Written Answers Nos. 247-252
247. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is obligatory in all cases in which a felling licence is granted that an equivalent amount of land is planted; if he plans to amend this to allow exceptions in some cases particularly in cases in which the land on which the trees are to be felled is very unsuitable for forestry and only involves a very small area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13449/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTree felling licences carry an obligation to replant the area felled.
A replanting plan is set out in the application for a felling licence and is considered as part of the application assessment. Where the site is unsuitable for replanting, this will be considered, and an alternative location of the same size will be sought. The alternative lands must have prior approval for affectation before the tree felling licence issued.
The Felling and Reforestation Policy document, which may be found here gov.ie - Tree Felling Licences (www.gov.ie), sets out scenarios whereby replanting may not take place. Applicants for tree felling licences may decide that they fall into one of these scenarios, and this must be included in their application for a tree felling licence.
The requirement to obtain a tree felling licence with an obligation to replant after felling has facilitated, in part, sustainable forest management, in all but the most exceptional cases.
248. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the landowners that had cereal crops destroyed in the flooding on 25 December 2021 will receive direct financial compensation separate to TAMS investment support to tillage farmers or the amount that comes to County Wexford under the straw incorporation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13525/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department monitors the impact of weather on agriculture and farming both nationally and regionally on an ongoing basis and is aware of the areas potentially affected in Wexford. I understand that the damage caused to farm land in the south Wexford region as a result of the flooding that was experienced on Christmas Day has been localised.
As the Deputy is aware, the flooding created significant local challenging conditions, in particular, to local road networks, land and farms adjacent to rivers. However, water levels receded considerably and quickly since the flooding occurred on Christmas Day lessening the effect on crops.
My Department is monitoring the situation in Wexford. I have been engaging with my government colleagues in the county and I will intensify those talks in the next short period of time.
249. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding that has been provided through Project Ireland 2040 to support the Great Gathering (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13227/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra250. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding that has been provided through her Department to support the Great Gathering (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13228/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 249 and 250 together.
The LEADER programme is part of an integrated suite of capital investment measures operated by my Department under the National Development Plan as part of Project Ireland 2040. It is a key intervention which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future.
LEADER is administered by 29 Local Action Groups (LAG) which deliver funding in accordance with Local Development Strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area. Each LAG has a funding allocation for the duration of the programme. Project applications are made to, and independently approved by, the relevant LAG in each LEADER area.
The LEADER Food Initiative is a measure under the LEADER programme which aims to support the further development of food and beverage businesses throughout rural Ireland. The funding covers, amongst other things, the renovation and extension of production facilities and the purchasing of processing equipment, as well as supporting participants in the artisan food and beverage sector in areas such as market development, competitiveness, and innovation.
With regard to the project referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that the project received LAG approval for a LEADER grant amount of €200,000 in 2021 as part of the LEADER Food Initiative.
251. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the independent non-governmental organisations, including organisations with charitable status, non-profit organisations, religious bodies including churches, social enterprises, clubs, societies that her Department has supported with financial assistance from 1 January 2020 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13246/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department was established in 2017 and funds a range of programmes and schemes to assist in rural and community development, which are available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country. In the 2022 Revised Estimates, my Department was allocated €378 million. This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.
The amount allocated by my Department for urban and rural development and renewal purposes in the past years to-date was €314 million in 2020, and €331 million in 2021. This funding includes the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme, the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, the Community Enhancement Programme, supports for social enterprises, and funding for public libraries across the country.
The Community Services Programme (CSP), which is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, currently supports over 420 community organisations nationwide to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP funding provides a co-funding contribution of €19,033 towards the cost of each agreed full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and €32,000 towards the cost of each manager position, where warranted. The CSP contribution does not meet the full salary cost of the supported positions, organisations are required to provide additional funds from their own resources such as traded income, to meet the full cost of employment. Full details of CSP supported organisations are available on Pobal’s website.
My Department provides a cohesive framework of supports for the community and voluntary sector. This includes supports for 29 Volunteer Centres and a number of national organisations such as Volunteer Ireland and Young Social Innovators. A minimum of €121,000 per annum is provided, by my Department, to strengthen and foster volunteerism in Ireland to each Volunteer Centre. This funding helps to build a support structure to develop volunteering locally thus enabling Volunteer Centres, including to play a central role in facilitating and supporting the development of volunteering in their areas.
My Department also has overall responsibility for the funding, governance oversight and development of the national Public Participation Network (PPN) network. A PPN is a structure that brings together volunteer-led groups in each Local Authority area to represent the community sector in local policymaking. PPNs have been established in all local authority areas. My Department provides funding of up to €55,700 per annum to each PPN, supplemented by local authority funding. This funding is to be used for the cost of the employment of Resource and Support Worker, and ongoing operational costs such as office accommodation and training.
LEADER is a multi-annual programme with a total budget of €250 million allocated for the period 2014-2020 and The Transitional LEADER Programme has €70 million available for the period 2021 and 2022. The programme, which is co-funded by the EU, is based on a local-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. The programme supports projects from local community groups and businesses which, amongst other objectives, promote economic development, social inclusion and the protection of the rural environment. The programme is administered at local level by Local Action Group (LAGs) across the country who are responsible for selecting and awarding LEADER funding to projects within their own geographical area. In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy in the area concerned, and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.
Unfortunately while data is not available at the granular level requested by the Deputy on the organisations supported details of funding allocations under specific schemes provided by my Department are available online on the Department’s website at www.gov.ie/drcd
I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department are delivering, and will continue to deliver, tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities, supporting economic development, and enabling the local and community development sectors to continue to provide valuable much needed services and supports to all communities throughout the country.
252. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the lead time delays in relation to the delivery of broadband connection points due to component shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13427/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBroadband Connection Points (BCPs) are public locations which have been selected to receive high-speed connectivity as part of the National Broadband Plan. The locations of the BCPs include public areas such as community halls, libraries, sports facilities, enterprise hubs, tourist locations and other public spaces
A typical BCP receives its connectivity from National Broadband Ireland (NBI) via an external dish. This dish is connected to a control box, or ‘switch’, for onwards distribution. The dish’s connection to the switch marks the demarcation point between NBI (the wholesale provider) and Vodafone (the retail provider). Vodafone supply, manage and support the switch and the WiFi access points that connect to the switch.
Most BCPs provide their services exclusively over WiFi and are satisfied with between 2 and 4 WiFi access points and a standard ‘layer 2’ 8-port switch. This type of switch supports up to 4 WiFi access points. Some require higher specification equipment, or more than 4 WiFi access points. As more access points are added, more ports are required on the switch to support them.
In some cases thick internal walls, or high quality insulation, restrict the transmission of WiFi connectivity, necessitating a multi-room and multi-WiFi access point solution. If these additional requirements are flagged at the solution design stage, they are included in the site’s equipment order. Where this becomes evident after installation, they are treated as additional requirements and Vodafone return to install further access points or an upgraded switch as required. It should be noted that equipment and labour are prioritised at sites that are awaiting initial installation.
The solution designs for individual BCPs can thus differ, and may include either a layer 2 switch (WiFi only) or a layer 3 switch (wired and networked equipment) with varying numbers of ports available depending on the number of access points and wired devices to be deployed.
The global chipset shortage has impacted on the manufacture of a wide diversity of digitally-enabled products. In terms of the BCP programme, there have been significant delays in the supply of 8-port layer 3 switches which were ordered in September 2021 and delivered at the end of February 2022, and WiFi access points which were also ordered in September 2021 and were delivered in January 2022.
It should be noted that the remaining equipment needed to complete Vodafone’s installations is now in stores. However, additional orders that have been placed by BCPs and local authorities may still be subject to delays. The lead in times for access points, for example, are currently 12 – 16 weeks.
