Written Answers Nos. 372-379
372. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria that applied when determining the animal welfare organisations that received increased funding under the animal welfare grant scheme for 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61457/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAnimal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and the Government. Considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.
In December 2021, I awarded record funding of €3.7 million to 98 animal welfare charities throughout the country, through the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This is evidence of my own and the Government’s ongoing commitment to animal welfare and acknowledges and supports the important role played by animal welfare organisations.
The Programme for Government includes an undertaking to provide additional funding in support of animal welfare charities again this year, to which I am fully committed.
Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities. Throughput of animals and rehoming figures are assessed along with veterinary inspection of the premises.
As with last year’s awards, this year’s funding will recognise the importance of education and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare. Imparting knowledge on animal welfare plays a crucial role in improving standards nationally. For example, raising awareness on responsible pet ownership can help to prevent dogs subsequently being abandoned or surrendered to charities for rehoming, thus helping to reduce the pressure dog shelters and charities may come under.
This year Animal Welfare Awareness Day 2022 takes place on 8th December and I will announce the grant awards to charities then.
373. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide details on the manner in which applications for funding under the animal welfare grant scheme are assessed. [61458/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAnimal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister and the Government. Considerable funding is provided to support animal welfare charity organisations.
In December 2021, I awarded record funding of €3.7 million to 98 animal welfare charities throughout the country, through the Animal Welfare Grant Programme. This is evidence of my own and the Government’s ongoing commitment to animal welfare and acknowledges and supports the important role played by animal welfare organisations.
The Programme for Government includes an undertaking to provide additional funding in support of animal welfare charities again this year, to which I am fully committed.
Awards are made on the basis of objective criteria which are reviewed on an annual basis. These include the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities. Throughput of animals and rehoming figures are assessed along with veterinary inspection of the premises.
As with last year’s awards, this year’s funding will recognise the importance of education and dissemination of knowledge to improve animal welfare. Imparting knowledge on animal welfare plays a crucial role in improving standards nationally.
For example, raising awareness on responsible pet ownership can help to prevent dogs subsequently being abandoned or surrendered to charities for rehoming, thus helping to reduce the pressure dog shelters and charities may come under.
This year Animal Welfare Awareness Day 2022 takes place on 8th December and I will announce the grant awards to charities on that day.
374. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can detail any meetings or discussions that he or his Department have had with persons who have resigned from the Burren programme over concerns regarding the replacement scheme and fears that it could have negative impacts on the Burren landscape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61512/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra375. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way that the replacement scheme for the Burren programme will impact those 300 farmers currently in the programme; and if supports available will match the amounts available under the current Burren programme. [61513/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra376. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61514/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 374, 375 and 376 together.
I acknowledge the excellent work done to date under the Burren Programme and am pleased that ACRES, the new flagship agri-environment scheme under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, has been designed using learnings from that Programme. The Government has committed €1.5 billion to ACRES over the term 2023 to 2027. This is the largest amount ever committed to an agri-environment scheme.
It was always the intention to mainstream positive actions from programmes like the Burren Programme into a large-scale agri-environment scheme, to give a much larger environmental benefit, and a greater number of farmers contributing to environmental goods such as biodiversity and water. Based on the learnings from the Burren Programme and European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects and using a habitats-based approach, ACRES will contribute to improving biodiversity, climate, air, and water quality outcomes.
The Burren Programme currently has a participation of just over 300 farmers. An additional 1,000 farmers, more than a 300% increase, will participate in the ACRES Burren Aran Co-operation (CP) Zone. Increasing farmer participation numbers beyond the limited numbers at present requires a balance to be struck to ensure that as an attractive payment rate as possible is offered whilst ensuring that as many farmers as possible can join, with the resulting increase in the amount of land providing environmental benefit.
Under the Burren Programme, 11,000ha of species-rich habitats were assessed, whereas it is expected that 40,000ha of high-nature value farmland will be assessed under ACRES CP in the Burren/Aran area. This means that 29,000ha of additional land will be subject to an assessment of the habitat quality and the threats and pressures to habitats and species in those areas. ACRES therefore, represents a significant upscaling in environmental monitoring and assessment in the region.
The Burren Programme team tendered successfully for the ACRES CP contract for that zone. My Department officials met regularly with all of the CP teams since their establishment in June to discuss all issues of concern in the development of their plans. Following the resignation from the CP team of the Programme Manager and Senior Ecologist, my officials have continued to work together with the Burren CP team to develop the plans for their areas and to resolve many of their issues. They have been working on a bonus structure to address concerns raised about possible impact on some of the current Burren Programme participants. In addition to this, the 8 CP teams and the Department are developing a list of non-productive investments and landscape actions from which an ACRES CP participant will be able to choose, with the aim of improving environmental outcomes. This list will include many of the current actions used under the Burren Programme.
ACRES will support farmers in the Burren region, by offering an attractive payment rate as possible together with the assistance of a dedicated local expert team, to continue their efforts to tackle environmental challenges in climate, biodiversity, and water quality following the ending of the Burren Programme on December 31 2022.
377. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on a GLAS payment to a farmer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61533/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved into GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of 1st January 2016.
Processing of the 2021 Balancing Payment for the person named is at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue.
GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.
378. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on a GLAS payment to a farmer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61534/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved to GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of 01st January 2016. Payments have issued to this Herd for scheme years 2016 – 2021 inclusive.
Processing of the 2022 Advance Payment for the person named are at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue.
GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.
379. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive their final year GLAS payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61539/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved to GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 01st October 2015. GLAS payments have issued to this Herd for scheme years 2015 – 2021 inclusive.
Processing of the 2022 advance payment for the person named are at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue.
GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.
