Written Answers Nos. 771-785
771. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if calves born after the cut-off date for the beef dairy calf programme in 2022 will be eligible for inclusion in the 2023 dairy beef calf scheme in view of a retro-eligibility measure being undertaken by his Department to facilitate those with calves born after 1 July 2021 to be included in the 2022 dairy beef calf scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12892/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra773. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an annual review will be carried out by his Department to determine the funding allocation for the beef dairy calf programme over the duration of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12894/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 771 and 773 together.
Details of the 2022 dairy beef calf measure are currently being finalised and will be announced shortly.
In relation to future of the scheme in 2023 and beyond, as the Deputy may be aware, a continuation of this measure is proposed as part of Ireland's CAP strategic plan which was submitted to the EU Commission at the end of 2021. The details of the measure will be announced following the ongoing EU and national approvals processes for the CAP Strategic Plan.
However, in the context of the design of the scheme, consideration is always given to the need for both continuity of support for farmers and the collection of comprehensive performance data for the national herd to achieve policy objectives.
In relation to funding allocations, rates payable under the dairy beef calf measure are developed on the principle of costs incurred and income foregone. Rates for this and similar schemes are subject to ongoing review in my Department.
772. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received by his Department for the dairy beef calf scheme in 2021 by county in tabular form; the number of payments that have been issued to farmers to date; if additional funding was required to meet demand for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12893/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation on the 2021 Dairy Beef Calf Scheme is attached as requested. No extra funding was required for the scheme in 2021.
|
COUNTY |
HERDS |
TOTAL WEIGHINGS |
TOTAL PAID |
|
CARLOW |
81 |
1740 |
€26,445.60 |
|
CAVAN |
174 |
3423 |
€55,029.20 |
|
CLARE |
335 |
6323 |
€104,909.80 |
|
CORK |
1187 |
27031 |
€422,337.00 |
|
DONEGAL |
101 |
1897 |
€31,080.00 |
|
DUBLIN |
10 |
180 |
€3,160.00 |
|
GALWAY |
365 |
6971 |
€113,572.60 |
|
KERRY |
325 |
6553 |
€107,657.20 |
|
KILDARE |
68 |
1457 |
€22,888.80 |
|
KILKENNY |
306 |
7178 |
€109,844.00 |
|
LAOIS |
198 |
4845 |
€69,709.20 |
|
LEITRIM |
28 |
444 |
€8,380.00 |
|
LIMERICK |
463 |
10240 |
€165,110.80 |
|
LONGFORD |
159 |
2786 |
€45,557.00 |
|
LOUTH |
36 |
846 |
€11,720.00 |
|
MAYO |
181 |
3278 |
€55,420.00 |
|
MEATH |
137 |
3254 |
€48,576.80 |
|
MONAGHAN |
156 |
2780 |
€48,182.40 |
|
OFFALY |
243 |
5832 |
€86,030.40 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
140 |
2933 |
€43,093.60 |
|
SLIGO |
73 |
1479 |
€22,727.20 |
|
TIPPERARY |
620 |
15805 |
€226,439.80 |
|
WATERFORD |
173 |
4589 |
€62,610.60 |
|
WESTMEATH |
137 |
3008 |
€44,470.80 |
|
WEXFORD |
244 |
5968 |
€86,707.40 |
|
WICKLOW |
57 |
1460 |
€19,020.00 |
|
€2,040,680.20 |
774. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment for a herd for additional work under the hen harrier scheme will be made to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12920/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Hen Harrier Programme is operationally independent of my Department and is run by the Hen Harrier Project Ltd. I can confirm that the habitat payment for 2021 for the person in question has recently been issued to him by the Hen Harrier Project Ltd. His annual works balancing payment has been approved by the Department and will issue to the Hen Harrier Project Ltd in the next week.
775. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review a case (details supplied); if the matter will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13012/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications from participants in the 2020 Beef Data and Genomics Programme who were deemed eligible to continue their participation in the BDGP 2021 transitional programme could be submitted using the Department’s online facility through www.agfood.ie either by the applicant themselves or by an individual authorised to act on their behalf.
The opening date for receipt of applications was 15th December 2020 and the closing date for receipt of applications was 15th January 2021.
Applications were also accepted by means of response to a dedicated SMS text message that issued to all eligible farmers who had agreed to receive SMS text alerts from the Department. This was to facilitate farmers who could either not access the online facility or who were restricted from meeting their agent due to public health guidelines.
Three separate SMS text messages issued to herdowners by the Department requesting a reply if they wished to extend their participation in BDGP. The first SMS issued on 18th December 2020. The second issued on 8th January 2021 to those who had not yet applied for the rollover of BDGP while the third issued on 12th January 2021 to those who had still not replied.
The person named was issued a letter from the Department in December 2020, informing him that he was eligible to apply for the extension and explaining the application procedure. Department records also show that the person named was sent SMS messages, but no reply was ever received.
As no valid application was received from the person named he is not eligible to participate in the 2021 BDGP programme. There is no provision for accepting any late applications after the closing date.
No request for a review was received from the person named.
776. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the next deadline dates for European Innovation Partnerships in Agriculture in particular in relation to north County Leitrim (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13019/22]
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 (CSP). The new AECM Scheme will have a General stream and a Co-Operation stream. The Co-Operation stream will be managed by new Co-Operation Project teams.
The map for the Co-Operation stream of the new AECM scheme identifies eight Co-Operation zones, including land in north Leitrim. Farmers within these high priority geographical areas will be eligible to apply to join the AECM Co-operation stream.
Farmers in those areas will engage in the new AECM through the new Co-operation Project teams. These farmers in turn will benefit from higher payment rates, up to a maximum €10,500 per year, should they participate and undertake the most environmentally ambitious actions.
A tender process for the establishment and management of the co-operation projects was launched at the end of January 2022. The Co-operation Project teams, to be selected following this tender process, will be building on the learnings of the current European Innovation Partnership projects (EIPs) from all around the country.
Under the draft CSP submitted to Brussels in December 2021, there is also provision for a new round of EIP Calls for Proposals from 2023 onwards. This is completely separate to the new AECM scheme. No dates have yet been set for any new Calls for Proposals.
777. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of protected disclosures received by his Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if an external contractor has been engaged regarding a protected disclosure over that time period; if so, the cost of same; and the number of protected disclosures that were rejected, accepted and that remain under review for the time period in question. [13045/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs required under the relevant legislation, my Department has a Protected Disclosures Policy in place under which a staff member who wishes to make a protected disclosure may do so to any of the following confidential recipients:
- an independent confidential service engaged for this purpose,
- the Head of the Internal Audit Unit in the Department, or
- any member of the Department’s Management Board.
Contact details for all of the above confidential recipients, as well as procedures for making a protected disclosure, are contained in the policy document which has been circulated to all staff and which is also available on the Department's intranet.
The recipient carries out an initial review to establish whether a submission meets the criteria for a Protected Disclosure. If it meets the criteria, the case is then assigned to a senior official who will take the appropriate action, for instance an investigation, depending on the subject matter of the case.
With one exception, all the Protected Disclosures have been investigated by senior DAFM officials who have had no previous involvement in the matters being disclosed. In one case, in order to avoid any conflict of interest, an outside consultancy was asked to carry out the investigation.
The Department is committed to taking any necessary action should evidence of wrongdoing be found as a result of an investigation arising from a Protected Disclosure.
The numbers and status of Protected Disclosures received in the Department from 2019 to date are:
|
Year |
Number |
Outcome/Status |
Cost of External Contractor |
|
2019 |
2 |
No wrongdoing was found in either case. |
NIL |
|
2020 |
4* |
No wrongdoing found in three cases. One case is ongoing. |
€2,952.00 |
|
2021 |
1 |
No wrongdoing was found in this case. |
NIL |
|
2022 |
0 |
None received yet. However, there can be time required between receiving information from an individual, establishing that it is a protected disclosure and recording it as such. |
NIL |
*One of the four cases counted for 2020 was received in 2018 but was not acted on due to the discloser withdrawing another protected disclosure which covered the same topic. Following an internal review of the matter in 2020, the Department commenced an investigation into the disclosure.
778. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will review the community service programme contract between POBAL and community and voluntary groups given that there have been no pro-rata increases since 2015 even though the minimum wage has increased from €8.65 in 2015 to €10.50 which is an increase of 21.4%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12345/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP), currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and local services, through a social enterprise model.
The CSP contribution is not aligned to the minimum wage and does not meet the full salary cost of supported posts, rather it is a fixed annual contribution towards the overall cost of the employees with funding of €19,033 provided for each full time equivalent (FTE) position and €32,000 for a manager, where warranted.
The CSP contribution must be co-funded by the organisation concerned from other sources, for example, from income received from the public use of their facilities and services.
There are currently over 1,700 FTE positions supported under the CSP. It should be noted that there are a number of CSP supported organisations currently in a position to pay their staff the living wage rate of €12.90 per hour.
My Department and Pobal are currently working on a restructuring of the programme, following the independent review of the CSP, undertaken by Indecon International Economic Consultants. They are also engaging with a Consultative Group representative of stakeholders. As part of this ongoing work, the rates of funding and eligibility criteria under the scheme will be reviewed.
In the interim, and pending the transition to the redesigned programme, my Department provided a CSP Support Fund during 2018 and 2019 for those organisations most in need of additional supports. In response to the emergence of Covid-19, my Department developed a €8.95m CSP Support Fund during 2020 and 2021, to help organisations who required additional assistance during the crisis period. The fund supported employers to retain their CSP supported employees on the payroll, provided assistance for the Employers' PRSI contribution up to December 2021 and also supported those organisations most in need of additional support to meet ongoing operational costs such as insurance, light and heat and audit fees.
My Department is continuing to monitor the situation closely in collaboration with Pobal and any additional supports will be considered in light of available resources.
779. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the delivery of remote working hubs; the progress of the development of a national hubs network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12429/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur Rural Future, the Government's Rural Development Policy, clearly recognises the transformative effect that remote working can have for employers and employees all across the country.
In recognition of this, my Department continues to invest heavily in the establishment and development of remote work hub facilities through various funding streams.
In May last year I launched the National Connected Hubs network - connectedhubs.ie. There are currently 206 hubs live on the platform, with this number rising on an ongoing basis. This represents significant progress within the first year of the existence of the network.
I recently launched the Connected Hubs mobile app, which will allow users to find their nearest hub facility and easily book a desk space using their mobile device. The Connected Hubs mobile app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android.
I also launched the 2022 Connected Hubs Call, a €5 million funding stream to further support remote working facilities, including Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), throughout the country and add further capacity to the National Hub Network. I have also recently announced funding of €18.5m under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Successful projects included 28 remote working proposals.
The National Hub Network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities, thus facilitating the needs of different employers and employees across Ireland. To date my focus has been on establishing the network and on achieving the initial critical mass. Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has now shifted to the next stage of development.
To this end, my officials have been consulting with hub managers across the country, and with other stake holders, to better inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and of the connectedhubs.ie platform. I also recently announced the commencement of a major promotional campaign which will serve to raise awareness of the services available on connectedhubs.ie.
This shift of focus will help to ensure that the network continues to provide the level of service that employers and employees need as Covid restrictions are eased.
I am committed to continuing my Department's support for the ongoing development of a comprehensive and integrated network of remote working hubs in recognition of the vital role that they can play in our post-Covid recovery.
780. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an application by a city and county council (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12438/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme aims to assist with the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work and visit.
In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future, the 2021 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, with a view to bringing these buildings back into use and enhancing town centre living. On Friday 25 February, I announced almost €18.5 million in funding for 99 projects across Ireland under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal scheme.
A new Project Development Measure was also introduced for 2021. The purpose of this measure is to assist local authorities to contribute to a pipeline of significant, well-developed projects which might be subsequently progressed to constructions stage, subject to the availability of further funding.
The application referred to by the Deputy is part of this Project Development Measure and last week I announced a further €862,000 for successful proposals under this measure. I am pleased to confirm that the proposal referred to by the Deputy has been awarded €50,000 under the Project Development Measure.
781. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of staff currently employed by her Department; the current annual salary of the highest and second highest paid persons respectively, employed by her Department; and the various pay scales for persons working in her Department. [12482/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Rural and Community Development was established on 19th July 2017 to provide a renewed and consolidated focus on rural and community development in Ireland.
At present there are 177 staff employed across my Department. The highest and second highest-paid civil servants in my Department are the Acting Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General respectively. Both are paid in line with Civil Service salary scales.
Civil Service salary scales apply to staff employed in my Department, as set out in Circular 4/2022 which is available on www.gov.ie .
782. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the identity of the awardee of a contract to design and implement a baseline study and data collection exercise into the social enterprise sector in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12487/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Social Enterprises are businesses for social good which operate across a wide range of sectors, from social services to the circular economy. They are businesses which trade on an ongoing basis, but any profits are reinvested to support the core social or environmental purpose. The National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland (2019 – 2022) aims to develop social enterprises both in terms of scale and impact.
One of the most important priorities under the National Social Enterprise Policy 2019 – 2022 is the undertaking of the first national data collection exercise of social enterprise in Ireland.
This exercise aims to ascertain, inter alia, the number of social enterprises in Ireland, their regional spread, their primary sectors of activity, the nature and levels of staffing, and approximate traded income levels. The engagement of all stakeholders both in the design of the data collection exercise and its implementation is key to the success of the exercise.
On 29 October 2021 a Request for Tender was launched on eTenders for proposals to ‘design and implement a baseline data collection exercise regarding the social enterprise sector in Ireland’. By the closing date on 26 January 2022 my Department had received four bids. Following a thorough and detailed evaluation process, my Department is now in the final stages of the tendering process, and will imminently sign a contract with the most economically advantageous proposal, led by Amárach Research.
Amárach Research submitted their bid in partnership with Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), and the Irish Local Development Network.
My Department is looking forward to working with Amárach Research and its partners on this project, with a final report expected by the end of 2022.
783. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will review the stringent rules involved in allocating panic alarms (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12517/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to my responses on the 8 February 2022 (q. 848) and 17 February 2022 (q. 53) respectively. The position outlined regarding the Seniors Alert Scheme remains unchanged.
My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.
Following a review, an updated version of the scheme came into effect in November 2017. A number of changes were introduced at this time, including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements. However, eligibility for the scheme remains confined to those aged 65 or older.
The current version of the scheme came into effect in September 2021 and continues to incorporate these provisions, as well as introducing a new key feature in the additional option of a digital alarm, for use with web based connections.
784. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her attention has been drawn to the restrictions in service on the Tory Island ferry departing from Magheraroarty Pier, Magheraroarty, Gortahork, County Donegal which are being forced due to the build-up of sand and sediment as they wait for dredging to commence at the pier; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12633/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department was made aware of the issue regarding the build-up of sand at the pier in Magheroarty last week. The recent storms have led to greater volumes of sands being deposited at the pier, making it difficult for vessels to moor at the pier during low tides.
Donegal County Council, who are responsible for the upkeep and access to the pier, have informed the Department that they are currently awaiting a foreshore licence to be issued by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to commence a schedule of dredging. That process is nearing completion and it is expected that a licence will be issued in the coming weeks.
To minimise any disruptions to the scheduled timetable, my Department has contacted the ferry operator and Comharchumann Thóraí (the Island Co-Op) to ensure that any changes to the sailing schedules will be communicated with the island community in good time.
The Department will continue to monitor the service and is working closely with all stakeholders to minimise any disruptions to the scheduled timetable.
785. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of protected disclosures received by her Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if an external contractor has been engaged regarding a protected disclosure over that time period; if so, the cost of same; and the number of protected disclosures that were rejected, accepted and that remain under review for the time period in question. [13058/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department has not received any protected disclosures since its establishment
in 2017. A Protected Disclosures policy, developed in line with the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, is in place and available to all staff in the Department.
