All parliamentary debates are now being published on our new website. The publication of debates on this website will cease in December 2018.
Go to oireachtas.ie
Written Answers Nos. 420-439Forestry Sector 420. Deputy John McGuinness Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): Once a decision is made on this case, it will be advertised on my Department's website. If approval is given, construction of the road cannot begin until after 28 days from the date of the decision. This is to allow for any appeals from either the applicant or third parties. Departmental Offices 421. Deputy Denis Naughten Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): In the main, desk spaces available in the Department's Regional Offices and District Veterinary Offices are at full capacity. The majority of these Department offices have a number of "hot desks" available for use by visiting Headquarters staff, or for outdoor staff who cover large and often remote geographic areas. There is some office space available currently in the Drumshanbo RVO building, but this is under consideration to be allocated for use in the near future. Similarly, there is space available in the Department's offices at Johnstown Castle in Wexford. However, pending the outcome of the ongoing Brexit negotiations, some of that space is likely to used to accommodate staff engaged on Brexit-related work. GLAS Issues 422. Deputy Brendan Griffin Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): The position is that there is no record of an application from the person named to withdraw from GLAS 1 under the provisions of force majeure. It is open to the person named to write directly to the GLAS Section in Johnstown Castle Wexford outlining their request to withdraw under section 20 of the terms and conditions of the scheme providing the full details and supporting documentation for their case. Forestry Management 423. Deputy Sean Fleming Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): I acknowledge that changes made to internal Appropriate Assessment Procedures (AAP) in relation to the issuing of licences has resulted in delays to files. These are beyond my Department’s control as we are obliged to implement changes that were required following important Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decisions and their subsequent interpretation by the Forestry Appeals Committee and others. Currently, we are amending the AA procedure in order to introduce a robust and workable system which will address the issues now faced. Introducing this system involves the recruitment of additional ecological expertise and changes in procedures for the forestry inspectorate. The Department has advertised for additional ecologists and we also have access to external ecological support, which will be supplemented in due course. Inspectors have already undergone training and will receive appropriate support in delivering these new procedures. A categorisation of files affected by these requirements is also underway in order to best assess further action needed and by whom. Notwithstanding recent delays, to the end of October, 3,866 tree felling licences have issued this year, which is 23% up on last year. It should be noted that a tree felling licence is valid for up to 10 years and may cover several felling events, for example, thinning followed by clear-fell, and that volume estimates in support of these licences are for indicative purposes only. There are currently 1,983 felling licence applications on hand at various stages in the process, from data entry to ready for decision. Older files on hands are awaiting further information from applicants and not considered “live” until that information is received. To end October 2019, 71% of tree felling licences decisions issued this year were within four months of receipt of the application. Live Exports 424. Deputy Sean Fleming Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): In 2017, my Department reduced the veterinary inspection fee payable on live exports of calves under three months of age to €1.20 per animal, from €4.80. This gave an important boost to the trade in calves. The available compiled statistics relating to calves exported refer to those under 3 months. In 2018, this amounted to 157,417, and to date in 2019, this has amounted to 192,844. Farm Data 425. Deputy Sean Fleming Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): Beef Industry Irregularities 426. Deputy Denis Naughten 427. Deputy Denis Naughten 428. Deputy Denis Naughten Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): To date in 2019, there have been 508 unannounced inspections by my Department’s classification officers and over 44,000 carcasses checked for classification and carcase presentation. During this period, mechanical classification machines were turned off on 6 occasions and factories instigated manual grading of carcasses. In 2019, one factory has been fined for excess carcase trimming of three carcasses. It is intended to publish the names of all factories that have been fined in 2019 on my Department’s website in due course. Regarding the carcase classification trial, I have published the resultant report entitled ‘Independent Report on the modification trial of the Mechanical Beef Classification System currently in use in Ireland’. The trial was facilitated by my Department and carried out in Slaney Foods. The trial which was also supervised by an Independent Expert clearly shows that the modified technology will bring about increased accuracy over current systems. The methodology and data comparisons to be used in such trials are defined in EU legislation. When evaluating the performance of machines in this regard, the machines’ grades are compared against expert classification officer grades. For transparency purposes, in the report, the results of both technologies are presented although not required by legislation for the authorisation of new equipment. The Independent Expert and author of the report concluded that the results are beyond what is required in the EU legislation to approve such modifications and he confirmed that this trial significantly exceeds what is required where classification equipment is being modified rather than being authorised for the first time. It is now a matter for industry to consider the implementation of this new technology. Freedom of Information Data 429. Deputy Barry Cowen Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): Trade Missions 430. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): As part of my 2019 Trade Mission schedule, I led an agri-food trade mission to the Republic of Korea in June 2019. I used the visit to build on and promote Ireland's image in the Republic of Korea at the Korea Ireland Sustainable Dairy Forum, and at an EU Pork and Beef Seminar organised by Bord Bia. I also took the opportunity to provide assurances on Ireland's status as a safe, secure and sustainable source of agri-food products at Government-to-Government meetings as part of our determined effort to secure market access for Irish beef. In response to the Government’s Global Ireland 2025 initiative, and in keeping with my Department’s efforts to help the agri-food sector to diversify its export markets, my Department is expanding its staffing in international locations over the period to 2025. Under this initiative, it is also intended that an attaché post will be established in Seoul in 2020. Agriculture Scheme Appeals 431. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): The persons named were recently advised to forward any new information in relation to their case to the Agriculture Appeals Office to seek a review of their earlier decision in accordance with section 10(1) of the 2001 Agriculture Appeals Act. Departmental Advertising Campaigns 432. Deputy Jack Chambers Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): To support the campaign, all Departmental staff were emailed with information about the campaign and each public office will display posters and make the campaign leaflets available to visitors. The campaign is also prominently advertised on the front page of the Department's website and is promoted through our social media channels. The Department does not incur any of the direct costs involved in the Be Winter Ready campaign. GLAS Issues 433. Deputy Brendan Griffin Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Creed): The position is that there is no record of an application from the person named to withdraw from GLAS 1 under the provisions of force majeure. It is open to the person named to write directly to the GLAS Section in Johnstown Castle Wexford outlining their request to withdraw under section 20 of the terms and conditions of the scheme providing the full details and supporting documentation for their case. National Broadband Plan 434. Deputy Barry Cowen 449. Deputy Barry Cowen Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): As a State intervention, the NBP must comply with the requirements of the European Commission’s Guidelines on the application of the State aid rules on broadband. The Guidelines require, amongst other things, that Member States carry out a detailed mapping exercise to identify as far as reasonably possible those areas where intervention is required. My Department recently conducted a public consultation to close the ongoing mapping exercise, seeking submissions from operators who wish to have their existing high speed broadband networks, or who have developed plans to invest in high speed broadband networks over the next 7 years, to be included on the Department’s High Speed Broadband Map. That consultation was extended twice at the request of operators, resulting in a total nine week period for submissions, and it closed on 30th September 2019. As part of the consultation, over 180 submissions were received from a variety of stakeholders, including 30 from large and small commercial telecommunications operators, with the remainder from local authority broadband officers and members of the public. Operator submissions are assessed against the Department’s published assessment criteria. Operators submitting planned investments are required to sign a declaration that they will enter into a Commitment Agreement with the Department if their plans satisfy the assessment criteria and are accepted by the Department as being concrete and credible. The findings of the consultation, which will be available in the coming weeks, will ensure that the State Intervention Area is up to date and that it reflects commercial operators’ plans and the responses from householders and businesses, in advance of a contract being signed later this year. This will be an important element in concluding the State Aid approval process with the European Commission. Landfill Sites 435. Deputy Brendan Howlin Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): Waste Disposal Charges 436. Deputy Brendan Smith Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): My Department has been examining this issue in detail and has engaged with relevant stakeholders, including representative organisations and the HSE, in an effort to see how best to provide a financial support to persons with long-term incontinence with respect to the disposal of medical incontinence wear. However, there are complex issues at play in this area, which are understandable given the sensitive nature of the medical data in question. Departmental Reports 437. Deputy Shane Cassells Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): Waste Disposal Charges 438. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): Since mid-2017, a range of charging options have operated, which encourage householders to reduce and separate their waste. This provides flexibility to waste collectors to develop various service-price offerings that suit different household circumstances. A Price Monitoring Group (PMG) was established in mid-2017 to monitor the on-going cost of residential waste collection to homeowners across Ireland as the ‘flat-rate structure’ was being phased out. While fluctuations in prices and service offerings have been observed, the overall trend has been relative price stability. Under the Waste Management Act 1996 local authorities are required to collect, or arrange for the collection of, household waste within their functional areas. It is always open to each local authority to re-enter the market on a commercial basis where they have concerns around cost, quality of service or competition. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996, as Minister, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it. A full public consultation on Ireland’s new Waste Policy in a Circular Economy will be launched before the end of this year which will seek views on all matters waste related. This will inform the development of future national waste management policy, including our environmental goals, regulatory and market structures, and relevant policy instruments and tools. Climate Change Adaptation Plans 439. Deputy Jack Chambers 441. Deputy Jack Chambers 442. Deputy Jack Chambers 443. Deputy Jack Chambers Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment (Deputy Richard Bruton): I understand the Deputy is referring to a report prepared by the Internal Audit Unit of my Department entitled ‘Final EU 2020 Climate Targets Monitoring and Reporting Audit.’ The report set out a number of recommendations concerning the reporting of progress against targets within my Department and to the Government. The Climate Action Plan 2019, published on 17 June 2019, sets out an enhanced set of governance and reporting arrangements, which also closely follow the recommendations of the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, published in March 2019. These arrangements include: · the establishment of a Climate Action Delivery Board within the Department of the Taoiseach to oversee delivery of the Plan · quarterly reporting to Government on progress against the commitments in the Plan and publication of these reports · a five year Carbon Budget and sectoral targets with a detailed plan of actions to deliver them · an independent Climate Action Council to recommend the Carbon Budget and evaluate policy · strong accountability to an Oireachtas Climate Action Committee · carbon proofing all Government decisions and major investments The objective of the ‘Final EU 2020 Climate Targets Monitoring and Reporting Audit' was to assess the adequacy of the arrangements in place for the implementation, monitoring and reporting on each of the three targets covered by the EU 2020 Climate and Energy Package, concerning reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the contribution of energy from renewable sources and improvements in energy efficiency. The report noted that there are established statutory annual reporting arrangements to the European Union in respect of these targets. In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, Ireland also reports annually to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in line with our obligations as a Party to that Convention. The report identified no concerns with respect to Ireland’s reporting to the EU and UN. In respect of renewable energy, this is reported biennially to the European Commission through the National Renewable Energy Action Plan. The report also noted that, in terms of overall monitoring and reporting of progress, interdepartmental structures and reporting arrangements, including in response to enactment of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, have been put in place to ensure that the relevant Departments and Ministers are appropriately informed of progress in relation to these various commitments. In addition, the 2015 Act provides for an Annual Transition Statement to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. This Statement must, inter alia, include information in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and compliance with obligations of the State under EU law and relevant international agreements. The report found that, while there is no fixed reporting frequency nor is there any specific requirement to inform Government of the latest position on targets, in practice, the Minister will take the opportunity to set out the latest position in relation to Ireland’s targets on an on-going basis, including via relevant Memoranda for Government. |
| Last Updated: 14/07/2020 16:05:03 |
Page
of 83
|