Written Answers Nos. 687-700
687. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of the 4,150 jobs given for industry-supported full-time and part-time jobs (details supplied) that consist of jobs in the greyhound racing industry only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9631/23]
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 report referred to was commissioned by the RCE and therefore the question raised by the Deputy is a matter for RCÉ and the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
688. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of the 10,361 given for the total number of persons deriving economic benefit from the greyhound sector, that refers to those deriving economic benefit from the greyhound racing sector exclusively (details supplied); the level of economic benefit derived from greyhound racing that qualifies individuals for inclusion in this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9632/23]
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 report referred to was commissioned by the RCE and therefore the question raised by the Deputy is a matter for RCÉ and the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
689. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion of the figure of €103.8 million per annum for the gross wage bill that refers to wages earned by those involved exclusively in the greyhound racing industry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9633/23]
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.
690. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of the estimated €88.2 million given for net incomes generated in the greyhound racing industry, that relates to net incomes generated solely by the industry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9634/23]
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 report referred to was commissioned by the RCE and therefore the question raised by the Deputy is a matter for RCÉ and the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
691. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion 6,211 owners that refers to owners of greyhounds used solely in the greyhound racing industry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9635/23]
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 report referred to was commissioned by the RCE and therefore the question raised by the Deputy is a matter for RCÉ and the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
692. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify the meaning of greyhound industry in several references on page 4 of a report (details supplied); if it refers to greyhound racing alone or includes hare coursing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9636/23]
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 report referred to was commissioned by the RCE and therefore the question raised by the Deputy is a matter for RCÉ and the question has been referred to the body for direct reply.
693. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will correspond with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and Marine having reviewed the Island Heritage Bill 2017; when it can be expected that Committee Stage of this Bill will be scheduled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9685/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Bill to which the Deputy refers is the Island Fisheries (Heritage Licence) Bill 2017, a Private Members’ Bill first introduced to the Dáil in 2017. It seeks to create a specific system for licensing island fishers to conduct small-scale coastal fishing activities and would provide regulatory powers for this purpose.
I am in the process of finalising my reply and will forward to the Committee clerk in the next couple of weeks.
694. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a detailed breakdown in tabular form of the total number of cases brought for prosecutions relating to equine welfare by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9699/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century.
It is important to note that not all investigations lead to prosecution. Many cases are effectively dealt with the use of administrative sanctions for example through the issue of welfare notices
Where appropriate, prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following investigations by authorised officers of my Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file is prepared and the matter is pursued through the Courts.
The statistics set down below, relate to the total number of equine welfare prosecution cases finalised in each year since 2014, at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
|
Year |
Number of Cases |
|
2014 |
0 |
|
2015 |
0 |
|
2016 |
1 |
|
2017 |
6 |
|
2018 |
2 |
|
2019 |
1 |
|
2020 |
2 |
|
2021 |
0 |
|
2022 |
2 |
695. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cases that are pending relating to equine welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9700/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraProsecutions under the Animal Health and Act 2013 are pursued following investigations by authorised officers of the Department, An Garda Síochána and authorised officers of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. These officers investigate matters relating to animal cruelty and neglect and, where the evidence supports such action, a file is prepared and the matter pursued through the Courts.
There are currently four equine welfare prosecution cases pending, taken at the suit of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
My Department does not have data on further cases that may be pending taken by An Garda Síochána or local authorities.
696. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he finds it appropriate that an individual reportedly involved in equine cruelty (details supplied) remains free to work in racing and breeding and to attend race meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9701/23]
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 matters raised by the Deputy are an operational matter for HRI, therefore, the question has been referred to HRI for direct reply.
697. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline in detail the roles played by an organisation (details supplied) and his Department in relation to an alleged case of equine cruelty; the reason no proper excavation of the site in question was carried out at the time to see the carcasses that were buried; the reason the horses involved were not immediately seized when evidence arose of non-compliance with welfare regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9702/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI advise the Deputy that the Irish Thoroughbred (Welfare) Council provides advice to Horse Racing Ireland on welfare issues and has no role in enforcement.
My Department takes animal welfare concerns very seriously and addresses specific cases with a focus on safeguarding the animals affected. To be perfectly clear in relation to this case, the Animal Welfare notice issued to the individual concerned, as described in the Irish Independent article you refer to, was followed up, that Department officials visited the relevant farm on seven separate occasions in 2022 and that this engagement is ongoing.
My Department’s role in both cases referred to in the article is to safeguard animal welfare using enforcement powers provided for in the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.
I cannot comment on operational decisions in individual cases, particularly when these matters are not yet concluded.
698. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work undertaken by his Department since 27 June 2020 to ensure that Coillte’s remit supports the delivery of climate change commitments and the protection of biodiversity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9726/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraCoillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Minister and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
It is Government policy that Coillte, as the State forestry company, should play its part in addressing climate change and biodiversity challenges and they have responded to this in their new Forestry Vision and Strategy. This new vision aims to deliver multiple benefits from its forests and bring more focus to climate action, setting ambitious new targets on biodiversity and recreation, while continuing to deliver for the forest and wood products industry.
Coillte has indicated that their afforestation ambition is to enable the creation of new forests providing a carbon sink of 18m tonnes of CO2. Coillte will also manage its existing forest estate to capture an additional 10m tonnes of CO2 by 2050. They intend to increase the area of its forest estate being managed primarily for nature from 20% to 50% in the long term, by enhancing and restoring biodiversity and planting new forests, half of which will be native woodlands
Coillte met with my Department a number of times, dating back to 2021, during the development of their new Forestry Strategic Vision. A Shareholder Letter of Expectation issued from the shareholding Ministers to Coillte on 2nd June 2022 which included a direction to the Company as follows “In response to the climate and biodiversity crises, Coillte will seek to balance its commercial obligations under the Forestry Act 1988 with the delivery of the multiple benefits of forestry for society including increased afforestation and recreation provision and through contributing to Ireland’s emission reduction targets under the Climate Action Plan 2021.”
699. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department only issues a licence for a particular hatchery (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9794/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs previously referred to in the reply to parliamentary question no. 882 of the 14th of February, the Deputy's question regarding the licensing of the site is more appropriately directed to Inland Fisheries Ireland who are responsible for protecting, managing and conserving Ireland's inland fisheries.
700. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department is allowing Inland Fisheries Ireland to currently operate a hatchery (details supplied) in County Galway under his Department’s licensing regime, without a legally required appropriate assessment screening in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9795/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraInland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is currently operating the hatchery to which the Deputy is referring in accordance with a licence granted to it on the 7th of December 2017 under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997. Pursuant to Section 16(1) of the 1997 Act that license is binding on the State and on all persons and operates to, inter alia, enable the licensee carry on such operations as are specified in the licence.
