Written Answers Nos. 741-750
741. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of greyhounds injured and killed at Irish greyhound tracks from 1 January to 31 December 2021; if he will include all deaths and injuries during racing, sales trials, official trials and unofficial trials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12444/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for RCÉ and, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
742. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of individual greyhound pups born in Ireland during the period 1 January to 30 June 2021 and during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2021 with a breakdown of racing and coursing pups; the number of litters born in those periods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12445/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the organisation charged with the role of Keeper of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) since 1923. The Stud Book records pedigrees, ownerships, breeding data and transfers of ownership primarily of all greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.
The ICC has informed my Department that during the period 1st January 2021 to 30th June 2021 there were a total of 1062 litters whelped with 3353 dogs and 3314 bitches registered. During the period 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021 there were 2185 litters whelped with 6950 dogs and 7028 bitches registered.
The Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) registers details of all thoroughbred greyhounds. The IGSB's definition of a greyhound makes no distinction between those intended for participation in competitions sanctioned by either RCÉ or the ICC. Greyhounds can participate in either or both types of competition as there is no differentiation made based on a greyhound's breeding status. The most recent amendment to the IGSB was to collate the individual number of male and female pups per litter, and this information is now available.
Racing greyhound traceability which is separate and distinct from the IGSB is now available through the RCÉ traceability system. The ICC is finalising traceability for coursing greyhounds, and much of the IT work is complete. The system is expected to be operational by quarter three, ahead of the start of the coursing season in 2022/23.
743. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the public funding received by a club (details supplied) either directly or indirectly through public funding given to Rásaíocht Con Éireann in each of the years 2019 to 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12446/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoursing is regulated under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ). Hare coursing is managed and regulated by the Irish Coursing Club (ICC). The organisation consists of 89 affiliated clubs from Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of whom must abide by the ICC’s rules and regulations.
Coursing receives no funding from the Government or RCÉ. Funding is derived from Stud Book registration fees and the ICC newspaper “The Sporting Press”.
744. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the levels of resourcing and staffing for the purposes of carrying out environmental impact assessments and appropriate assessments in respect of forestry; if there have been changes in the levels of staffing and resourcing from September 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12459/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has invested heavily in both ecologist and forestry Inspector resources over the last two years in order to meet the needs of the licencing system, which was changed significantly as a result of ECJ and High Court cases.
Ecologists are involved in a range of duties but ecological assessments and in particular Appropriate Assessments form the majority of their work. As of 1st January this year we had 27 full-time equivalent ecologists where in September 2019 we had just one. This is made of part time and full time ecologists, some permanent and mostly contract. Over half of this 27 had been taken on by September 2020.
The results of this investment in resources are clear as my Department issued 4,050 forestry licences in 2021 a 56% increase on 2020 figures. For 2022 our aim is to increase this again to 5,250 licences.
Recently the Department put out another Request for Tender for Ecological services. This has just concluded and will give the Department more flexibility in hiring additional ecologists to achieve our 2022 targets.
745. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff currently employed by his Department; the current annual salary of the highest and second highest paid persons respectively, employed by his Department; and the various pay scales for persons working in his Department. [12469/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently employs 3,888 people and this is equivalent to 3,770 full-time positions. The highest and second highest paid persons are paid within the civil service salary scales for Secretaries General and Assistant Secretaries General.
The attached spreadsheet lists all the grades employed in my Department and the attached Department of Public Expenditure and Reform circular shows current salary scale for each.
746. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the year that Irish forestry will become a net emitter of carbon due to the current afforestation rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12529/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s forests and harvested wood products play a significant role in climate change mitigation by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration by forests is influenced by a range of factors including species, soil type, site conditions and management practices. The rate of sequestration changes over time as a forest develops and matures.
When forests are young the sequestration rate is low but as the trees mature their ability to sequester carbon dioxide as increases. The national forest estate is an important store for carbon, estimated at over 312 million tonnes.
Projections of the greenhouse gas balance show that Ireland’s forests will transition from a sink to a source by 2024. This trend is primarily related to the increasing rate of felling in private forests and the extent of historical afforestation on peats.
However, as these forests are replanted they will again sequester carbon and the strength of the forest sink will increase as these forests mature.
The forest sector, including afforestation, has an important part to play in meeting the ambitious roadmap towards climate neutrality and as outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2021 which aims to afforest 8,000ha annually to 2030.
This target is ambitious when compared to recent afforestation rates and will be challenging to meet in the next decade. Clearly more needs to be done to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade.
There are many land-use options available to landowners and forestry is a strong contender, especially in view of the generous incentives currently available under the afforestation scheme. Finally, the Department and stakeholders are working together to deliver Project Woodland with a view to resolve the current difficulties in the forestry sector and revitalise the creation of forests in Ireland.
747. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated by Horse Racing Ireland to anti-doping measures in each of the years 2012 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12549/22]
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 question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.
748. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated by Horse Racing Ireland for the welfare of retired racehorses in each of the years 2012 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12550/22]
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 question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for HRI and I have requested my officials to refer the question to them for direct reply.
749. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount expended by the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board on the testing of blood, urine and hair samples; the number of such tests carried out in each of the years 2012 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12551/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland as provided for in Section 11 of the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Act 2016. The IHRB was established on 1st January 2018 and is a company limited by guarantee.
The information the Deputy has requested has been provided to my Department by the IHRB and is contained in the attached table. The IHRB has indicated that it has sought to increase the number of tests on an annual basis, whilst ensuing that the testing system meets international standards. It should be noted that the level of testing carried out in 2020 was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
750. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the manner in which farmers can identify if the holding is within the boundaries for the cooperative projects of the agri-environment cooperative measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12552/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFarmers in all areas of the country will be able to participate in the proposed new agri-environment climate measure (AECM) under the next CAP Strategic Plan. The new AECM Scheme will have a General stream and a Co-Operation stream. Farmers within certain defined high priority geographical areas will be eligible to apply to join the AECM Co-operation stream.
The map for the Co-Operation stream of the new AECM scheme identifies eight Co-Operation zones. Development of the map and selection of the areas for the Co-operation stream involved identifying particular lands throughout the country based on a number of criteria such as SACs, SPAs, and breeding hen harrier regions amongst others.
The Co-Operation map published on my Department’s website does not identify holdings at townland or farm level. Work is ongoing in my Department on the development and rollout of the AECM to enable a farmer or advisor to communicate with the Department’s ICT systems, and to be directed to either the Co-Operation stream or the General stream of the AECM depending on the location of their farm.
Until this detailed work is completed, it is not possible to communicate definitively to a farmer or their advisor whether a particular farm is within the CP zone. This development work is a priority and the portal will open as soon as practicable.
