. In other words, the number of forestry licences issued this year is 167% of that issued to the same date last year and 172% of the volume issued. However, it must be noted that last year was an exceptionally challenging year. It looks likely that 2021 will be a record year for felling licences in terms of volume of timber licenced.
Coillte is almost fully licensed for 2022 also. It had its contract recently (17th November), where sawmills received half of their Coillte supply of logs for 2022. As mentioned, the sawmills are also receiving a steady stream of logs from felling licences issued to private landowners, with 870 private felliing licences issued since 1st June 2021.
I wish to reiterate that both myself and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, are committed to sustaining and building upon this momentum in terms of felling licences for the benefit of those forest owners and sawmills involved in the sector.
232. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the review by his Department of the 2011 and 2017 European Impact Assessment Regulations (Agriculture) and their implementation is internal or external in nature; if the terms of reference of same will be made available to the public; and current the timescales for this review. [59394/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe review of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations will be carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. The review will be a comprehensive evaluation of the Regulations and the timescale involved has not yet been determined.
233. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps that are being taken to address the issues in his Department in dealing with forestry applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59409/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraBoth I and Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, take the forestry licensing issue extremely seriously and it is a top priority in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Significant time and resources continue to be devoted to dealing with the backlog and this is beginning to have the desired effect. I am hopeful that we will reach our target of 4,000 licences this year, having now issued 3,603 licences to 26th November. This is a 50% improvement on last year albeit last year was a low output year.
We have issued on average 117 licences per week in the last 12 weeks (to 26th November). This means that licences are issuing at nearly double the rate of applications received during this period and every week means a net reduction in the number of licences on hand.
While we are moving in the right direction, it is acknowledged that we must sustain and increase this momentum to address the backlog of licences on hand. As regards felling licences, we have issued just over 1,200 private felling licences. In terms of roads, to date (26th November), the Department has issued 590 forest road licences for 238km of roads. This is the largest amount by length issued in the last five years and exceeds our target of 125km for the year as set down in the Climate Action Plan.
Timber supply is 72% ahead of last year and 2021 is on track to be a record year for timber licenced. Coillte is almost fully licenced for 2022 and had its contract event recently (17th November), where sawmills received half of their Coillte supply of logs for 2022. The sawmills are also receiving a steady stream of logs from felling licences issued to private landowners. I will add that Ireland has always both imported and exported timber, which is used for different purposes. Approximately 75% of the timber produced in Ireland is exported.
It is the case that afforestation licences have not issued at the expected rate, we are addressing that and now have 10 ecologists dedicated to afforestation. We intend to increase this number by reallocating resources and recruiting additional ecologists.
We are also streamlining our processes in the afforestation area and while this will take time to take effect we should begin to see an increase in the number of afforestation licences issuing.
The 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.
I would like to reiterate my commitment and that of Minister of State Pippa Hackett to ensuring that that we maintain and improve on our licence delivery for the benefit of the sector and society as a whole.
