Written Answers Nos. 831-850
831. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of the frost reconstitution applications that have been received to date that his Department expect to approve in June and by the end of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27856/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department launched a Reconstitution of Woodland scheme to address frost damage earlier this year. The scheme was set up due to significant late spring frost events which took place during May 2019, May 2020, and May 2021.
The scheme was established to reconstitute newly planted forests significantly damaged by these frost events and replacing dead trees with plants of acceptable quality, provenances and species. It is also to provide for remedial pruning of damaged crops where damage is significant but not severe enough to warrant full replacement of stems.
The scheme is open to private forest owners who planted during the period between 1st November 2017 and 1st June 2021 and whose entire plantations sustained a minimum of 30% losses are eligible to apply under the Scheme.
My Department has received 310 applications in the Reconstitution of Woodland Scheme (Frost) to date and the closing date for applications has been extended to this Tuesday 31st May. We have committed in our 2022 Licensing Plan to delivering most of the approvals for this scheme this year.
Full scheme details are available on gov.ie - Schemes and Payments (www.gov.ie).
832. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated timeframe for the completion of Project Woodland and the implementation of the Mackinnon Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27857/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraImplementation of the Mackinnon report is well under way through Project Woodland, which was established by Minister of State Pippa Hackett, who has overall responsibility for the sector, over a year ago to improve the licensing system and deal with the backlog, and to drive forward the planting of trees under a shared vision for forestry in Ireland. I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made.
All recommendations are actively in progress, with some completed. I will take this opportunity to summarise progress on specific items.
An end-to-end review of the licencing process has been completed and recommendations arising from that review have moved to the implementation stage.
A legal and regulatory review of forestry licensing has been carried out and following extensive stakeholder engagement is near finalisation and a draft report has been presented to the Project Board.
The consultation on the new Forestry Strategy is underway, with a public attitudes survey and a community engagement survey already completed while bilateral engagement with key stakeholders is nearing completion following widespread engagement.
Over 3,000 submissions have been received on an online public consultation on the future of forests in Ireland, which closed for submissions on 27th April. These submissions will be examined in detail over the next few weeks and will feed in to the formation of the new Forestry Strategy and Programme which are due for completion by the end of 2022.
A deliberative dialogue on our forests took place on 10th and 14th May, similar in format to the citizens assembly, consisting of 99 citizens representing the general demographic of our population and again, output from this event will feed into the new Strategy and Programme.
Through various initiatives of Project Woodland and increased efficiencies and staffing within my Department, the forestry licencing backlog has been reduced by 50%, from over 6,000 at the start of the Project to approximately 3000 licence applications currently.The forestry licencing plan for 2022 details a range of forestry priorities for 2022, the delivery of which will reduce the backlog further.
Pre-application discussions on forestry licence applications, are being piloted across six regions currently while work has progressed on the introduction of an environmental grant to cover additional costs associated with Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive. Sanction is awaited from Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the payment of this grant at form 2 stage.
A training needs analysis for forestry licencing and an organisational review of the Department’s Forestry divisions will be undertaken in 2022, while a communications strategy for forestry, a Forestry Customer Charter and a review of the role of COFORD will also be finalised.
Work under Project Woodland will continue throughout 2022 to fully deliver on the Mackinnon recommendations.
834. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of sea fisheries protection officers; the number of administration staff; and the annual cost of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority in 2020 and 2021, in tabular form. [28069/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information in relation to the SFPA final outturn for 2021 and 2020 is set out in tabular form below. The queries referred to in the Deputy’s question in relation to the staffing resources relate to operational matters pertaining to the SFPA. Accordingly, I have forwarded the Deputy’s question to the SFPA for direct response.
|
Exchequer Funding Year |
Final Outturn |
|
2021 |
€18,042m* |
|
2020 |
€13,197m |
*The SFPA budget allocation significantly increased in 2021 due to a new provision under EU funded programmes for IT and other developments which were previously provided for in the general Department’s budget.
835. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the increases, if any, that he intends to make to the payment rates per-hectare to participants of the organic farming scheme in each year 2022 to 2027 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28089/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra836. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific improvements that he further intends to make to improve farmer participation in the organic farming scheme when it next reopens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28090/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 835 and 836 together.
The Organic farming scheme which closed for applications in April resulted in the submission of 380 new applicants to the Organic Farming scheme which is almost a 20% increase in application numbers in comparison to 2021. Altogether this means just under 700 new farmers joined the Organic Farming Scheme in the last 12 months.
The scheme will reopen in October 2022 and we are introducing a suite of initiatives and actions over the coming months to maximise further participation in the scheme
The target included in the current Programme for Government is to align the utilisable agricultural area under organic production in Ireland with the EU average of 7.5%. A budget of €21 million was allocated to the Organic Farming Scheme in 2022, an increase of €5 million from the previous year. This allocation supports the 1,734 existing contracts in the Organic Farming Scheme.
The organic sector in Ireland is experiencing considerable growth at present with the area of land under organic production now at approximately 110,000 hectares taking into account applications received in the most recent reopening of the scheme. I have introduced changes to the scheme this year by reducing the required stocking rate and also by increasing the area paid at the higher rate from 60 hectares to 70 hectares, measures which I believe will encourage new entrants to organic farming. These have already had a positive effect.
In 2021 an additional 12,000 hectares were farmed organically and it is expected that this will increase by a further 17,000 ha taking into consideration those that applied to join the scheme this year. These 29,000 new hectares mean a 35% increase in land farmed organically in the last two years.
I am committed to continuing the implementation of the National Organic Strategy 2019-2025 which sets out ambitious growth targets for the sector by aligning it closely with the market opportunities.
For the years 2023 – 2027, I have proposed the allocation of €256 million under the new CAP Strategic Plan to continue the development and growth of the organic sector. Based on this level of funding, it is my intention to introduce enhanced payments to organic farmers to support the maintenance and conversion to Organic Farming.
We are currently awaiting approval from the Commission on the proposed enhanced payment rates, and I can confirm that participants in the current Organic Farming Scheme, will receive the higher rates of payment subject to their approval by the Commission.
We have also provided funding to the Agricultural Consultants Association to increase advisory support in the sector. Teagasc are also committed to continuing their support of Organic Farming through their Advisory Service which will ensure farmers have access to professional advice to aid in the important decision making process.
837. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a consultant has been appointed for the deep-water quay at Ros a Mhíl; if the timeline and key milestones for the development have been agreed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28097/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am happy to advise that my Department has procured the services of consulting engineers and the detailed design for the Deep Water Quay Project is underway. Additionally, the consulting engineers will manage the tender process for construction works, supervise the construction works, and in due course handover completed construction works back to my Department. Until the consultant's work has been undertaken, the timeline or key milestones for the development cannot be specified. My Department will be advised by the consulting engineers on the schedule of the different elements of the project including the dredging and construction works. However, my Department will be working closely with the consultant to progress the development.
838. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the agreement entered into between Ireland, France and Belgium in which responsibility for weighing and inspection of all fish landed into Irish ports by French and Belgian-registered fishing boats passed from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to their control agencies; if the the European Commission was involved in either initiating and or overseeing and or consenting to this special arrangement between the Irish, Belgian and French fisheries control authorities; if there is a written agreement in relation to this; and if so, if he will publish the agreement. [28098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra839. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority ensures that vessels fishing under the flag of France or Belgium but which are not under French or Belgian ownership follow the requirements of the agreement of the permitted scheme for landing fish into Irish ports. [28099/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 833 and 839 together.
The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature are exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. As Minister, I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational matters such as this. I have accordingly referred your queries to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.
Question No. 839 answered with Question No. 838.
840. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of by catch of bluefin tuna thunnus thynnus landed by Irish registered vessels for the past five years on an annual basis in tabular form. [28141/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe data requested by the Deputy is held by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and I have referred the query to them for direct written response to the Deputy.
As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland does not have a national quota for Bluefin tuna. A small Bluefin by-catch quota is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important Northern Albacore Tuna fishery and Celtic Sea herring fishery where there can be Bluefin tuna by-catch. This by-catch quota is also available to other Member States in the European Union.
A Catch-Tag-Release science-based fishery for authorised recreational angling vessels has been in place since 2019. The project, which was developed by Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute in partnership with the SFPA, the Department for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and my Department, will allow the Marine Institute and Inland Fisheries Ireland to collect valuable data on the migratory patterns of Bluefin tuna in Irish waters in a tightly controlled environment.
841. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the new Community Centres Investment Fund; if her Department anticipates significant interest in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27509/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI launched the Community Centres Investment Fund on the 15th April 2022. This is a €15m fund to support community groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with the upgrade of their community centre facilities.
Applicants must register as 'users' at www.gov.ie/drcd in advance of submitting an application. The application process opens on 7 June 2022 with a closing date of 14 July 2022.
Funding will be on the basis of a competitive assessment process and to date there has been significant interest in the Fund. Guidelines and a sample application form are available at www.gov.ie/en/service/fec91-community-centres-investment-fund/.
Applicants can register for information events and online, interactive support clinics in respect of the fund at www.gov.ie/drcd.
842. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when successful projects will be announced under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund; the total value of applications received under the latest round; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27510/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 191 projects have been approved for funding of €278 million for projects costing €377 million.
Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications.
The fourth call for Category 1 applications to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund closed on the 29th of April 2022. My Department received 42 applications to this call seeking funding of over €149 million.
The application process for the Fund is competitive in nature. Applications are currently being assessed by my Department under the oversight of the Project Advisory Board, comprised of representatives from key Government Departments and independent experts. Once the assessment process is complete, my Department will prepare a report setting out recommended projects. My role as Minister will be to consider that report and make final decisions in relation to the allocation of funding.
I expect to in a position to announce the successful projects later in the year.
843. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of staff employed in her Department by gender and by civil service salary scale in tabular form. [27603/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is available in the following table:
Department of the Rural and Community Development Staff
by Gender as at 23 May 2022
|
Grade |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Secretary General |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
1 |
2** |
2 |
|
Principal Officer |
7 |
4 |
11 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
12 |
14 |
26 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
14 |
29 |
43 |
|
Administrative Officer |
3 |
5 |
8 |
|
Executive Officer |
12 |
23 |
35 |
|
Clerical Officer |
13 |
25 |
38 |
|
Service Officer |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Professional Technical Post |
5 |
2 |
7 |
|
Advisor |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Civilian Driver |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
70 |
105 |
175 |
** Of the 2 female Assistant Secretaries, 1 is currently on a 6 month secondment to DCEDIY. Her role in DRCD is being filled in an Acting Up capacity, by a male official.
The current civil service salary scales are available in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 4 of 2022.
844. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the application process and qualification criteria for a community services programme scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27643/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution of €19,033 for each fulltime equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, provides €32,000 towards the cost of employing a manager.
Qualifying organisations must be social enterprises capable of generating income from their activities in order to meet the full salary costs of the supported posts, for example, from income received from the public use of facilities and services.
In 2020, an independent review of the CSP was undertaken by Indecon International Economic Consultants, on behalf of the Department. The final report was published on 30 September 2020 and was accompanied by a high level action plan outlining the timeline for the phased implementation for the restructuring of the programme. The Department and Pobal, who administer the programme on behalf of the Department, are currently working on the restructuring of the Programme in conjunction with a CSP Consultative Group, who are representative of stakeholders. As part of this work, the application process and qualification criteria are currently being reviewed.
Pending the transition to the new restructured programme, the scheme is closed to new applications through the Expression of Interest process. However, it is anticipated that the Programme will open calls to address identified gaps in service delivery later in 2022, subject to budgetary provision.
Full details of the current programme, including an Operating Manual and an FAQ section, are available on Pobal's website www.pobal.ie.
845. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the Interdepartmental Committee for the Islands; the number of times the committee has met in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27807/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to publishing a 10 year policy on island development with associated three year action plans. Work on the policy is underway and my Department, as Chair of the Inter-Departmental Committee, is in regular contact with the other participating Government Departments regarding the development of the policy.
The first meeting of the Inter-Departmental Committee in 2022 was scheduled for 31 March but unfortunately had to be postponed and was rescheduled for 18 May. At that meeting participating Departments reviewed progress on the policy development. They also discussed action points that they could undertake to further enhance the future development and sustainability of communities on our offshore islands.
The next meeting of the Inter-Departmental Committee has been provisionally scheduled in June.
846. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 271 of 3 March 2022, the status of the national oversight and advisory group for town centre first; the membership of the group; the terms of reference of the group; the number of times the group has met to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27808/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town Centre First (TCF) Policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.
Key to this is the establishment of the National Implementation Office to assist in the delivery and implementation of the policy, and to co-ordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level.
This office will be responsible for supporting Town Regeneration Officers (TRO) in driving implementation of the policy and will also produce an Annual Implementation Plan.
My Department has agreed the structure and funding for the National Office and the TROs with local authorities. The first step is the appointment of the head of the National Implementation Office. The recruitment process for this key post is currently ongoing.
Similarly, local authorities have now also been authorised to commence the recruitment of TROs who will drive the development of TCF Plans at local level across the country.
Action 27 of the TCF policy is to establish a National Oversight and Advisory Group (NOAG) to monitor and guide the delivery of the policy, together with Annual Implementation Plans produced by the National Implementation Office. It will provide cross-government focus and alignment on policies. It will also consider adaptations and additions to the actions outlined in this Policy during its implementation and have responsibility for the review of the Town Centre First policy at three year intervals.
The Group may include Government Departments; the Local Government sector; agencies central to supporting towns; other experts; and sectoral, business and community representatives as appropriate. The immediate priority for my Department is the establishment of the National Implementation Office. Once the Office is operational the next steps include the establishment of the NOAG.
I am committed to ensuring that the continued roll out of the Town Centre First policy will work to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in Our Rural Future.
847. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when successful projects in County Clare will be announced under the 2022 outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme to support the development of walkways and greenways in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27844/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways, blueways and bridleways in rural areas. Earlier this year, I launched the 2022 Scheme with a budget of €15 million to support outdoor recreation projects nationwide.
The Measures to be funded under this year’s Scheme are:
Measure 1: for small scale projects requiring funding of up to €30,000,
Measure 2: for medium scale projects with funding of up to €200,000,
Measure 3: for large scale projects seeking funding of up to €500,000, and
Project Development Measure: funding of up to €50,000 for development costs for strategic large scale projects
The 2022 Scheme is now closed for all measures and the assessment process has commenced for all applications.
I hope to make an announcement on the successful applicants under Measure 1 and Project Development Measure in the coming weeks, with Measures 2 and 3 being announced later this year.
848. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the town and village renewal scheme will open for applications in County Clare; the types of projects that will be eligible for funding in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27845/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The scheme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”.
Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country. In February, I announced almost €18.5 million under the 2021 Scheme for projects which will benefit rural towns and villages the length and breadth of the country.
I launched the 2022 Town & Village Renewal Scheme on 27 May and a strong emphasis has been placed on projects which tackle vacancy and dereliction by bringing landmark town centre buildings back to life. The types of projects supported under the 2022 Scheme include:
Projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose spaces;
the repurposing of existing community or publicly owned buildings in town or village centres to facilitate remote working;
the development of parks, green spaces, public outdoor dining spaces and recreational amenities in town centres to make them vibrant hubs; and
marketing campaigns targeted at attracting remote workers to their county/region.
This year I have also introduced a Building Acquisition Measure that will allow local authorities to purchase vacant or derelict buildings in 2022 for future development as community facilities.
849. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she anticipates that there will be a further round of local improvement scheme funding for County Clare in 2022; if the Department of Transport will provide matched funding for the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27846/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland.
The Scheme was reintroduced in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017-2021, my Department has allocated €80 million towards improvement works on over 3,000 non-public roads and lanes benefiting over 13,300 landowners and residents in these rural areas.
I was pleased, as part of Budget 2022, to announce an increase in the base funding for LIS from €10.5 million to €11 million this year. I announced details of the 2022 Local Improvement Scheme in early April and approvals have now issued for works to commence in all but one Local Authority.
Last year, I was in a position to double the initial LIS allocation to €21 million following the identification of savings in other capital areas. This year, I am continuing to closely monitor expenditure patterns. Should savings emerge, I will give consideration to again allocating additional funding to the scheme.
Since 2017 Clare County Council has received €4.3 million under the Scheme to support improvement works on non-public roads and lanes in the county.
Finally, my colleague, Eamon Ryan, T.D., Minister for Transport has confirmed that his Department is not in a position to allocate funding to upgrade LIS roads at this time. The Minister has indicated his priority remains on the maintenance and renewal of the public regional and local road network and that funding allocations have been made for this year. I will, however, continue to explore the potential for further financial support for LIS from his Department.
850. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the supports available from her Department to ensure that vacant buildings such as former banks in rural towns and villages in County Clare can be acquired and renovated for community use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27847/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recently published Town Centre First - A Policy Approach for Irish Towns. This represents a whole of Government policy and aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. The publication of Town Centre First was a key deliverable under Our Rural Future.
The Town Centre First policy is underpinned by significant levels of public investment spread across major Government schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund , the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, the Croí Conaithe (Towns) Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
In February of this year I announced €18.5m in funding for successful projects under the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which included a wide range of projects bringing vacant buildings back into community use. I have recently launched the 2022 Town and Village Renewal scheme, and the scheme is again prioritising projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use as multi purpose community spaces. It also includes a new Building Acquisition Measure to support local authorities to purchase vacant and derelict buildings in 2022 for future development as community facilities.
Similarly, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund has now provided funding for 191 projects across the country, many of which include the repurposing of buildings in communities. The fourth call for Category 1 application closed on the 29th April 2022. Category One projects are those that have full planning and other consents in place and are ready to commence at the date of application. Projects funded under this call will assist in revitalising our rural towns and villages through planned, sustainable regeneration and development including addressing vacancy and the re-use of heritage and other existing buildings.
I have also recently introduced a new capital fund of €15 million which will provide funding for the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across the country. The focus of the Community Centre Investment Fund is to improve, refurbish and revitalise existing centres.
I am committed to ensuring that my Department continues to support the use of vacant buildings for community purposes across rural Ireland, in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future.
