Written Answers Nos. 745-750
745. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the work of the national fodder and food security committee; if the committee has prepared an industry response and developed contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52881/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, arising from the war in Ukraine, I met with the main farm organisations and Teagasc on the 8th March this year, at which I established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee. I tasked the Committee with preparing an industry response to the emerging crisis in feed, fodder, fertiliser and other inputs, and to develop contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises.
Following the first meeting of this Committee, Teagasc issued advice to farmers on how to manage their farms during the current grass growing season, with a view to securing sufficient fodder for next winter. The advice includes applying sufficient fertiliser on grassland and crops thus ensuring that sufficient fodder is conserved. In addition, Teagasc commenced a nationwide advertisement campaign giving advice to farmers ,along with extensive engagement with farmer clients. The Committee held additional meetings as deemed necessary throughout the spring and summer.
To support farm families, I announced a Targeted Intervention Package on 22nd March framed around three pillars to support Irish farming families, arising both from events in Ukraine and wider global price volatility. The total package was projected to cost in the region of €12.2 million.
In addition, on the 14th June 2022 the Government approved a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme which opened for applications on the 17th June 2022. Approximately 71,000 applications were received under this Scheme with a projected spend in the region of €54 – 55 million, with payments to commence next month.
In addition, through working closely with my colleague Minister McGrath, I have secured additional funds to run a similar Scheme again in 2023 subject to the European Commission publishing the 2023, Temporary Crisis Framework and separately, the European Commission approving a 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.
While I am watching the situtaion weekly, and we can never be too confident, I am satisfied that there will be sufficient fodder for winter 2022 especially following the supports I have deleivered to our farm families. I remain committed to supporting farm families throughout this challenging period.
746. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has considered any incentives for farmers who wish to rent their land for the development of solar energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52904/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a review announced in Budget 2018 by my colleague the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe TD, and in recognition of the Government's commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects in Ireland, a revised approach was introduced to qualifying agricultural property for the purposes of agricultural relief from Capital Acquisitions Tax or Capital Gains Tax retirement relief.
Since then, under certain conditions, land leased for the installation of solar panels can be classified as qualifying agricultural property. A key condition is that the total area of land under lease and on which solar panels are installed does not exceed 50% of the total area of agricultural land.
I am informed by Minister Donohoe that the matter of CAT agricultural relief and solar energy use will be considered as part of next year's Tax Strategy Group (TSG) pre-Budget papers. Officials in the Department of Finance have recently engaged with officials from my Department, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Revenue Commissioners to review CAT agricultural relief and the current taxation rules in the broader context of policies relevant to all of these Departments.
Separately, my Department’s Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) provides grants to farmers for Solar PV Panels, Solar PV Rechargeable Batteries and Solar Panels (Solar Thermal) for water heating. In addition, there are other state supports for the installation of solar panels including from the SEAI.
747. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether European Union rules on afforestation are impacting Ireland’s ability to plant trees and meet its climate obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52923/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll afforestation must undertaken in a legally compliant and sustainable manner.
Following a Court of Justice of the European Union ruling in 2018 and subsequent High Court rulings which had transformative implications for the process of screening forestry licence applications for likely environmental effects, approximately 75% of licence applications are now referred for ecological assessment. The referral of such a high proportion of licence applications was the principal cause of delays in the issuing of licences.
An independent expert review was commissioned by the Department to review Ireland’s forestry regulations and was undertaken by law firm Philip Lee LLP.
This report was necessary to assess the extent to which forestry in Ireland is being appropriately regulated, and also importantly whether any improvements can be made to the licensing system while working within the parameters of Irish and EU environmental law. The report outlines changes in environmental law which have resulted in the increasingly complex regulatory framework that has ultimately led to delays in the issuing of forest licenses in recent years.
The report is a valuable source of information and a reference document for everyone involved in forestry. It is comprehensive and was the subject of detailed stakeholder consultation with over 60 stakeholder meetings informing its final outcome. The Project Board which is leading on the implementation of Project Woodland have studied the recommendations and has published its own recommendations in relation to the review.
The Department is now finalising an Implementation Plan on foot of the Project Board recommendations which will be published in due course.
While the bar is indeed set high in terms of compliance with EU law I am not allowing this to be a barrier to achieving our afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan.
Over the last two years, the Department has recruited a large number of staff to assist with processing applications. In total this year, some 3,913 licences have issued and 2,788 have been receieved.
With respect to afforestation, the Department is processing licences at a much faster rate than they are being received. Some 336 applications were received in the year to date and 578 licences have issued year to date. Some 238 of these licences were issued in quarter three following the recruitment of additional ecologists to work exclusively on afforestation files.
In addition, a National Shared Vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests was published recently and a new draft Forestry Strategy has been developed, with consideration given to the EU Forest Strategy. The associated draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan which includes the next Forestry Programme for the period 2023 – 2027 is currently undergoing a period of public consultation. This plan sets out how Ireland’s ambitions to expand its forests and to increase its role in helping address the climate and biodiversity objectives at both National and EU level can be realised.
Supports will be included in the next Forestry Programme to incentivise afforestation. I am committed to working with all our stakeholders to substantially increase our afforestation rates over the next decade in order to meet our climate obligations.
748. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagement that he and his Department have had with an organisation (details supplied) regarding winter finishing and the impact that the rise in feeding costs will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52928/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department and I engage regularly with stakeholders, including the organisation referred to, on a range of issues.
The current situation in relation to the cost and availability of farm inputs is a significant concern and one that I am acutely aware of, and it has been at the forefront of stakeholder engagement since the beginning of the crisis. I know that winter finishers are facing a season of increased costs.
Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine led to significant hikes in energy, feed and fertiliser prices and significant concerns around supply chain disruption.
Earlier in the crisis, I established the National Fodder and Food Security Committee to prepare an industry response to the emerging crisis in feed, fodder, fertiliser and other inputs, and to develop contingency plans and advice to assist farmers in managing their farm enterprises. This Committee includes the relevant key stakeholders, including the organisation referred to by the Deputy. This Group continues to meet and I will continue to engage closely with the sector as we work together on these significant challenges.
Within the Department, I established a Rapid Response Team, chaired by the Secretary General, to actively monitor the impacts on agri-food supply chains and to contribute to the whole- of- Government response to this crisis.
I launched the 2022 Soils, Nutrients and Fertiliser Campaign in January in response to the unprecedented fertiliser price levels. This credible roadmap, which I tasked Teagasc in developing, will help alleviate reduce their dependency on chemical fertiliser in the longer-term. Teagasc has also issued revised advice to farmers on the recommended application amounts of fertilisers for silage fields to reflect the increase in fertiliser price.
Given Ireland’s dependence on imported feed, I announced a package of targeted interventions for the tillage sector and a multi-species sward initiative worth over €12 million to support Irish farmers on 22nd March.
The package supports the growing of additional tillage and protein crops and the establishment of multi-species swards, lowering demand for chemical fertiliser. Following on from the package of measures announced in recent months to provide support to Irish farmers, I launched a €56 million Fodder Support Scheme on 15th June 2022. This pays successful applicants up to €1,000 each to help with the saving of hay and silage. This popular scheme will be in place again next year.
We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and actively engage with the EU Commission, across Government and with industry as this situation unfolds.
As the Deputy is aware, I am committed to supporting our farm families and their businesses through this very challenging period.
749. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has plans to reintroduce a quota on spurdog species in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52940/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra764. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to updated advice to lift the prohibition of targeting, retaining on board, transhipping or landing spurdog or picked dogfish in 2023 from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas; if Ireland intends seeking a quota for this species in 2023 subject to a lifting of the prohibition by the Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53216/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 749 and 764 together.
Under EU Regulation, it is currently prohibited to target, retain on board, tranship or land spurdog (also known as picked dogfish) in the waters around Ireland. While there is a very limited quota available for use only in pilot schemes designed to reduce by-catches, any such schemes are subject to European Commission approval and must relate to reducing by-catches of dogfish in other fisheries, i.e. the targeting of dogfish would remain prohibited.
The stock was subject to high harvest rates for more than four decades, and fisheries were not managed during this time. The species is a long-lived, slow growing and late maturing species and is, therefore, particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. Conservation measures in recent years have reduced mortality significantly.
The recent ICES scientific assessment gives a new perspective on the development of the stock and shows an increase in the biomass. As this stock is shared with the UK, the issue of removing spurdog from the list of prohibited species and setting a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the stock would have to be considered in the context of the upcoming EU-UK consultations on 2023 fishing opportunities for shared stocks.
I am of the opinion that, following the positive scientific advice for the stock, this stock should be removed from the list of prohibited species. In the event that a TAC is set for spurdog, I will consider the management of Ireland’s quota for this stock in consultation with the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC).
750. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount in Euros and as a percentage of the horse and greyhound racing fund that was allocated and used for racehorse welfare, rehoming and retraining in 2020 and 2021. [53061/22]
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, therefore, the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
