Written Answers Nos. 322-343
323. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of the 4,859 samples taken from racing greyhounds at race meetings, sales meeting, private kennels and trails in 2021, that were obtained at race meetings; the percentage of the total samples that were fully analysed at a INAB accredited Laboratory and which prohibited substances were tested for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54083/22]
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.
324. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way that the RCÉTS (Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System) is enforced for racing greyhounds resident in Northern Ireland, who regularly travel south of the border to race at Irish tracks and return home immediately since greyhound kennels in Northern Ireland are outside the jurisdiction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54084/22]
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.
325. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a licensed greyhound trainer with an adverse analytical finding retires and relinquishes their licence before their dog's adverse analytical finding comes before the control committee, if the finding is quashed and the trainer later reapplies for a trainer's licence, does the adverse analytical finding remain quashed or is it reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54085/22]
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.
326. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the area of GPC3 plantations which have been approved by his Department since 1 January 2022 that have not yet progressed to planting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54086/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently valid licences issued for approximately 7,000ha that could be utilised before the end of 2022. Of these 2,194 ha represents 714 applications with a GPC3 component, approved since 1st January 2022.
My Department has written out to all applicants with a valid licence in February this year encouraging them to utilise their licence and I would encourage anyone with a valid afforestation licence to contact their forester and arrange planting.
327. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will specify the annual rate of afforestation COFORD have identified as required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54088/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe COFORD Council is a stakeholder platform that provides advice to the Department on the development of the forest sector. The current Council has recently published a number of reports covering areas from forest genetics, timber forecasts to climate change.
COFORD has recently published a series of statements on the importance of forests and wood products for climate change mitigation. These statements recognises the importance of afforestation and recommends that significant planting rates are required if we are to reach 18% forest cover by 2050 and that afforestation rates should double to 16,000 ha per year. My Department is currently finalising a new forestry programme which will provide attractive incentives for the planting of trees. While the target of 8000 ha per year is lower than the target suggested by COFORD, it is significantly higher than the existing levels of afforestation taking place. Land use change from grassland to forestry is a voluntary measure and my Department would encourage farmers to consider afforestation.
328. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual target for afforestation under the native tree area scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54090/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe target of 8,000 hectares of new afforestation per year as set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021 includes all of my Department's tree planting measures that are 0.1 hectares or more in size. This includes the small-scale tree planting referred to in the Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 and it is currently intended that this will form part of our delivery on the 8,000 target.
As the Deputy may be aware, an amendment to the Forestry Act 2014 has passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas through the vehicle of the Animal Health and Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022. This amendment was necessary to remove the licensing requirement for the planting of native woodland in areas not greater than one hectare. It is my objective to increase and encourage interest in small scale planting and I am confident that this change to the Act will remove a barrier to such planting.
It is proposed that the exemption for the creation of up to one hectare of native woodland will be available through the Native Tree Area Scheme which my Department has designed. A draft Scheme document is included in the draft Forest Strategy Implementation Plan which was published on Tuesday the 18th of October and which is now subject to a 6-week public consultation process. Further development of the Scheme will be undertaken following the completion of this public consultation, including the consultation on the associated SEA Environmental Report and AA Natura Impact Report and any feedback received.
329. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his response to an organisation's (details supplied) concerns regarding the cut in beef prices that farmers receive in factors and its impact on their capacity for winter finishing. [54094/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the price of beef, as with any commodity, is a commercial matter. Neither I nor the Department has any role in the determination of commodity prices
However, I am, acutely aware of the pressures being faced across the agri-food sector due to the increase in input costs. Since the invasion of Ukraine, I have taken a proactive approach to dealing with the massive challenges arising for the agri-food and fisheries sector, including providing €91 million in exceptional supports for the sector.
Central to this is the €56m Fodder Support Scheme which pays farmers up to €1,000 for saving hay and silage. The scheme will be in place for the 2023 fodder-making season too.
More generally for the beef sector, my Department provides a range of financial aids to support beef farm incomes and to support economic and environmental efficiency.
Under the new €10 billion CAP strategic plan, beef farmers can avail of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) with available funding of €260 million and enhanced support for early-stage producer organisations which provides advisory and administrative support of up to €33,000 to groups, as well as supporting improved competitiveness. I have also secured budgetary provision for a €28 million exchequer funded beef welfare scheme in 2023 and €5 million for a continuation of the dairy beef calf scheme.
I continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and I am actively engaging with the EU Commission, across Government and with stakeholders as this situation unfolds. I have taken a proactive approach, through the various measures I have announced since this crisis started, to support our farm families and their businesses and I will continue to do so.
330. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions that he is taking to prohibit pair trawling inside the six-mile limit. [54095/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you know, following a public consultation process in which over 900 submissions were received, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine announced in December 2018 that vessels over 18m would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18m targeting sprat was allowed to enable adjustment for these vessels, as the sprat fishery is concentrated inside the six nautical mile zone.
A Policy Directive was issued by the Minister to the independent Licensing Authority to give effect to these measures. The Policy Directive directed the Licensing Authority to insert a condition to this effect into the licences of affected vessels.
A Judicial Review to the High Court was taken by two applicant fishers challenging the validity of the Policy. On 6th October 2020, the Judge held in summary that the High Court’s final order should be, among other matters, a declaration that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 was made in breach of fair procedures and is void and/or of no legal effect. The breach of fair procedures as referenced above related to a failure with obligations to consult with the applicants in accordance with, and to the extent required by, the consultation process and in particular by failing to consult with them a second time once a preferred option had been identified. A stay on the order was refused by the High Court on 10th December 2020.
I appealed the decision of the High Court to the Court of Appeal. I also sought a stay on the order of the High Court. The Court of Appeal reinstated the Ministerial Policy Directive on 19th March 2021, when the Court was persuaded that the balance of justice leaned in favour of the State and granted a stay on the order of the High Court up until the hearing of the substantive appeal in June. Following a full hearing by the Court of Appeal on 22nd June 2021, the Court decided to temporarily extend the Policy Directive excluding large vessels from trawling in inshore waters within 6 miles of the coast, save for a restricted sprat fishery.
On September 23rd, 2021, the Court of Appeal refused my application to further continue the stay. This refusal means that the decision of the High Court stands and the Policy Directive is no longer valid, meaning vessels over 18 metres in length overall have resumed trawling in the waters inside 6 nautical miles. These vessels also no longer require an authorisation to fish for sprat inside 6 nautical miles.
The Court of Appeal issued an unapproved judgment on 19th July last and my Department is at present considering the implications of the that unapproved judgment in consultation with its legal advisors. Further submissions to the Court have been provided.
As this matter continues to be sub judice, I am not in a position to comment further until the matter can be resolved before the Courts.
331. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which funding made available prior to or in the course of the recent budget is likely to benefit urban and rural community development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54138/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra336. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applicants for assistance towards urban/rural community development in the past twelve months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54139/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra337. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which to she can make further provision arising from Budget 2023, to assist with urban/rural community development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54140/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of headings under which she proposes to assist towards rural and community development at local level in the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54142/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the degree to which supports from her Department in the past year have assisted rural and community enterprises throughout the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54143/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 331, 336, 337, 339 and 340 together.
My Department supports rural and urban communities across the country through programmes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the LEADER Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the CLAR programme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and the Community Enhancement Programme. There are numerous applications under each scheme and programme every year. Details of many of the organisations funded in 2022 are available on my Department's pages on gov.ie.
This year I have further supplemented this investment by establishing a Community Centre Investment Fund which will support groups in every county to carry out refurbishments and improvements of their local community facility. These facilities represent vital infrastructure to support our communities.
The investment in rural development is mainly focussed on capital projects, which will help support the economic growth and resilience of rural economies. My Department also operates a range of community supports such as the Community Services Programme which assists community-based organisations through a social enterprise model. It typically supports organisations to meet local service gaps and provide access to services and facilities that would otherwise generally be unavailable.
Budget 2023 provides a 4% increase in my Departments allocation, which will deliver significant support for rural and community development next year. Funding of €393 million has been made available, with €201 million for rural development, €187 million for community development, and €5 million for the Charities Regulatory Authority.
Budget 2023 provides significant supports for community groups, including a further €20 million to support community groups impacted by the rising cost of living, with €10 million of this targeted at assisting with energy costs. The framework for delivering this assistance is currently being developed by my Department to ensure access to support in a timely manner. Full scheme details, including application timeframes and eligibility criteria, will be announced shortly.
My Department continues to engage with rural and urban stakeholders to identify issues impacting on communities and respond to emerging needs, and I am confident the funding supports being provided will continue to deliver tangible benefits for all communities. Details of the funding available for organisations in 2023 will be made available as programmes are launched in 2023.
332. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a club was put forward for CLÁR funding (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53962/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis year's CLÁR programme was launched in February with a total budget of €7 million. This represents an increase of €1.5 million on the budget for the 2021 CLÁR programme. The measures funded under CLÁR 2022 were:
- Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities
- Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport
- Measure 3: ‘Our Islands’
The 2022 CLÁR programme is now closed for all measures. Announcements on successful applications under all three measures have been made and these details can be found on my Department’s website.
I can confirm that no application from the organisation referred to by the Deputy was submitted for assessment to my Department by the relevant local authority under CLÁR 2022 Measure 1 'Developing Community Facilities and Amenities'.
333. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to address urban and rural community needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54135/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra334. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to liaise with representatives of urban and rural communities with a view to maximising supports for the various relevant community-based enterprises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54136/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra335. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to monitor the extent to which support continues to be needed among urban and rural communities for particular modes of support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54137/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 333 to 335, inclusive, together.
My Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities including youth groups and voluntary and community groups.
Groups or organisations qualify for support schemes or programmes provided by my Department where they meet the requisite eligibility criteria. Funding includes the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme, the CLÁR Programme, the Community Enhancement Programme, and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.
My Department is also responsible for a number of national policies containing measures to improve the lives of people throughout the country. These include the National Policy on Social Enterprise, and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: 5 Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector 2019-2024.
Last year I launched Our Rural Future, a new whole-of-Government rural development policy. The policy is an ambitious blueprint for the social and economic development of rural Ireland over the next five years. It has the potential to have a transformative effect on rural communities and positive impacts on the lives of people living and working in rural areas. The policy is supported by 150 commitments across Government, which will address the challenges facing communities and deliver new opportunities for people living in rural areas.
All my Department’s policies are underpinned by extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including rural and urban stakeholder groups, community groups, young people, women’s groups, Government Departments and State Agencies. This engagement process provides important insights into issues impacting on rural and urban communities, and identifies areas for response relevant to the work of my Department.
I will continue to collaborate with my Government colleagues and stakeholders to monitor the issues which impact our urban and rural communities in order to respond to emerging needs.
338. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the degree to which she continues to assist towards the provision of communication hubs at local level to assist in the provision of located-sited enterprises that may be available from major national enterprises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54141/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy, was published in March 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
Last year I launched the National Hub Network together with its online booking platform, connectedhubs.ie. It is a single network that provides users with information on the location of, and facilities available at, remote working hubs throughout Ireland. The network includes a diverse range of hubs and services, thus facilitating companies of different sizes.
There are currently 295 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform. This number is growing all the time meaning we are well on track to meet our target of 400 remote working hubs nationwide by 2025.
To date my department has also invested over €100 million to support the establishment, improvement and sustainability of hubs. For example, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme both support the establishment of digital hubs.
Approximately €14 million in funding was allocated to almost 200 projects via the Connected Hubs Call in 2021 and 2022. This allowed for additional remote working capacity to be added to digital hubs and Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) throughout the country. A list of successful applicants is available on my Department's website.
In addition to facilitating online bookings and payments, connectedhubs.ie is also a platform for collecting and disseminating data, not least around the types of hubs available in Ireland. The data drawn from the connectedhubs.ie will contribute to future decisions pertaining to the support that my Department will provide to the sector in future.
To date my focus has been on establishing the Network, on achieving this initial critical mass and on raising awareness of the Network to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs/business owners and new hub users. Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has now shifted to the next stage of development. To this end, officials at my department and their colleagues across government departments will begin drafting of a National Hubs Strategy.
I have always been clear that balanced regional development, sustainable and thriving communities, and indeed the wider national economy will all benefit from workers and employers embracing the remote working revolution. Hubs, whether enterprise or community focused, draw employers and employees to areas of innovation and opportunity, including rural communities.
I am pleased to say that the connectedhubs.ie team have for some time been developing a corporate service to engage with and support corporate clients interested in using our nationwide Network to accommodate their employees, but also to gain access to the vast pool of talent that Ireland has to offer, whether those talented people live in our cities, towns, villages or rural parishes. I believe that this work represents significant opportunities for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.
341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she has received new applications for support from rural and community-based groups which might be affected by inflation or cost of living increases; the extent to which she envisages support for such applicants in the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54144/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and the charities sector in meeting the high cost of energy currently and is committed to supporting the sector in meeting these costs.
Not-for-profit and voluntary organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector are woven into the fabric of community life across Ireland, but they are vulnerable to the impact of increased energy costs.
The recent budget made €10m available to put in place a support scheme for community and voluntary organisations and the charities sector.
The framework for delivering this assistance is currently being developed by my Department to ensure access to support in a timely manner. Full scheme details, including application timeframes and eligibility criteria will be announced shortly.
My Department will continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including the community and voluntary sector, charities, local authorities and local development companies, to support community organisations across the country as they deal with the ongoing and emerging challenges. We would encourage all groups to engage with Gov.ie, their Local Authority and Local Development Company so that they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
342. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development given the recently produced "iCommunity" policy supported by the Northern Ireland Department for Communities, and by the shared Island Unit in the Department of An Taoiseach, if her Department has given consideration to funding any proprietary works that need to be done to bring communities together, taking into account the regionality, urban- rural differences and a diversity of traditions. [54185/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraBringing communities together is central to much of the work of my Department, particularly through the PEACE PLUS programme 2021 – 2027. This is a new North South cooperation programme which will have a lasting impact on peace and prosperity in the region through combining the existing PEACE and INTERREG EU funding strands into one cohesive cross-border programme, with a total value of €1 billion. It will be a vital source of investment over the coming years and will be delivered by the European Union, UK Government, Irish Government and Northern Ireland Executive. The launch is anticipated in Q4 2022.
As part of the preparatory work for the launch of the programme, the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is providing pre-development application support workshops for potential applicants under a number of Investment Areas. My Department of Rural and Community Development and the relevant Departments in Northern Ireland are committed to providing support for a number of these specific Investment Areas. These workshops, which are administered and funded via the SEUPB, include processes whereby interested organisations can build partnerships or working opportunities for delivery of projects.
My Department has also committed to providing funding to the All-Ireland Endorsement Body (AIEB) for Community Work to the end of 2022. The AIEB was established in 2010 as an all island body to support and promote quality community work/community development and ensure standards and quality in practice through:
- Development and delivery of endorsement frameworks, procedures, and processes for community work education providers.
- Development of standards and support for education and training at all levels.
- Development and maintenance of standards for practitioners, community work organisations, for programmes and policy makers.
- Development and maintenance of appropriate links and exchanges with national and international quality assurance and educational bodies.
These initiatives and the endorsement process operate on an all-island basis with active encouragement of cross-border collaboration on common themes.
Furthermore, my Department is engaged with the work of the British-Irish Council (BIC) which is one of the institutions created under the Good Friday Agreement. The purpose of the BIC is to promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of relationships among the peoples of these islands. In 2018 the BIC Social Inclusion work sector agreed a topic of social enterprises for the work period of 2018-22.
Since 2018 officials have met in Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Jersey, Dublin (virtually) and London. Symposiums were held in Birmingham in 2020 and Dublin in 2022. An important part of these visits was the opportunity to visit and interact with local social enterprises.
I believe these and the other initiatives delivered by my Department are successfully assisting to bring communities together as referenced by the Deputy.
343. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of times there have been direct meetings between her Department and the Northern Ireland Communities Minister (details supplied). [54186/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been no direct meetings between my Department and the Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland. However, officials from my Department have met with officials from the Department for Communities in relation to the development of the PEACEPLUS Programme.
