Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Wildlife Control

Seán Canney

2486. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on recent reports that up to 15 million bees from Italy may be released in Northern Ireland later in April 2021; if he has been in contact with beekeepers across the country who are very concerned at this proposed release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19045/21]

Inland Fisheries

Seán Canney

253. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the National Inland Fisheries Forum; when it last met; his plans to reconvene the forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16106/21]

Herd Number Applications

Seán Canney

1942. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider changing the criteria to become eligible to allow nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law to use a herd number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13980/21]

Flood Relief Schemes

Seán Canney

2017. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has introduced a farm buildings relocation scheme for farmers whose buildings were flooded during flood events; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15287/21]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

677. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farmers in tranche 7 of the hen harrier scheme will receive payment; if payments have been released for tranche seven; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2205/21]

Agriculture Schemes

Seán Canney

678. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans regarding the 5% reduction in stock for the beef exceptional aid measure, BEAM, scheme in view of the fact that many farmers were unable to sell stock due to Covid-19 restrictions, including travel restrictions, and lockdowns and many farmers were unable to sell stock online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2212/21]

Departmental Websites

Seán Canney

679. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to upgrade the new departmental website, given that farmers and planners are finding it extremely difficult to navigate and find nitrates recording forms, for example; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2213/21]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

661. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department ceased posting letters to farmers regarding problems with ANC payments; his views on whether this is reflected in the steady rise in eligible farmers missing out on ANC payments for reasons other than stocking density since 2016; if he will consider reverting to posting letters to farmers in such cases given the age profile of the farmers involved and their associated lack of broadband and computer skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43188/20]

Veterinary Medicines

Seán Canney

819. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a proposal by the forum of a group (details supplied) to conduct an economic impact assessment in advance of the implementation of EU Regulation No. 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products which is due to come into effect in January 2022; if his attention has been drawn to the financial hardship that it will cause to farmers, particularly small farmers who are the economic bedrock of many rural areas and also to their farm suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41525/20]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

840. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers ruled out of the ANC scheme due to not meeting stocking density criteria in each of the years 2015 to 2020, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41834/20]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

841. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the active herd numbers that were eligible under the ANC in each of the years 2015 to 2020, by county; the active herd numbers that received payments in the same period by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41837/20]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

814. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that were ruled out of the ANC scheme due to the fact they did not meet the stocking density criteria in each of the years 2015 to 2019 and to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40360/20]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

815. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of active herd numbers that were eligible under the ANC in each of the years 2015 to 2019 and to date in 2020; the number of active herd numbers that received payments in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40361/20]

Forestry Sector

Seán Canney

819. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties facing forest owners with ask dieback disease (details supplied); his plans to introduce a scheme by which persons replacing diseased ash plantations with other tree species can get new long-term leases from his Department to ensure that they have ongoing incomes from the forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40419/20]

Livestock Issues

Seán Canney

788. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change to current level 5 restrictions to allow buyers and farmers attend mart rings in order to purchase cattle and sheep as the current restrictions are having a negative impact on the prices being received by farmers at a crucial juncture in the farming calendar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34550/20]

Basic Payment Scheme

Seán Canney

789. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the basic payment scheme, BPS, under which some young trained farmers receive very low payments based on a situation that pertained approximately 20 years ago in terms of historic stocking density; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34552/20]

Land Transfers

Seán Canney

808. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a reply will issue from the legal services division in relation to an issue regarding transfer of freehold title (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34804/20]

Forestry Sector

Seán Canney

813. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if priority will be given to tree felling applications in forests in which ash dieback has been identified as a problem and trees have to be felled in view of the fact delays in felling these trees will result in the spread of the disease and increase the risk to a tree species which is at the heart of culture and heritage here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34914/20]

Flood Relief Schemes

Seán Canney

825. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the feasibility study undertaken by his Department in 2019 to determine the feasibility of future once-off targeted schemes for a voluntary farm building relocation scheme as a result of flooding will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35366/20]

Departmental Bodies

Seán Canney

800. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the need to re-establish the Irish wool council to address a series of matters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31501/20]

Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme

Seán Canney

801. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that inadvertently lost out on an ANC payment in the past five years as they did not tick the ANC box on their SPS application form; the number that appealed this to his Department; the number that appealed this to the agriculture appeals office; the percentage of each of the respective appeals which were successful; his plans to improve the application process in order that the ANC question is more readily apparent; if the SPS application form has been assessed in terms of plain English; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31503/20]

Land Ownership

Seán Canney

803. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the inordinate delay in processing freehold title queries relating to the Land Commission within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31542/20]

Industrial Development

Seán Canney

296. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the development of the wool industry in line with the programme for Government commitment; if he will consider supporting a scouring plant for wool, which is currently exported to the UK for this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25986/20]

Industrial Development

Seán Canney

297. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to support the potential of the wool industry to develop projects and increase the return to farmers and create jobs in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25987/20]

Felling Licences

Seán Canney

864. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made in recent months to resolve the delays in issuing felling licences; the extra resources and investment put in place to deliver the necessary changes; the reason for the delay in getting felling licences; the objectives in terms of processing times in the coming months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24721/20]

Forestry Sector

Seán Canney

887. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the spread of ash dieback disease here; the measures being taken to combat the disease; his plans for awareness campaigns in relation to the disease; the funding that has been provided for third-level institutions or researchers in relation to the disease; and the assessments that have been done in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25232/20]

Farm Retirement Scheme

Seán Canney

888. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the introduction of a new early retirement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25237/20]

Sheepmeat Sector

Seán Canney

893. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of sheep imported in 2018 and 2019 in view of the fact that there is a significant difference in the CSO figures and figures supplied by his Department through the EU trade control and export system; if measures (details supplied) will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23901/20]

Forestry Sector

Seán Canney

639. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he will put in place with immediate effect to resolve the delays being experienced in the supply chain for timber due to objections to felling licences being granted under the Forestry Act 2014; his views on the lack of resources available to the forestry appeals committee to deal with such objections in a timely fashion; his further views on the impact this will have on the supply of timber for house building and the construction industry in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18895/20]

Grant Payments

Seán Canney

184. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a suckler based application for EU protected geographical indication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17719/20]

Food Industry

Seán Canney

185. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the expected timeline for the proposed food ombudsman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17720/20]

Rural Environment Protection Scheme

Seán Canney

186. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the introduction of a new rural environmental type scheme; the budget that will be available for the new scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17721/20]

Animal Welfare

Seán Canney

187. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a new sheep welfare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17722/20]

Beef Industry

Seán Canney

832. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the introduction of an independent pricing regulator for the beef industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15407/20]

GLAS Payments

Seán Canney

312. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11976/16]

Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme

Seán Canney

532. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in respect of a 40% capital investment in a slatted shed under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme; if he is aware that the application was made seven or eight months ago and the person has received no response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11381/16]

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Seán Canney

204. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when compensation will be paid to a person (details supplied) under the bovine viral diarrhoea eradication scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10892/16]

GLAS Appeals

Seán Canney

961. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of appeals under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme including the number of appeals in the system, the average waiting time for a decision and when the current round of appeals will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9837/16]

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Seán Canney

1041. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will conclude an appeal for a review of entitlements by persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10120/16]

Flood Relief Schemes Applications

Seán Canney

1044. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue a hardship grant to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10195/16]

Young Farmers Scheme

Seán Canney

23. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the young farmers scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9197/16]

Young Farmers Scheme

Seán Canney

24. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the young farmers scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9198/16]