Written Answers Nos. 464-483
465. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide clarification in relation to the recruitment process that is currently in place for coroners in view of the fact that two local authorities at present have vacancies which remain unfilled (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41579/24]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Coroner Service comprises the network of Coroners located in districts throughout the country.
All coronial districts, with the exception of Dublin, are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Coroners are independent office holders whose core function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. Neither I, as Minister, nor my Department has any function in the conduct of coronial business.
Coroners for the Dublin district are appointed by the Minister for Justice, whilst Coroners outside Dublin are appointed by local authorities.
Upon the retirement, death or resignation of a coroner, the Department will firstly consider the possibility of amalgamating coroner districts. This is in line with the Department’s ongoing policy of reducing the number of coroners and creating efficiency in the delivery of the coroner function in advance of the planned longer-term reform of this vital public service.
The amalgamation of coroner districts within the area of a single local authority is provided for under Section 7 of the Coroners Act 1962, as amended. An amalgamation will only happen after the Department has consulted with the relevant local authority and with the consent of the coroner whom it is being proposed will hold the office of coroner over the amalgamated districts.
Further, aligned with the intended reform of the Coroner Service, the practice has been that no permanent coroner is appointed where a vacancy arises. In such instances, the Deputy Coroner assumes the powers and duties of the coroner, in an acting capacity for as long as the vacancy continues.
466. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Justice to outline the roles of the newly appointed local community safety partnership chairpersons, their annual renumeration and the term of their appointment; if local public representatives can be considered for appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41590/24]
View answerCommunity safety is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. At the heart of this policy is the principle that every community has the right to be and feel safe in order to thrive and flourish.
Our approach to community safety is a whole-of-Government one. We want to bring the relevant social service providers, including the Gardaí, together with the community in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified by the local community itself.
The Partnerships will operate at local authority level and they will replace Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The Partnerships will have a wider membership than JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.
Each newly established LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan and will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner; addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community.
Pilot partnerships have been running in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's North Inner City, and each has published a local community safety plan, which are available on the respective local authority websites. The plans set out a number of agreed actions to be undertaken by the members of the Partnerships to enhance community safety in that area.
Work is underway to ensure local coordinators are appointed for each prospective partnership and that a chair is selected. Assessment panels have commenced for the role of chairperson in a number of local authority areas and nominations for the chairpersons will be submitted to me in due course. I am hopeful that many communities will start to see LCSPs established in their areas over the coming weeks.
The role of the Chairperson will be to lead the work of the Local Community Safety Partnership and find consensus among the partnership's members so that a tailored local community safety plan can be develop. The Chairperson will also drive forward the implementation of the community safety plan across the community, in order that it delivers tangible benefits for the relevant community.
The learnings from the independent evaluation of the LCSP pilots concluded that the role of the Chairperson, particularly in terms of leadership competence and experience, is central to the Partnership.
The Chairperson will:
• Provide leadership and strategic direction,
• Focus the LCSP on making informed decisions and solutions tailored to the needs of the specific community within which they are working,
• Develop and implement the Local Community Safety Plan in conjunction with both the community and public services, and
• Act as an advocate for the LCSP and represent the LCSP to the public, media and other stakeholders as appropriate.
While each LCSP and Chairperson will be supported by a paid coordinator and a paid administrator funded by the Department of Justice, the role of the Chairperson itself is high-level volunteering role. It is intended that Chairpersons will be appointed for a three year term of office.
I would like to confirm that public representatives may be considered for the role of Chairperson.
467. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Justice if an urgent decision could be made on an application (details supplied) considering that the applicant has an extremely urgent reason requiring immediate travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41593/24]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on the 02 May 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Abu Dhabi Visa Office on the 13 June 2024 where it awaits examination and processing.
Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. This policy document may be accessed at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf
This Policy Document contains a stated business target that visa applications for family reunification for immediate family members of Irish citizens and Category A sponsors, such as Critical Skills Employment Permit Holders, should be dealt with within 6 months of application.
However, it must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.
It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt.
While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) function of the Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/#decisions
It is also noted that the person referred to was issued with an Irish multi entry visit visa which is valid until 20 March 2025. This will enable them to travel to the State and remain on visitor conditions for up to 90 days.
The Immigration officer at the port of entry will determine, on each occasion, whether they may enter the State and the duration of their permission to remain.
It is open to the applicant to request their passport back while they are awaiting a decision on their visa application. This request should be forwarded directly to the Visa
Office quoting the application number. The Visa Office can be contacted at: mailto:travelrequest@justice.ie
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: mailto:IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
468. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the international events and engagements she has attended at which members of the media were also in attendance as part of the Government delegation, since the formation of the Government; the media organisation they represented; the cost involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41606/24]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that I have not attended any international events or engagements at which members of the media were also in attendance as part of the Government delegation.
469. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice if advice will be provided to a person (details supplied) in respect of a visa matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41636/24]
View answerThe person referred to by the Deputy held a Stamp 2 immigration permission which expired on 29 September 2024.
A Stamp 2 immigration permission is granted to all international non-EEA students regardless of whether they are undertaking an English language course or a third level programme. For a person to be granted a Stamp 2 permission, the course they are enrolled in must be listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) which is available on the Immigration Service Delivery website.
The maximum time a person can do English language courses is two years. This consists of three courses of eight months duration each. If the person concerned wishes to obtain a further immigration permission as a non-EEA national student, they are required to progress to a higher education programme listed on the ILEP in order to qualify.
It also remains open to the person concerned to apply for an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Should they be successful in obtaining employment and securing the appropriate employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, they will then be able to register on a Stamp 1 immigration permission.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email using the Oireachtas Mail facility at IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
470. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains committed to ensuring and safeguarding agri-food production in this country while at the same time meeting carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41657/24]
View answerMaintaining food production is at the core of the Government's economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. My position is consistent- each sector, including agriculture, needs to play its part to achieve this target whilst continuing to sustainably produce food and feed.
The Food Vision 2030 Strategy sets out a pathway for Ireland to become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade.
While the emissions targets for agriculture are particularly challenging, the Climate Action Plan includes a range of measures to reduce emissions setting out a viable pathway towards reaching our targets. Last year, 2023, was a year of considerable progress for agriculture with emissions reduced by 4.6% relative to 2022.
Our CAP Strategic Plan supports farmers to transition to more sustainable practices while also supporting family farm incomes, with a budget of €9.8bn. In addition, I have secured a further €60 million for ACRES bringing scheme funding to €260m in 2025, €67m for Organic Farming in 2025 to increase the area to 10% of utilised agricultural area and €260m to improve the carbon efficiency of the suckler herd.
We have made positive in-roads over the last number of years evidenced by reductions achieved, but we have more to do. My Department and its agencies are investing in research across of range of climate change mitigation headings. Projects such as Meth-abate and Greenbreed have led to significant scientific advancements in the area of methane-reducing feed additives and low-emission breeding strategies. The results of the research also highlight the potential to breed more environmentally sustainable animals, without having a negative impact on food production.
My aim is to future proof Ireland’s agri-food sector for the benefit of our industry, the environment and our farm families who are the backbone of the sector and rural communities. The sector will continue to be underpinned by our world class livestock and tillage sectors, and it is critical that we work collectively to achieve our environmental targets while maintaining food production.
471. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the Exchequer funding allocated to each State body under his aegis in 2024 and 2025, including Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the National Milk Agency, Teagasc and the Marine Institute and the Agri-Food Regulator, in tabular form. [40974/24]
View answerThe 2024 allocations for each agency are set out in the table below.
|
State Body |
2024 allocation €000 |
|
Teagasc |
170,450 |
|
Bord Bia |
57,378 |
|
An Rialálaí Agraibhia (Agri-Food Regulator) |
2,590 |
|
Horse Racing Ireland |
76,000 |
|
Rásaíocht Con Éireann |
19,000 |
|
Marine Institute |
43,377 |
|
Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
35,388 |
|
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority |
27,414 |
The 2025 definitive allocations for each state body will be set out in the 2025 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which will be published later this year.
Please note that the National Milk Agency is not in receipt of any funding from my Department.
472. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated full-year cost of returning a payment, by amounts (details supplied) for two schemes combined, based on the most recent participation figures at hand, in tabular form. [40975/24]
View answerIn Budget 2025, I secured additional exchequer funding to increase supports for primary production in the sheep sector.
There are two existing schemes to support sheep farmers – the CSP Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and the 2024 National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS).
Farmers participating in both schemes who correctly complete all the action requirements can currently expect to receive a combined payment of €20 per breeding ewe.
No change is anticipated to current payment rates under SIS as a result of Budget 2025.
The additional funding that I secured will be targeted towards increasing payment rates by €5 per head under the NSWS in 2025 which will allow a combined maximum payment from both schemes of €25 per breeding ewe next year.
In order to increase NSWS per head payment rates in the increments suggested by the Deputy, the total scheme budget would have to increase as set out in the table below.
|
- |
National Sheep Welfare Scheme |
|
Increased payment per eligible ewe (from €8) |
Total Scheme Cost |
|
€5 |
€22m |
|
€7.50 |
€25.5m |
|
€10 |
€29m |
|
€12.50 |
€32.5m |
|
€15 |
€36m |
However, it is important to note that the number of participants and animals eligible for payment under any sheep scheme will depend on a variety of factors such as general market conditions at the time of launch, the menu of actions required to draw down the maximum payment, compliance rates for those actions and the extent to which the action options are suited to particular production systems in the target population.
Any increase in scheme funding is subject to State Aid considerations.
473. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all horticulture sector supports in 2024 and 2025, per scheme, in tabular form. [40982/24]
View answerMy Department is committed to supporting the horticulture sector, the fourth largest agriculture sector in Ireland, with a range of initiatives and supports.
The full year costs of the supports are not available in advance of year end, therefore the scheme budgets are provided in the tables below.
2024
|
Scheme |
Scheme Budget |
|
2024 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector |
€10m |
|
2024 Scheme of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture |
€1.35m |
|
EU Producer Organisation Scheme for fruit and vegetables (EU funded) |
n/a* |
|
Horticulture Crisis Fund 2023 (paid in January 2024) |
€2.38m |
2025
|
Scheme |
Scheme Budget |
|
2025 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector 2025 Scheme of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture |
€8.5m |
|
EU Producer Organisation Scheme for fruit and vegetables (EU funded) |
n/a* |
* Aid for the EU funded Producer Organisation Scheme for fruit and vegetables is based on approved eligible expenditure capped at a percentage of the PO’s turnover (VMP) and is paid retrospectively.
Maximum possible aid that could be granted to Irish Producer Organisations in the Fruit and Vegetable Sector is estimated at €9,347,639 for 2024 and €10,942,470 for 2025.
474. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all pig sector supports in 2024 and 2025, per scheme, in tabular form. [40983/24]
View answerThe continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for the Government, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs spanning production, slaughter, processing, feed manufacture and services.
As in other meat sectors, global trade conditions will be crucial in determining the outlook for the Irish pigmeat sector over the medium to longer term. According to the CSO’s July 2024 report, Irish pigmeat exports continue to perform well totalling €515.09m for the January to July period of 2024. Gaining new market access and enhancing access to existing markets for Irish pigmeat exports is integral to my Department’s strategy for the development of the agri-food sector.
In 2022, at a time when the pigmeat sector was experiencing severe financial hardship and when pig producers had to deal with enormous financial pressures, I provided significant supports, to this very valuable and important sector within Irish Agriculture. My Department successfully delivered two financial aid schemes to commercial pig farmers in 2022. In total these two schemes provided in excess of €18m in financial support to the Pig Sector at a time when the sector was under significant financial stress to ensure its ongoing viability.
The current main supports provided by my Department to the sector are:
The Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) for farmers. The aim is improving the profitability and sustainability of the Irish pig industry through improved animal health. Approximately €242,169 was spent in 2024 with a similar figure being made available in 2025
Under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), and specifically the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme (PPIS), the Pigmeat Sector has seen over € 0.87 million paid towards eligible applications. The total amount committed, based on approved applications, for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 is just over € 0.775 million. The actual expenditure will depend on the number of claims submitted in respect of completed investments.
475. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated full-year cost of returning a payment for both of two schemes combined (details supplied), based on the most recent participation figures at hand, in tabular form. [40984/24]
View answerIn Budget 2025, I secured additional exchequer funding to increase supports for primary production in the beef sector.
There are two existing schemes to support suckler beef farmers – the CSP Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) and the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS).
Farmers participating in both schemes who correctly complete all the action requirements can currently expect to receive a combined payment of €200 per cow / calf pair.
No change is anticipated to current payment rates under the SCEP as a result of Budget 2025.
The additional funding that I secured will be targeted towards increasing payment rates by €25 per head under the BWS in 2025 which will allow a combined maximum payment from both schemes of €225 per cow / calf pair next year.
In order to increase BWS per head payment rates in the increments suggested by the Deputy, the total scheme budget allocation would have to increase to the amounts set out in the table below.
|
- |
Beef Welfare Scheme |
|
Increased payment per eligible calf (from €50) |
Total Scheme Cost |
|
€25 |
€28m |
|
€50 |
€36m |
|
€75 |
€44m |
|
€100 |
€52m |
|
€125 |
€60m |
However, it is important to note that the number of participants and animals eligible for payment under any beef scheme will depend on a variety of factors such as general market conditions at the time of launch, the menu of actions required to draw down the maximum payment, compliance rates for those actions and the extent to which the action options are suited to particular production systems in the target population.
Any increase in scheme funding is subject to State Aid considerations.
476. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated full-year cost of returning a payment for a scheme (details supplied), based on the most recent participation figures at hand, in tabular form. [40985/24]
View answerBudget 2025 sent a strong message of support for farmers engaged in the production of dairy beef calves.
Earlier this year, I published a 10-point plan to develop and support our growing Dairy Beef sector. To further encourage this development, I am doubling the current payment per eligible calf to €40. As my aim is to encourage greater integration of the dairy and beef sectors, the targeting of this allocation is subject to further discussion, including consultation with stakeholders.
Under the existing CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS), the current payment rate of €20 per eligible calf is subject to a maximum of 50 calves per herd for each of the four scheme years (2024 to 2027). Payments for scheme year one (2024) will be made in March 2025 and annually thereafter until 2028.
In order to increase DBWS per head payment rates in the increments suggested by the Deputy, the total scheme budget allocation would have to increase to the amounts set out in the table below.
|
- |
Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme |
|
Increased payment per eligible calf |
Total scheme budget |
|
€20 |
€10.25m |
|
€22.50 |
€10.75m |
|
€25 |
€11.25m |
|
€27.50 |
€11.75m |
|
€30 |
€12.25m |
It is important to note that the number of applications and animals eligible for payment under any Department beef scheme will depend on a variety of factors such as general market conditions at the time of launch, the menu of actions required to draw down the maximum payment, variations in compliance rates for those actions and the extent to which the action options are suited to individual production systems in the target population.
Any increase in scheme funding is subject to State Aid considerations.
477. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated annual cost of a scheme (details supplied). [41016/24]
View answerThe budget allocation for the Traditional Farm Buildings grant scheme is approximately €1.5 million. The maximum grant rate payable under the scheme for approved works is 75%, and the maximum grant amount is €30,000. This allows for approximately 50 projects per year to be funded.
The vacant property grant is €50,000 per project. Increasing the traditional farm building grant to €50,000 per project for 50 projects would cost an extra €1 million.
There is a top-up grant for derelict vacant properties which brings the maximum grant payable to €70,000. Increasing the traditional farm building grant to €70,000 per project for 50 projects would cost an extra €2 million.
478. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated annual cost of a scheme (details supplied). [41017/24]
View answerThe Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which is under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, has statutory responsibility for safety in the workplace including the safety of young people operating tractors on farms.
The FRS Co-Op delivers a course which is specifically designed to develop the safety skills of 14 to 16-year-olds in relation to tractor driving. The course covers both the theory and practice relating to tractor handling for on-farm use. The course is delivered nationwide throughout the year. Many of the sessions are delivered to students as part of their transition year activities.
479. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated annual cost of a scheme (details supplied). [41031/24]
View answerFunding for the fishing fleet is provided for through schemes administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) on behalf of my Department, and funded under the Seafood Development Programme (SDP). The SDP is co-funded by the Irish Government and the EU Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027.
The EMFAF regulation sets out what EMFAF funding can, and cannot be used for. EMFAF funding cannot be used to support the acquisition of new vessels, including the purchase of new vessels to replace older ones. The only provision made in the EMFAF regulation which allows EMFAF funding to be used to support the purchase of a vessel, is in the case of eligible young fishers who may receive aid to assist with the purchase of their first fishing vessel, which must be a second-hand vessel.
Funding supports for capital investment on-board registered fishing vessels are available under both the Small Scale Coastal Fisheries Scheme, and the Sustainable Fisheries Scheme. Details of both these schemes are available on www.bim.ie
It is not possible to estimate the cost of a 'fleet renewal' scheme without further detail as to what it is envisaged would be supported under any such scheme.
As noted above it would not be possible to provide financial supports under the SDP for the purchase of new vessels. Were an exchequer funded scheme to be developed, it would be subject to the relevant EU State Aid regulations in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. These regulations do not allow for aid to be provided for the purchase of new fishing vessels, and are aligned with the EMFAF regulation in providing only for support for young fishers to purchase their first fishing vessel, which must be a second-hand vessel.
480. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all aquaculture sector supports in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and the breakdown, per scheme. [41032/24]
View answerFunding for aquaculture sector supports is provided under the Seafood Development Programme (SDP). The SDP is co-funded by the Irish Government and the EU Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027.
Aquaculture operators may access support under a number of scheme, such as the Seafood Training Scheme, the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme, and the Seafood Capacity Building Scheme, which are all administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). These schemes are currently open for applications, and further details are available on www.bim.ie.
Budget Allocation 2024
The 2024 spend to date and allocation for the three schemes mentioned above are set out in the table below.
It should be noted that the figures below reflect the fact that these schemes opened to applications in recent months, and particularly in the case of the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme, which is a capital investment scheme, it is anticipated that most applicants approved for funding in 2024 will be drawing down their grant aid in 2025.
It should further be noted that the level of demand for all open schemes for industry is being kept under close review by BIM, and there may be some adjustment of budget allocation to individual schemes in light of demand in order to ensure that the overall available budget is utilised to the maximum degree possible.
|
Scheme Name |
2024 spend |
No. of Applications |
2024 Allocation |
|
Seafood Training Scheme |
€68,883 |
126 |
€70,000 |
|
Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme |
€00.00 |
24 |
€300,000 |
|
Seafood Capacity Building Scheme |
€00.00 |
8 |
€15,000 |
Budget Allocation 2025
At present it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the budget allocation for individual schemes in 2025.
The overall budget allocation to BIM in 2025 to support implementation of measures funded under the SDP is approximately €34.16 million. This budget allocation will support not only the industry schemes, but a range of measures undertaken by BIM as part of its work programme. This allocation for 2025 reflects an increase in budget, in light of the anticipated demand across all industry schemes administered by BIM into 2025, including those that support the aquaculture sector. However the precise allocation for each individual scheme for 2025 cannot be finalised until the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) is published.
481. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all tillage sector supports in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; the breakdown per scheme; and the annual cost of schemes (details supplied). [41039/24]
View answerThe Tillage Sector has been allocated additional funding in both 2024 and 2025, above the annual €20m already provided via the Cap Strategic Programme for both the Protein and Straw Incorporation Measures.
The additional Tillage Top Up and Unharvested Crop Loss expenditure of €14.3M realised in early 2024, was in respect of cereal crops planted during Winter 22 - Spring 23 season.
The Tillage Support measure of €30m recently announced as part of Budget 2025 will be based on Tillage and Horticulture crops planted during Winter 23 - Spring 24 season.
A residual maintenance payment in respect of Tillage area converted in 2023 and maintained into 2024 estimated at €1.4m, will also be paid in 2024.
The table below sets out the various payments by year:
|
Scheme |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Protein |
€10m |
€10m |
|
SIM |
€10 |
€10m |
|
Tillage Top Up |
€12.65M |
--- |
|
Unharvested Cro Loss |
€1.65M |
--- |
|
Tillage Support |
--- |
€30m |
|
Tillage Incentive Scheme |
€1.4M |
--- |
482. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all organic sector supports in 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and the breakdown per scheme. [41040/24]
View answerMy Department is committed to meeting our target of 10% of all agricultural land being farmed organically by 2030.
There has been a very strong uptake of the Organic Farming Scheme over the last three years, most recently in December 2023, when a further 1,000 farmers joined the Scheme. This means that, this year, there will be approximately 5,000 organic farmers in Ireland farming approximately 5% of the land. A key element of this is providing the infrastructure and support to both those farmers looking to convert to organic and those who have already converted.
Outlined in the below tables are the expenditure allocations for 2024 and the budget for 2025 for all organic sector supports:
|
Scheme |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Organic Processing Investment Grant |
€1.5 million |
€3.5 million |
|
Organic Farming Scheme |
€57 million |
€67 million |
|
Subvention to certification bodies for farm Inspections |
€900,000 |
€1 million |
|
Development of the Organic Sector |
€500,000 |
€1 million |
In addition, the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) supports organic farmers at a grant rate of 60%. To date,over €1.8 million has been paid in grant aid under the Organic Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS 3 in 2024.
483. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated annual cost of supports currently being provided for supports (details supplied). [41041/24]
View answerMy Department has provided a number of schemes in support of extreme weather/flooding in recent years. These include the Shass Landslide Scheme, the Shannon Callows Flood Scheme, the Unharvested Crop Loss Support Scheme, the Fodder Transport Support Scheme and most recently the Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme.
Please see table below outlining the cost associated with the most recent schemes, as of 14/10/2024. Further payments may issue under the various schemes depending on the outcome of reviews and appeals etc. Payment have not commenced for the Fodder Transport Support Scheme and the Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme.
|
Scheme |
Cost (as of 11/10/2024) |
|
Shass Landslide Scheme |
€0.34 million |
|
Shannon Callows Flood Scheme |
€0.75 million |
|
Unharvested Crop Loss Support Scheme |
€1.67 million |
|
Fodder Transport Support Scheme |
Payments yet to issue |
|
Cooley Flood Damage Relief Scheme |
Payments yet to issue |
