Written Answers Nos. 720-738
720. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide Greyhound Racing Ireland's costs to sponsor the Greyhound Derby final on a programme (details supplied) on 24 September 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8073/23]
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.
721. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a schedule of payments received by the State forestry company, Coillte, from the European Union for each of the years since it drew down an initial European Investment Bank loan of £27.8 million in the year of its establishment, 1988. [8195/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra722. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a schedule of loans drawn down by the State forestry company, Coillte, from the European Investment Bank for each of the years since it drew down an initial EIB loan of £27.8 million in the year of its establishment, 1988. [8196/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 721 and 722 together.
Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Under SI 367/1988 -Forestry Act 1988 (Coillte Teoranta) (Vesting Day) Order of 1988, the 1st January 1989 was appointed to be the vesting day for Coillte Teoranta, i.e. the day on which certain provisions of the Forestry Act 1988, in relation to that company came into effect.
I can confirm that Coillte did not draw down any loan from the European Investment Bank in 1988.
Ministerial consent was given in 2016 for Coillte to put in place borrowing facilities with the EIB for up to €90 million for the purpose of financing the Group's planting, forest management and forest road construction and maintenance programme during the years 2016-2020 inclusive. This loan was drawn down in full in 2017.
Coillte has accessed no further loans from the EIB.
723. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a schedule of dividends paid by Coillte to the Exchequer from the year of its establishment, 1988, until the end of the last calendar year, 31 December 2022. [8197/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Coillte did not pay any dividends from its establishment in January 1989 up to 2008 as all profits were re-invested in the company.
Coillte’s dividend policy focuses on delivering a material financial dividend to shareholders based on the optimal use of the significant commercial assets, in particular forests, vested in the company by the state.
A table of Dividend payments since 2008 is provided below.
|
Year to which Dividend relates |
Dividend amount (€ million) |
|
2008 |
2.6 |
|
2009 |
0 |
|
2010 |
0 |
|
2011 |
10 |
|
2012 |
2 |
|
2013 |
2 |
|
2014 |
4 |
|
2015 |
5 |
|
2016 |
6.2 |
|
2017 |
8 |
|
2018 |
15 |
|
2019 |
13 |
|
2020 |
2.3 |
|
2021 |
30 |
|
2022 |
20 (interim) |
|
Total |
120.1 |
724. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 by his Department and by agencies which operate under the remit of his Department. [8233/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 came into effect on 23rd December 2020 and imposes certain obligations on public bodies, including my Department and its agencies. In particular, section 6 of the Act places a duty on public bodies to provide access to public services or statutory entitlements through Irish Sign Language (ISL) when requested through the provision of free ISL interpretation by accredited interpreters.
Two Access Officers are appointed in my Department, in accordance with Section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005, to provide or arrange for assistance and guidance to persons with disabilities accessing services provided by the Department when requested, and generally act as points of contact for people wishing to access such services.
Since 2020, the Access Officers in my Department provided Irish Sign Language interpretation services on two occasions on receipt of requests for access to services provided by my Department.
As regards the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.
725. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the recommendation by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine in its report on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill in relation to the HPRA recommended impact assessment being completed in advance of the implementation of the legislation has been published; the findings, if any, of this assessment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8285/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HPRA Report of the Task Force on the method of supply of antiparasitic veterinary medicinal products that are intended for food-producing species which ultimately recommended the upregulation of antiparasitics for food producing animals to prescription only medicines stated that
“An impact assessment of policy options on resistance control as well as on stakeholders and current product providers would be needed. The options should place the control of resistance as its central aim and consider:
- What changes in the national legislation are required to ensure that antiparasitic veterinary medicinal products that are designated veterinary prescription control are accessible in a manner which:
a. Limits the development of resistance,
b. Fosters sustainability of the drugs used,
c. Promotes the use of evidence-based scientific tests to underpin the use of the drugs,
d. Provides for the necessary control and access, and,
e. Complies with Regulation 2019/6.
- Whether there would be any limitations or conditions for veterinary practitioners or other prescribers that would restrict their rights or ability to prescribe the products in question. This might include specification of the detailed conditions for issuing a prescription, as well as the operation of any specified animal health and welfare programmes for the farm/animal etc.,
- What limitations or conditions, if any, should attach to those authorised to dispense veterinary prescriptions for antiparasitic veterinary medicinal products,
- Whether a particular provision is necessary for antiparasitic veterinary medicines for bees, poultry, fish and minor species,
- Whether any changes to the legislation governing the purchase and possession of the relevant animal remedies and associated record-keeping would be needed,
- Whether, or to what extent, existing actors in the provision of antiparasitic diagnostic services to food-producing animals would be actively engaged in discussions on the preceding policy options.”
On consideration of the above Report and in order for my Department to evaluate the impacts of the upregulation of antiparasitics in a collaborative manner, we set up an Antiparasitic Resistance stakeholder Group, chaired by the Chief Veterinary Officer. All the elements identified in the HPRA recommendations were addressed as part of this process and informed the development of the policy proposals.
726. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the implementation of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds, and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 will not adversely affect the ability of veterinary pharmacists to work within the PSI Code of Conduct for Pharmacists and prevent them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8286/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 does not require veterinary pharmacists to carry out any activity that prevents them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses or working within the PSI Code of Conduct for Pharmacists.
727. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a new recruitment campaign for technical agricultural officers will be launched before Easter 2023. [8361/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI inform the Deputy that the Public Appointments Service will soon begin an open recruitment campaign for Technical Agricultural Officers on behalf of my Department.
It is anticipated that the competition will be launched and advertised on www.publicjobs.ie during March/April 2023.
728. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8452/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pearl Mussel Project is operationally independent of the Department and is run by the Pearl Mussel Project Team.
Participants should contact the Pearl Mussel project team directly for information regarding their payments. Their website, containing all contact details is: www.pearlmusselproject.ie/
My office has contacted the PMP offices and they have confirmed that they are processing the payments in batches and currently there are batches yet to be processed but this is being worked on.
729. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); if he will review his Department’s initial decision on this payment in view of the medical evidence furnished on appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8461/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named applied successfully for GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1st October 2015.
The GLAS contract was selected for an on-farm inspection on 14th November 2022. During the course of this inspection, areas of non-compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the scheme were noted and outlined in the Notification of Findings letter which issued 25th January 2023. A 100% Eligibility penalty was applied to the Planting New Hedgerow action.
The option to appeal this decision was also outlined in the Notification of Findings letter. An appeal has been received and is currently under consideration.
730. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a scheme to incentivise the planting on trees on cutaway bogs that are no longer used for peat harvesting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8497/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn October 2019, Coillte and Bord na Móna announced a new initiative to plant approximately 4 million native trees across 1500 hectares of Bord na Móna land that is no longer used for peat production.
Bord na Móna formally ended all peat harvesting on its lands by the end of 2019. As a result of this cessation in peat harvesting, industrial cutover peatlands are becoming increasingly available for other land use options, including opportunities for the restoration of native woodland habitats.
Further to a request for support for exploration of possibilities for native woodland creation on former industrial cutaway peatlands by Bord na Móna, my Department developed a Pilot Scheme that is intended to facilitate the establishment of new native woodlands on state owned former industrial cutover peatlands on a pilot basis.
This Pilot Scheme facilitates native woodland regeneration at landscape scale, on some 203 ha in and around the Littleton Bog complex which straddles the Tipperary and Kilkenny county boundaries, aiming at minimum intervention, and is compatible with other forms of peatland restoration measures at this scale.
The overall purpose of the Pilot Scheme is to support biodiversity, help reduce carbon emissions and stabilise soils to minimise soil erosion. These objectives are therefore different to the objectives of the Afforestation Scheme.
The Pilot Scheme aims at mimicking natural vegetation establishment processes in high, dry areas and on slopes that are not suitable for re-wetting. Bord na Móna intends to complement their rehabilitation plans for end-of-life cutaway bogs by creating a mosaic of wetlands and sparse woodlands that enhances biodiversity value, stabilises the loose peatland soil and reduces carbon losses. No project like this has been undertaken before and the Pilot therefore includes the establishment of trials to explore the most effective silvicultural techniques.
The Pilot Scheme was developed in accordance with provisions of the Forestry Act 2014 and is compliant with national and EU legislation, operational and environmental guidelines. It has been proposed to continue to offer this Pilot through the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 subject to State Aid approval.
Following the specific purpose of this Pilot Scheme, the Scheme is confined to State bodies who own former industrial cutaway peatlands.
Grant funding for native woodlands created under this Pilot Scheme is subject to the applicant obtaining a licence for afforestation from the Minister.
731. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify the basis for introducing a 120-cow limit to herds for those seeking TAMS funding for milking parlour facilities; if his attention has been drawn to reports that this limit has given rise to significant concern among young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8591/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have introduced some changes to TAMS under the TAMs 3 scheme to better align it with overall agriculture and environmental priorities. For applications under the Dairy Equipment Capital Investment Scheme, Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme and Organic Capital Investment Scheme, applicants may apply for up to 10 milking units in a herringbone parlour, or one robotic milking machine, if they have less than 120 cows on average over the year preceding the making of an application. This ensures that priority goes to the family farm.
For applicants under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) and also for registered farm partnerships involving a young farmer, the limit on cow numbers for the preceding year is set at 160 dairy cows.
I can also confirm that the limit relates only to the milking machine investments and does not apply to any other investments under any of the 10 Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) that are being put in place. Almost 80% of all dairy herds in the country will remain eligible to apply for milking machine investments under the 120 cow ceiling.
When a farmer is planning to update their system, investment in the milking machine is only a portion of the required investment. It is important that dairy farmers also invest in animal housing, slurry storage, fodder storage and making their holding more accessible. To this end the TAMS schemes are designed to encourage farmers to invest in these animal welfare and environmentally beneficial investments before investing in additional milking equipment. In addition to the investments being carried over from TAMS II there is a wide range of additional investments being introduced for farmers, including farm roadways, bovine fencing, health and fertility monitoring systems, automatic drafting systems, public road underpasses and milk recording systems, to name just a few.
732. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the implementation of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 will not adversely affect the ability of veterinary pharmacists to work within the PSI code of conduct for pharmacists and prevent them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and registered retail pharmacy businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8602/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am satisfied that the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 does not require veterinary pharmacists to carry out any activity that prevents them from working in accordance with the regulatory requirements for registered pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses or working within the PSI Code of Conduct for Pharmacists.
733. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has consulted with the Department of Health in relation to the viability of rural community pharmacies, given the potential impact this Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023 may have on their veterinary dispensing business, which may in turn impact on their viability for supply of human medicines to local rural economies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8603/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) officials have consulted extensively with stakeholders on the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feeds and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2023, including meeting with officials from the Department of Health. This is an important piece of legislation and I wanted to make sure that all relevant stakeholders and groups were actively involved in the process.
Ensuring the continued supply of veterinary medicines using existing supply chains, which have served the sector well over many years throughout the country, and ensuring that farmers continue to have a choice in purchasing their medicines through the development of the national veterinary prescription system, which is established in this legislation, is a key objective of mine.
I am very much aware of the importance of all local businesses to rural economies and I am working on ensuring that businesses who have played a key role in providing veterinary medicines to farmers continue to do into the future.
734. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of monies that were unspent for 2022 and returned to the central Exchequer concerning forestry programmes. [8610/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe expenditure under the Forestry Budget for 2022 is shown in the table below:
|
- |
Budget Allocation |
Spend 2022 |
Saving |
|
Capital |
€96,038,000 |
€70,461,907 |
€25,576,093 |
|
Current |
€4,043,000 |
€3,623,981 |
€419,019 |
|
Total |
€100,081,000 |
€74,085,988 |
€25,995,012 |
The shortfall in spending is primarily due to the anticipated level of planting not being reached, with 2,273 hectares planted against a target of 8,000 hectares.. This is often a feature of the final year of a Programme, as those with valid licences adopt a 'wait and see' attitude to see whether they would benefit from transitioning to the new Forestry Programme 2023 2027. This is borne out by the fact that at the end of 2022 there were over 1,000 approved afforestation licences with a total of 7,500 hectares.
It is my expectation that the proposed increases announced for the new Programme will encourage increased uptake. In advance of the Programme being announced I have facilitated those with valid afforestation licences by allowing them to immediately opt-in to an Interim Afforestation Scheme ( via De Minimis), which offers the same increases in grant aid and premiums.
735. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide full details on how a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry did not meet the requirements of the BEAM scheme; if he will provide a copy of all the correspondence his Department issued to the farmer for the duration of the scheme; if he will provide details of the allowance provided for the TB outbreak on the farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8650/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe objective of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) was to provide temporary exceptional adjustment aid to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland. The granting of €50 million in EU aid was subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132.
One of the conditions of the BEAM scheme under which funding was provided by the EU was that there had to be an element of reduction or re-structuring built into the scheme - Article 1 (3) of (EU) 2019/1132 refers.
Accordingly, in applying for BEAM, participants agreed to reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen on their holding by 5% for the reduction period 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021 as compared with the reference period 1st June 2018 to 30th June 2019.
Section 3.1 of the Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) Terms and Conditions define a holding as:
“All the production units managed by a farmer during 2018 and subsequent years and situated within the territory of the Republic of Ireland”
Where a BEAM participant had, during the BEAM reference period (1st July 2018 - 30th June 2019) and/or the BEAM reduction period (1st July 2020 - 30th June 2021), one or more associated herd numbers linked to their BEAM application herd number on the Department’s Corporate Customer System (CCS), these herd numbers were deemed as being be part of the participant’s holding in line with section 3.1 of the BEAM Terms and Conditions.
As part of the holding, any bovine animals in these associated herd numbers during the BEAM reference period or the BEAM reduction period were included in the calculations of bovine nitrates figures for the holding. Letters issued in May 2021 to all those BEAM participants (including the person named) identified at that time as having an associated herd number, reminding them of their obligations under the scheme vis a vis section 3.1.
Copies of the monthly update letters that issued to the person named as part of the scheme are being sent to the Deputy separately along with copies of all other correspondence that issued.
The holding of the person named had two other herd numbers associated with the herd number used in the application during both the reference and reduction periods. As such the accumulated bovine nitrates figures for all herd numbers were assessed in calculating whether the participant had met the 5% reduction requirement in BEAM. My Department's calculations indicate that while the application herd number appeared to have made the necessary adjustments to meet the 5% reduction requirement, the bovine nitrates in the second herd number had increased by some 65% in the original reduction period relative to the reference period.
Taken together, the overall effect was that the holding recorded an increase of almost 40% in the original reduction period and as such missed the 5% reduction requirement.
The person named opted to defer and thus applied for the alternative reduction period of 1st January 2021 - 31st December 2021 over which to meet the 5% reduction requirement. Following the end of that alternative reduction period, my Department undertook a series of administrative and compliance checks to ensure that the commitments farmers had entered into under the BEAM Terms and Conditions had been met.
In the case of the person named, for the alternative reduction period, the combined nitrates for the herd numbers concerned recorded an increase of some 60% over the reference figure.
BEAM participants who were restricted due to an outbreak of TB on their holding during either reduction period, had their 5% bovine nitrates reduction commitment reduced in line with the length of their restriction(s). In the case of the person named, because of TB restrictions imposed in herd numbers within the farmer's control, the 5% bovine nitrates reduction requirement was reduced by 11.37% for the reduction period 1st January 2021 - 31st December 2021.
Given that the overall accumulated Nitrates figure in both the original reduction period and deferred reduction period had significantly exceeded the BEAM reference figure, the adjustment in the reduction targets as a result of the TB restrictions was not sufficient to achieve the required 5% reduction.
As the commitment to reduce the bovine livestock manure nitrogen by 5% was not met in either reduction period, all BEAM monies received were to be recouped.
The person named was informed of this outcome and advised of their right to seek a review of the decision.
Such a review was requested and a letter upholding the original decision of my Department issued on the 5th January 2023. The letter also advised the person named of their right to appeal the outcome to the Agriculture Appeals Office if they so wished.
736. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount expended on advertising and promotion in his Department and all agencies under the remit of his Department in 2022 and in January 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8679/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides public information about a wide range of schemes, services and policies. Advertising is one of the channels used to communicate this information. In the period from 1st January 2022 to 31st January 2023, DAFM incurred expenditure of €843,958.56. This includes expenditure related to a farm safety awareness campaign and an information campaign regarding the new Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Regulation.
As regards the 12 State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.
737. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of communications staff currently employed in his Department; the cost of these staff for 2022; the expected cost for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8697/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides public information about a wide range of schemes, services and policies.
I wish to advise the Deputy that the number of staff currently employed in the Communications Division of my Department is set out in the table below. The staffing costs for 2022 and 2023 are in line with the salary scales for the respective civil service grades, which are published by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.
|
Grade |
Number of staff |
|
Principal Officer |
1 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
2 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
3 |
|
Executive Officer |
1 (and 1 vacancy) |
|
Clerical Officer |
1 (and 1 vacancy) |
738. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to farmers who applied through an agent, as was stipulated, to the ACRES scheme and who failed to qualify for this scheme will not be reimbursed the €100 fee that was required to apply for said scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8728/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Terms and Conditions of the ACRES Scheme require the engagement of an approved ACRES Advisor to prepare and submit the ACRES application, as all applications have to prepared and completed by an approved ACRES Advisor via the Department’s online system and accompanied by a Farm Sustainability Plan.
The engagement of an approved ACRES Advisor by a farmer for the purpose of submitting an application for the Scheme is a private matter between the ACRES applicant and the advisor and is outside the remit of my Department.
