Deputy Duncan Smith has given notice that he will take Question No. 99.
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Forestry Sector
Robert O'Donoghue
Question:99. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a dedicated support scheme to address the significant and ongoing losses experienced by the forestry sector as a result of recent storms; the expected timeline for the development and implementation of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66951/25]
I recognise the impact that Storms Darragh and Éowyn have had on the forestry sector throughout the country. This presents significant challenges for the forestry stakeholders. I also welcome the positive progress that has been made by the forestry sector on the mobilisation of windblown materials in forests.
The volume of timber normally felled over a 2.5 year period was blown down overnight during storm Éowyn. The latest damage assessment maps show that over 27,000 ha of forests were windblown, with 11,400 ha impacted in private forestry. Following the storms, I quickly established the forest windblow task force and delivered an action plan, created in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, which focused on the mobilisation and processing of windblown timber. To further speed up the process, my Department has allowed the use of both thinning and felling licences in removing storm damaged trees, and our data now shows that over 77% of windblown trees already have a felling licence issued by the Department. All this means is that more than 90% of the harvesting capacity in the country is now working in windblow areas. My Department is currently finalising negotiations of the administration of a reconstitution scheme, which is expected to provide supports to those affected by windblown sites, and I will make an announcement on this matter in the coming weeks. I would like to confirm again that all forest owners who have been affected will not be disadvantaged by undertaking works to clear windblown material, and if they do not currently have a felling licence, they should consult with a registered forester as soon as possible.
The answer to this is that it was a bad story but it has been dealt with adequately. If it was not, I would tell the Deputy. There is a reconstitution scheme. It is going to be in place. It will be implemented and delivered in the coming weeks. People will know exactly what they can get. However, in terms of going ahead now and working on their forest, the Deputy knows from his time in local authorities that a person should never engage in any work without getting approval. The senior Minister and I have stated clearly and publicly that people can come along and carry out the necessary works but they should do so in a safe fashion, and they will get their reconstitution scheme after.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed and very clear response in relation to this. As he articulated, the storms caused unprecedented damage, felling tens of thousands of hectares, wiping out years of growth and inflicting huge economic losses. There is encouragement in the Minister of State's response. An estimated 26,000 ha of forest has been felled or destroyed, impacting the long-term investment income retirement security of many foresters. They have been severely eroded. The Minister of State can understand that many of them are looking for urgent clarity. I know he said it will be in the coming weeks. I am not trying to pin him down too much because his response was detailed, and I think it will give an awful lot of encouragement. However, does he think there will be greater visibility on how that scheme will look maybe this side of Christmas or are we looking at the first few weeks of January? That is my follow-up question.
I love straight questions, and I like giving straight answers. Yes, absolutely, before Christmas, people will know exactly how much they will be able to receive per hectare to reconstitute so, again, there is no reason in the world anybody should not go ahead and carry out their works. The one thing I would advise people on the record of the Dáil is to please deal with registered people. As the Deputy knows, if someone is selling an animal tomorrow morning, he or she wants to do it in a proper way to make sure he or she will be paid. We have a template for people who are selling and engaging in clearing timber from their forests to make sure they are dealing with reputable people and that they will get paid and, again, carry out their work in a safe fashion. Unfortunately, farm deaths have increased. This is also a type of activity on the land. I just want to make sure because sometimes the forest can be dangerous, so it is to make sure they are dealing with proper registered people and get paid. They will have their reconstitution scheme, and they can have every confidence.
I thank my staff in the Department, the head of forestry, Mr. Barry Delany, and all the others who worked so diligently in this reconstitution scheme and, of course, the co-operation of the Minister and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in ensuring we are able to deliver this.
I have no more to add. I brought this up on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Robert O'Donoghue. I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response.
Fisheries Protection
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Question:98. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for the December EU Fisheries Council to mitigate further losses in fish quota to Ireland's fishing fleet; his engagements over recent weeks with his counterparts in other member states to defend our interests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66298/25]
The Minister of State knows that the Irish fishing fleet took a huge hit as a result of Brexit, and the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement resulted in a huge loss of fish, but it is about to get a whole lot worse with the imminent cuts to the mackerel quota. Mackerel is a prime fish species, which is really critical to so many jobs in Ireland. I want to get a sense of the Government's plan on how to mitigate this and also to ensure that those who are recklessly overfishing are stopped urgently.
I thank Deputy Mac Lochlainn for raising what is a really significant and very important issue. At the outset, I would like to acknowledge the challenges facing the seafood sector in 2026, and the concerns felt across the industry arising from the scientific advice for 2026 for some of our most important fish stocks, particularly mackerel, as Deputy Mac Lochlainn outlined. I am aware of the seriousness and impact this advice will have on the sector.
Ireland has repeatedly raised the overfishing of mackerel by some coastal states outside the EU over recent years. We raised the issue under any other business, AOB, at the October Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, calling for urgent action at EU level to protect our key pelagic stocks. I reiterated this again last week at the November AGRIFISH Council meeting. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, and I will continue to highlight this critical issue for our fishers and engage intensively with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans and other member states on possible actions to protect our stocks. At that November Council meeting, I also confirmed Ireland’s intention to invoke the Hague Preferences at the appropriate time along with the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. The Hague Preferences give Ireland an increased share of important fish stocks, as the Deputy knows, when total allowable catch, TAC, levels reduce below a specified level. It was made clear to member states at the November Council meeting that the Hague Preferences are a fundamental part of relative stability and have been recognised as such in the legal framework of the Common Fisheries Policy since 1983 when the CFP was established.
Most of the EU fish stocks for which Ireland has quota are shared with third countries. The European Commission has sole competence to negotiate with third countries on behalf of the EU and our priority is that the EU secures the best possible outcome for the Irish fishing community. That is why we continue to advocate. The most important thing we do is use every channel diplomatically open to us to advocate but also explain the impact previous fishing activity has had and what the implications of that are for our fishing industry into next year.
The difficulty is that there are corporations based in the European Union that have invested in the fleets in Iceland and the Faroe Islands that have been recklessly overfishing. My concern is that there has been a lack of political will as a result of their lobbying skills over the last number of years. We have been watching this slow-moving car crash. Mackerel is a precious species. It is a migratory species. It spawns off the west coast of Ireland and works its way up to those northern waters. To see it recklessly overfished to the point where we could lose it very soon is utterly heartbreaking. There are hard-working people who took chances in this country and who built up a pelagic industry, and they have been betrayed by this failure to deal with this issue. This is a matter of great urgency, and it goes to the heart of the need to really have a Common Fisheries Policy that is just and fair to our people.
I absolutely understand. The Deputy articulated quite clearly the sense of injustice and the upset and concern. What we do is use our voice within the EU because the EU is the competent negotiator in terms of that trade, and there are a lot of negotiations going on with third countries. The EU-UK negotiations began on 4 November and will continue until the first week of December. The EU-UK-Norway negotiations began on 27 October. The second round took place on 17-20 November, and the third round is scheduled for the first week in December. The EU-Norway negotiations began on 3 November, with the second round on 24-27 November in Oslo. At the coastal states consultation on the TAC setting for mackerel, the EU, Norway, Iceland and Greenland were prepared to set the 2026 TAC in line with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, advice of 174,357 tonnes. However, the UK and Faroe Islands indicated that they needed more time. Therefore, there currently is no agreement for a TAC agreement for mackerel. The coastal states also agreed the TAC for blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring in line with the ICES advice. That is all ongoing, and our job is to input into the EU the very significant impact this is having in Ireland.
I do appreciate the fact that we have a dedicated Minister of State for fisheries, which has been a welcome development, who is engaging and listening to our communities. We now need to use that resource with all the knowledge, working hand-in-hand with the Irish industry, to confront this injustice once and for all and to say to the European Commission that what happened with Brexit was so wrong.
We did not have burden sharing and we carried so much of that weight. I am glad the Minister mentioned the UK. It is a party to this recklessness. It benefited from Brexit. It got an agreement that was not based on relative stability or track record. It was based on what is called zonal attachment and those communities closest to the fishing waters. This is what we would love to have in Ireland. It is what Britain got and it cannot have its cake and eat it. This is about countries which I respect, such as Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. I have nothing against their people or the British people but this is reckless behaviour. It is unjust and unfair. We have to call it out and it has to stop. We need to have fairness and justice. We need to protect jobs in our vulnerable coastal fishing communities.
The Commission has indicated its intention to conclude the consultations in time for the AGRIFISH Council on 11 and 12 December. It has yet to be seen whether it will be successful in this. As we move towards the finalisation of setting 2026 fishing opportunities, my focus, and that of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, over the coming weeks will be to continue to work towards the best possible outcome for Ireland's seafood sector in 2026, one that ensures the sustainability of the stocks and a level playing field for our fleet. It is also important to recognise the resilience and determination with which the sector has addressed challenges in recent years. The Government recognises that resilience and determination, and funding opportunities for the sector will continue to be delivered in the lifetime of Ireland's €258 million seafood development programme, EMFAF.
I will also continue to work with ministerial colleagues across government to assess what supports may be available to the seafood sector in the context of EU state aid rules, and within the constraints of national and Union funding, to support the sustainability of the sector in 2026 and beyond. To address the core point, I absolutely accept that fishers want a fair deal. I agree that having a Minister of State dedicated to this area is positive. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, has my full backing. We work hand in glove, and we will both be out in Brussels together, to make sure we articulate very clearly the impact of ICES on our fisher communities and to get the best deal possible.
Food Safety
Martin Kenny
Question:100. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of any Brazilian or South American beef being imported into Ireland that is produced using hormones and antibiotics that are banned in Ireland under food safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66303/25]
As the Minister is aware, there is great concern about the Mercosur trade agreement. Even before it comes into place, tens of thousands of tonnes of Brazilian beef are being imported into the European Union. Much of this beef has been produced using hormones and antibiotics that are banned in the European Union and in Ireland. The Irish Farmers' Journal and the Irish Farmers Association did great work going out there to investigate this and they have reported on it. Have we done similar investigations in Ireland into beef that has been coming into this State from Brazil and other Mercosur countries and the levels of antibiotics and hormones that are used?
I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this point. Reports of the Irish Farmers' Journal investigation into the sale of hormones and antibiotics in Brazil raise important issues and merit careful examination. We know that Brazilian beef already enters the EU market and it is, therefore, important to ensure that none of the unregulated products referenced in the investigation are used in its production. While there is no evidence that this is the case, these reports reinforce the need for continued vigilance.
According to Central Statistics Office data for the last number of years, Ireland has not imported beef product in any significant quantities from Brazil. In 2024, imports from Brazil amounted to 97 tonnes of a total of 34,000 tonnes imported. Beef imports from other Mercosur countries were virtually nil. The EU has very stringent standards, known as SPS, sanitary and phytosanitary, standards, to protect human, animal and plant health. These are among the highest standards in the world and the European Commission has insisted they are not negotiable. These SPS standards remain unaltered, regardless of any trade agreement concluded by the EU.
This is something that came up during my trade mission to America in April, when the insinuation was made that our blocking of hormone-fed beef into the EU was a non-tariff trade barrier. It is not. We do not want hormone-fed beef in Europe, European consumers do not want it and the European Union is opposed to having it in here. America has access to supply 35,000 tonnes to the EU, which is a small amount relatively, but it is not filling it because it is not interested in the difficulty in supplying it. It just goes to show the context of SPS standards, which are different from environmental standards. They are non-negotiable and the Government is very firmly of the view that these EU SPS standards must continue to be rigorously upheld for the benefit of European consumers. It is also important that the European Commission continues to engage with the Brazilian authorities to ensure this is the case. We will continue to make that point with officials across the EU.
I thank the Minister. I am aware there are very small amounts of Brazilian beef coming into Ireland, of course, but quite large amounts are coming into the European Union as a whole. As the Minister said, the standards we expect Irish and European farmers to meet are not being met by the Mercosur countries, in particular Brazil, in respect of beef. We also have a problem with chicken and other products. To focus specifically on the beef issue, the reality is that Irish farmers and Irish consumers will be put at risk if we have a food safety issue whereby the beef and products coming in from these countries are not to the same standards and are using hormones, pesticides and antibiotics that are banned in the European Union.
There is a great deal of evidence, and not only from what has been uncovered by the Irish Farmers' Journal and the IFA. For a long time, it has been widely known there is no traceability, there is widespread mass vaccination of animals in these countries, and there is no way they can possibly meet the same standards that European consumers expect for their food. In this context, will the Minister ensure the Irish Government blocks the trade agreement at the European Council meeting and forms a minority there to do so? France is already interested in doing this, as is Poland. I understand that Hungary announced this morning it will do so. If Ireland is on board with this, we are very close to a position where we can block this agreement.
I am happy to discuss the proposal on the trade agreement. I have held the Government position, as outlined in the programme for Government, to work with like-minded countries, as I have done since 23 January, which share similar concerns about the Mercosur trade deal and the impact it could have on trade. It is a different point from the question. The Mercosur trade agreement is about tariff rates. It is about the point at which it comes in and whether it gets preferential tariff rates. SPS standards and food safety standards are non-negotiable. For product coming into Europe already, and Deputy Kenny made the point that very little of it comes into Ireland but plenty of it comes into the EU, it is a non-negotiable standard.
I do not accept that it has been known for a long time that there are lower standards there. No more than we do not get hormone-fed beef from other member states, we do not accept it into the EU from Mercosur countries either. There are very clear audits. We need to double down with the European Commission to make sure the audits, checks and testing of product coming in are rigorous, and that the tests in Mercosur countries and here are rigorous, because this is non-negotiable. The concerns I have on the trade side are about environmental standards but they are very different from SPS standards.
The Minister's answer is concerning. Basically he is saying he wants to shift the responsibility over to trade, and that it is a trade negotiation.
I will answer on the trade agreement.
The reason I asked the question in this context is that I was afraid if I tabled it to the Minister as a trade question, I would be told it should go to the Minister with responsibility for trade. This is why I asked it in the context I did, as the Minister will understand. The Minister mentioned the programme for Government and working with like-minded countries. There are already at least three, and maybe more, like-minded countries that are prepared to form a blocking minority. Is Ireland prepared to be part of that and to block the trade deal, not only to be there to stand firm for Irish farmers but also for European consumers faced with the huge negative health consequences of importing very dangerous product into the European Union, which is produced using products that are banned in the European Union?
I was answering the specific point on SPS first and I am happy to discuss the trade agreement also. Throughout the EU Mercosur negotiation process, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who has lead responsibility for trade agreements policy, and I have actively engaged with the European Commission and other member states to voice Ireland's concerns about the EU-Mercosur agreement. While I am not the Minister with lead responsibility for this, the impact of it would be greatest on our beef farmers so, of course, I have an interest. That is why, since my appointment as Minister in January, I have raised these concerns at every AGRIFISH Council I have attended. Trade is on the agenda of every meeting and I have raised our concerns about Mercosur at every meeting. I have also raised them with like-minded counties through bilateral meetings on the margins of these Council meetings. In recent months, I have met with my French, Italian, Austrian, Latvian and Polish counterparts to exchange views. Most recently, I have met with my Italian and French counterparts en marge of the November AGRIFISH Council meeting in Brussels, which was only ten days ago. We continue to engage and share these points, for the very reason Deputy Kenny has outlined.
Nitrates Usage
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:101. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has developed a contingency or plan B in the event that Ireland is not granted a further extension of the nitrates derogation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65973/25]
A week is a long time in politics and it seems my question could be out of date. It is on whether the Department has developed a contingency or plan B in the event that Ireland is not granted a further extension of the nitrates derogation.
The nitrates derogation has been my number one priority since I was appointed Minister at the beginning of this year, and for very good reason. Our derogation farmers are making great efforts and strides around improving water quality, operating to a higher standard of conditionality. Our pasture-based system is very different from the rest of Europe. These have been very challenging and sensitive negotiations and there has been much at stake.
We have had three meetings of the nitrates technical committee so far this year, in March, June and September, and Ireland has been on the agenda and presented at each of them. I have dealt with and met Commissioner Roswall on several occasions. At a meeting in Brussels in September, I invited the Commissioner to visit Ireland, which she did, with her officials, in recent weeks. I met her again subsequently in Europe as we continued to engage back and forth. Throughout that time, we have sought to have the Commission put forward a proposal for implementing a decision to the next meeting of the nitrates committee, on 9 December, giving us an extension. The Commission wrote to us in June, highlighting the need for us to address the habitats directive as part of this process. This placed a significant extra burden on us to work through a process as to what that would look like and to have a negotiation in that regard.
I can confirm to the House today that the Commission has finally agreed to put a proposal to the nitrates committee for an extension of the existing derogation. It is not a new derogation; it has different terms and conditions around time and conditions. These have been very sensitive negotiations. The proposal is that the nitrates derogation extension will be for a three-year period, with new conditionality. I have worked very closely with many key stakeholders on this but it is sensitive issue. This is still only a proposal going to a technical committee that has a vote on it. We will not have a derogation on 1 January unless that committee votes to approve this proposal from the Commission. In the intervening period, my focus has been to continue to work with member states to make sure we get the result we need for Irish agriculture and our overall economy on 9 December.
The Minister mentioned the habitats directive has been a key part of these negotiations and that he had discussions in the summer with the Commissioner regarding incorporating the habitats directive into the plans. Can he give more information on exactly what that will mean for farmers, and what supports will be provided to ensure they can comply with that? The habitats directive is a robust compliance measure, so this is going to be very hard. This has been one of my arguments all along. We have had the derogation for 20 years but we have never once met any of the environmental conditions placed by Europe. Our water quality has never improved. Certainly, in the last report from the Environmental Protection Agency, they had not improved. What conditions will be placed on us as regards the habitats directive? What will that mean for farmers? How will the Minister support them in meeting hose conditions?
Farmers are on that journey already in a variety of ways, particularly in the area of water quality. Requirements include the need for Ireland, as outlined during the summer, to conduct environmental assessments to address the habitats directive at catchment level in order to demonstrate compliance with the directive. This is a massive undertaking. It will require significant investment of time and resources to complete these assessments for all 583 catchments. That is why the Commission has agreed to propose a three-year derogation to facilitate the completion of this work. The issue with time was something I continuously raised. Four years is the maximum time allowable under that, and we looked for the maximum. There was very much a desire for much less time to be given but we had to clearly outline, based on the science, how much time the process would take, both to be fair and to allow our farmers to work through that process and to allow the Department to assess those 583 catchments. That is very onerous and there are other conditionalities too. I want to be fair to all stakeholders and Government colleagues by briefing them properly. The stakeholders have been very constructive in their engagement throughout this process.
My understanding is the nitrates action plan has screened out appropriate assessments. Is that correct? How does the habitats directive fall into that action plan? The Minister is saying appropriate assessments may be part of this for farmers. I do not know whether that is on a catchment level or an individual site level.
Our concerns have always been that farmers were being led to a cliff and there was a level of uncertainty for them. There is now a three-year gap but, unfortunately, I imagine we could be back into this situation again in three years, where farmers are at the end of their tether and wondering what will happen in a number of months. I ask that the Minister completely avoid this.
It is also interesting that when the nitrates directive is mentioned, whether it is the Taoiseach or the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, the immediate response is to deflect to Mercosur. It seems there is a conflation of Mercosur and nitrates in the minds of some Government TDs-----
Where did the Deputy get that from?
The Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, was asked about Mercosur on the TV during the week and he immediately went to the nitrates derogation. Can the Minister confirm there has been no deal done in Europe that the nitrates derogation would be given, contingent on his support for the Mercosur deal or not fighting or opposing it?
The Deputy should conclude.
I am happy to confirm all my engagement with Commissioner Roswall has been around the substance of the nitrates derogation. It has a very important role here and the Commissioner saw that first-hand when she visited. The Deputy will forgive me in not taking her direct advice because if I had taken that earlier in the year, the Social Democrats and the Deputy would have had us wave the white flag and concede the nitrates derogation. We have a strong case, based on science, that we have a very different farming system here.
This is a sensitive topic. There are other countries in Europe that would like to have a proposal for a derogation and are looking at this. For this reason, I commend farm organisations, the industry and key stakeholders impacted by this across the board on their patience and trust in allowing me to work through this process. My hope had been to bring this to Cabinet and to engage with stakeholders in a way that allowed me to continue to engage with other member states, which will vote on this proposal on 9 December. The technical committee will vote on it.
All our focus has been on the habitats directive and water quality. The nitrates action plan 6, which is currently out for public consultation, has new conditionality on water quality. We had to make a detailed proposal on assessments to address the habitats directive, outlining the time they will take. It is not practical to talk about doing that on a farm level, and we have always been clear on that. That is why I am talking about it on a catchment and sub-catchment basis.
Water Pollution
Roderic O'Gorman
Question:102. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the report undertaken by the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy regarding pollution in Lady's Island Lake; the measures his Department or agencies related to his Department are undertaking to respond to the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66952/25]
Senator Noonan and I have raised the environmental damage at Lady's Island Lake on several occasions in both Houses. I welcome the recent announcement of funding by the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, for Wexford County Council to help tackle the issue. What is the Minister's Department and the agencies associated with it doing in response to the report of the joint committee regarding the pollution in Lady's Island Lake.
I thank Deputy O'Gorman for raising this point.
I am aware of the joint committee's report regarding Lady's Island Lake and I am working closely with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, who is leading the Government's engagement in this area. My Department, along with Teagasc experts, are centrally engaged in the interdepartmental Lady’s Island oversight group led by Wexford County Council, which also involves the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the local authorities waters programme, LAWPRO, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS.
Wexford County Council, with the guidance of the interdepartmental group, has developed a site-specific action plan to address the challenges faced by Lady's Island Lake within the framework and mechanisms of the water action plan 2024. The recent announcement of funding by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support this work aims to support development of the Lady’s Island Lake sustainable farming and communities water quality management plan, which will facilitate a holistic approach to improve water quality in this coastal lagoon.
In the Lady's Island Lake catchment, my Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is funding free confidential advisory support for farmers through the agricultural sustainability support and advisory programme, commonly known as ASSAP. Under that programme, ASSAP advisers are working in the lake's catchment to identify appropriate on-farm measures to address the challenges faced by the lake. The farming for water European Innovation Partnership, EIP, led by LAWPRO, is working in partnership with Teagasc and Dairy Industry Ireland in the lake's catchment area. Through this EIP, my Department is providing €50 million nationally in funding for specific targeted on-farm actions which go beyond regulatory requirements.
A significant number of farming for water EIP applications have already been completed in the lake's catchment area.
The problems in Lady's Island Lake are not new. The reports of pollution there go back as far as the early 1980s. Every few years it seems the problems get so big that there is a call for action and that is usually dealt with through the breaching of the sand spit at the southern end of the lake. The EPA report from January, which the Green Party would credit with sounding the alarm, could not have been clearer about what is needed, namely, enforce existing regulations on agricultural nutrients entering the lake, help farmers change practices and improve the buffer zones around the water sources that flow into the lake. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, be taking a leading role in engaging with local farmers? I was glad to hear the Minister mention the European Innovation Partnership. This was quite successful nearby, at Duncannon beach, in dealing with pollution. I ask the Minister for some detail about the innovation project that is being designed to support farmers specifically around Lady's Island Lake?
Yes, I can confirm that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, is taking the lead on this but we are working closely in consultation. I am not deflecting in saying this, but it will be worth raising this point with the Minister of State as well because he is dealing with it on a day-to-day basis. We are providing, as I said, financial support of €50 million through the ASSAP programme. I agree with the Deputy that it is a really positive programme. It is leading to great work being done, not just in the Lady's Island catchment area but by thousands of farmers all over the country taking on voluntary additional conditionality.
In addition, EU and nationally funded schemes, such as the agri-climate and rural environmental scheme, ACRES, and the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, are available to farmers in the catchment. Again, these benefit water quality by incentivising farmers to go above and beyond regulatory requirements. We see the demand for TAMS, with 6,100 applications in the most recent tranche, which is double the number traditionally. Farmers are investing in water quality, increased nutrient storage and low-emission slurry spreading, and we are supporting them to do those things through TAMS.
I just would like to bring the discussion back to Lady's Island Lake specifically because there is a real opportunity here to take measures that will restore the lake to a functioning ecological system. We are still in the dark about some of the specific details about what is happening. Have farming inspections around Lady's Island Lake increased? Have there been inspections of septic tanks? Has there been engagement with Irish Water about the treatment plant at the lake? I know people are concerned about that as well. Local campaigners are worried that in a couple of years' time, we will be back here making the same points across the floor. We have a model that works, the innovation partnership model funded by the EU. It has worked in other areas, and it also is effective in that it does not scapegoat farmers. It recognises that they are stewards of the land and it helps them to adapt without risking their own livelihood. We have the willingness to draw together the relevant actors here, but we need clarity on the steps that have been taken so far. If the Minister does not have all that information here, he can come back to me in writing with the extra detail, which would be appreciated.
I will do so. I agree with the Deputy that this is about partnership. As with all areas related to addressing environmental challenges, the partnership approach is what works really well. As I stated, Wexford County Council, with the guidance of the interdepartmental group, has developed a site-specific action plan to address the challenges faced by Lady's Island Lake within the framework and mechanisms of the Water Action Plan 2024. The recent announcement of funding by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support this work aims to support the development of Lady's Island Lake sustainable farming and community's water quality management plan. That is the very specific approach the Deputy is talking about. Separate from that, my Department is working closely with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to develop Ireland's next nitrates action programme, which is due to apply from January 2026, with the objective of reducing and preventing water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources. These proposals for the next nitrates action programme are currently out to public consultation and that is due to be completed on 1 December.
EU Meetings
Colm Burke
Question:103. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on his recent meeting at the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council, AGRIFISH, in Brussels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67158/25]
I thank Deputy Burke for raising this important issue. Once a month, I go to Brussels to meet the other 26 ministers for agriculture at what is known as the AGRIFISH Council. The most recent meeting took place in Brussels on Monday, 17 November. With Ireland's Presidency of the EU commencing in less than eight months, I took the opportunity to continue my proactive engagement with ministerial colleges to ensure that Ireland delivers an impactful Presidency for all of the EU. At the Council, I took the opportunity to raise a number of important issues for Ireland. In the round-table discussion regarding the post-2027 CAP, I stressed the importance of the CAP continuing to remain a fully funded policy capable of delivering a viable income for our farmers, as well as ensuring food security and promoting rural resilience. The future of the CAP is extremely important in safeguarding the viability of our farmers and rural communities. It is, therefore, important that the specifics of the CAP are provided for the next EU budget, our multi-annual financial framework, MFF, and the CAP is sufficiently visible as a discrete entity within the overall budgetary structure.
Challenges facing EU trade were also on the agenda and I raised a number of important issues in this regard. Regarding the carbon border adjustment mechanism, known as CBAM, I stressed the real challenges that this regulation poses in the context of its potential impact on the fertiliser costs for EU farmers. I highlighted the importance of working together to provide certainty for affected operators and to monitor closely any impacts on the Irish and EU agricultural sectors.
I have also raised Ireland's concerns regarding preferential EU market access being given to Mercosur countries if South American farmers are not subject to the same sustainable farming standards as our own farmers, particularly when it comes to the beef sector. I also reiterated Ireland's unwavering support for Ukraine.
In relation to fisheries, I outlined Ireland's concerns and priorities regarding ongoing negotiations on fishing opportunities for 2026. I will continue to work with the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, to articulate the importance of supporting our fishers at this difficult time of negotiations.
Where are we with the Mercosur issue? The Minister outlined that the same level of regulations do not apply. We in Ireland have strict protocols and regulations in place, yet we are allowing products to come on the market that will not necessarily have the same level of scrutiny. If this goes ahead, we will be in a situation where there is an unfair set of regulations for Irish and EU producers compared to producers from outside the European Union. Are we satisfied with that? Is enough analysis being done on the regulations in place for those countries?
As a proposed trade agreement, Mercosur is the responsibility, first and foremost, of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. As Minister for the agriculture sector and farmers, I continue to highlight the sensitivities of this trade proposal for our beef sector in particular. I believe strongly that Ireland and our agriculture sector benefit greatly from our open trade policy and from being part of the EU, including, in general, the trade agreements it concludes. This does not mean we have to support every single trade deal. In alignment with the programme for Government, we work with like-minded countries because we have those concerns and sensitivities. We have also analysed the safeguards that have been put in place by the EU. The proposals around how they would be implemented and interact with the legal instrument is a really important consideration as well. To stop this deal would require a blocking minority of at least four member states, with at least 35% of the population. That is why I have engaged with key colleagues. At the most recent meeting, I met my French and Italian counterparts, continuing the commitment in the programme for Government to work with like-minded countries that share those concerns around the proposal.
The Minister referred to the period post-CAP 2027 and the challenges there. CAP has given support to farmers in Ireland and across the EU. The question now is what will happen post 2027. There is also a scenario arising with those involved in farming. We have an older age profile. What is being done to try to keep people in the sector across Europe? This is not just an Irish problem but one right across Europe. The issue is that if we do not have people involved in agriculture, we then have a difficulty with food security. Is enough being done at European level to make sure we have a sufficient number of people producing the goods in order that we have food security for all member states?
These are the pertinent points for all the negotiations on the new CAP. We are aligning that discussion on what the new CAP will look like with the proposals around the multi-annual financial framework at the same time.
Ultimately, at the heart of what the CAP can deliver beyond 2027 is the question of how much money is in the pot for it. We know Commissioner Hansen secured a ring-fenced commitment of 80% of the existing budget. That is not enough; we need more. Ireland has a key role to play in the Presidency from July of next year for six months. It is 13 years since we had this role. What I am doing at present at AGRIFISH council level is building that engagement with other member states, colleagues and counterparts, and, through bilaterals, understanding what their priorities are for the CAP.
From my perspective, the EU is a very successful peace project. The Common Agricultural Policy was one of the first initiatives at the heart of the then EEC and this was because it was recognised that hunger was one of the biggest causes of conflict. No more than we have become a bit complacent about peace in Europe, we have become complacent about food security as well. That is why we argue really strongly that while there are new demands for increased spending on defence, climate and different areas, and that will put the budget under strain, they cannot come at the cost of investing in the Common Agricultural Policy and in our farmers who produce the top-quality, safe and nutritious food that is needed.
I call Deputy Byrne.
I am still to come back in. To come back to the issue of the age profile of the people in farming, I am not sure at European level we are doing enough on that. From an Irish point of view, this is a huge challenge. I was talking to someone recently who lives in an area where there are four major dairy farms within a mile of one another and all of them will be gone within the next five years. I am not sure we are doing enough forward planning on that area.
Very quickly, Commissioner Hansen has expressed in his draft proposals really strong ambition on the area of generational renewal. I want to be able to design approaches in the new CAP that address the issue of generational renewal. However, what I have just talked about in relation to my efforts and the ongoing efforts across the Department of agriculture to retain the nitrates derogation is key for generational renewal and giving certainty and confidence to young farmers. My new bovine TB action plan, funded to the tune of €157 million next year, gives certainty to young farmers who are thinking of investing but are afraid of getting a breakdown in their herd. My support for the tillage sector is about giving certainty-----
I thank the Minister.
Generational renewal is at the heart of everything we do and will be at the heart of negotiations for the new CAP as well.