Written Answers Nos. 387-398
387. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to invest in local authority-controlled piers and harbours across the State over the forthcoming Government term; and if he will confirm that central Exchequer investment in these piers and harbours will not cease as the Brexit adjustment reserve fund concludes. [13142/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. The responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance and their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage thereafter.
However, my Department has, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided limited funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.
One of the actions for my Department in the Programme for Government is to maintain support for the inshore fishing sector, aquaculture as well investing in our State Fishery Harbour Centres and public marine infrastructure and I am fully committed to this process.
On March 13th my colleague Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Fisheries Timmy Dooley TD announced an allocation of €27.75 million to my Department’s 2025 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.
The announcement included €4.3 million funding for maintenance and repair works of coastal local authority infrastructure. My Department will co-fund up to 75% of the eligible project costs with the local authority providing the balance. I encourage local authorities to submit applications before the April 4th closing date.
This programme is operated on an annual basis and not on a multi-annual. Expenditure provisions for future years will be determined through the National Budgetary process.
388. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of any secondments from consulting firms to his Department since 2020; the consulting firm involved; the purpose of the secondment; the durations of the secondments; who paid the salary of the individual seconded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13176/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020 there are no persons on secondment from consulting firms to my Department.
389. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the ACRES payments made from 2020 to 2024 and date in 2025, by country, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13209/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra390. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average delay in making ACRES payments from 2020 to 2024 and date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13210/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 389 and 390 together.
Data in relation to lengths of time that ACRES payments have been outstanding is not held by my Department.
ACRES was implemented on a phased basis, with a commencement date of 1st January 2023 for Tranche 1 participants and 1st January 2024 for Tranche 2 participants. It is important to note that not all outstanding payments are caused by delays within my Department. The issues which are impacting on the making of payments in respect of each year are primarily:
• Contract and ownership / partnership issues,
• Issues with scorecards (incorrect score, scorecards not submitted, alignment of scorecards with BISS data), and
• Alignment of ACRES data with latest BISS information.
The Department is actively resolving the remaining issues through, for example, the development of the required IT functionality and the investigation of issues associated with specific contracts. However, in some cases, action is required by the participant to progress the payment claim.
More than €436 million has been paid out to farmers to date in respect of their participation in ACRES.
In respect of advance payments which commenced in November 2024, some €189 million has issued to 43,822 farmers, representing just under 81% of active participating herds. Advance payments to the remaining applicants are being processed every 10 days, as issues are resolved.
A total of €247.4 million has been paid to 42,631 participants (25,537 General and 17,094 Co-operation), or 95% of all ACRES participants, in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2023. Of the remaining cases, almost all received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000 by mid-March 2024. In many instances, this covered the entire payment due. Where the interim payment does not cover the entire amount due, work is underway to ensure that any remaining payments are finalised and issued as quickly as possible.
I will arrange for the payments per county to be forwarded directly to the Deputy when compiled.
391. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who are waiting for the co-operation areas in ACRES to be finalised, by each co-operation area, in tabular form. [13211/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy has requested, the following table represents the number of farmers in each Co-operation zone awaiting the finalisation of ACRES payments in respect of the 2024 scheme year. These figures also include any participant who has not yet had their 2023 ACRES contract finalised.
|
Burren |
330 |
|
Donegal |
659 |
|
East South East |
202 |
|
Mid West Southern Uplands |
692 |
|
North Connaught Ulster |
297 |
|
North West Connaught |
773 |
|
South Mayo Connemara |
755 |
|
West Cork Kerry |
911 |
|
Total |
4,619 |
As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, claims for payments under ACRES must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue.
My Department is continuing to investigate and progress all cases that have not yet received payments. Payment runs are scheduled every 10 days and cases will be added as they pass the required validation checks. I can assure you that everything is being done to pay, as soon as possible, all ACRES participants who clear the required pre-payment validation checks.
392. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the leadership practices inventory actions for the co-operation areas under ACRES will be finalised; and the reason for the three year delay. [13212/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is referring to the Landscape Action element of the Co-operation approach of the ACRES Scheme. ACRES has been implemented on a phased basis in view of the high level of participation and the range of opportunities available under the Scheme, all of which required the development of new and extensive IT functionality.
Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs) are important elements of the ACRES scheme. They aim to provide Co-operation participants with the opportunity to implement these complementary environmental actions as a mechanism for farmers to enhance the ecological status of their lands, thereby increasing their scores and their potential ACRES payment.
There have already been two application windows for NPIs, with decision letters for the 2023 NPI application window being issued in December 2024. Screening of the 2024 applications is ongoing.
Regarding Landscape Actions, a provisional list of these actions was published on my Department’s website in October 2024. The drafting of specifications and costing of the actions is at an advanced stage. It will also be necessary to undertake an Appropriate Assessment as required under environmental legislation, with rollout currently estimated to take place in Quarter 2 or Quarter 3 of 2025.
393. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delays in ACRES payments across Kerry; the measures he is taking to address this; his plans to simplify and expedite the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13213/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraACRES is the first scheme of its kind to upscale results-based payments to a national level. This is a significant change in implementing such an innovative and ambitious scheme, and it has come with complexities and challenges.
There is significant work involved in the verification of payment claims, and in the calculation and issuing of payments to over 54,000 participants from all twenty six counties, including those in county Kerry. Most of these applications consist of a number of actions, or there may be a number of different habitats to be assessed, and multiple scorecards to be completed and submitted.
Certain issues such as transfers of contracts, late or non-submission of scorecards, and alignment of ACRES information with data held by the Department on other IT systems, have contributed to the delay in the making of those payments. Work is ongoing to resolve these issues, and every effort is being made to process outstanding payments as quickly as possible.
We have made significant progress. Almost all ACRES participants have received a payment (either interim or final) in respect of their participation in the Scheme in 2023, and remaining balancing payments continue to be processed. In addition, just under 81% of participants have been paid their advance payment in respect of their participation in the Scheme in 2024.
As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, claims for payments under ACRES must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue.
My Department is continuing to investigate and progress all cases that have not yet received payments. As these are resolved, they are added to the next scheduled pay run. Pay runs are taking place every 10 days in order to ensure that these payments are issued in a timely manner.
My Department will be issuing regular online updates over the coming period on the progress being made, with the overarching objective of having all outstanding payments in respect of farmers’ participation in ACRES in 2023 and 2024 made by the end of June.
394. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 862 of 5 February 2025, if all outstanding GLAS and ACRES payments have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13214/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of €247.4 million has been paid to 42,631 participants (25,537 General and 17,094 Co-operation), or 95% of all ACRES participants, in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2023. Consequentially, 2,302 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023. Of these, 2,008 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000, respectively.
I can confirm that advance payments totalling €188.9 million have now been paid to 43,822 farmers in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2024. This number of recipients represents just under 81% of all ACRES participants. Advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 10,453 ACRES participants across Tranches 1 and 2.
My Department is continuing to progress the contracts awaiting final payment in respect of 2023 and/or advance payment in respect of 2024, with the target of having as many as possible cleared by May 2025, with the most complex cases to be finalised in June 2025 at the latest.
With regard to GLAS, I can confirm that 226 herdowners are due a GLAS payment. This can be categorised as follows:
• 61 herdowners are owed an advance and/or balance payment for one or multiple Scheme years,
• 165 GLAS 3 herdowners are owed 2022 Rare Breed payment to finalise their 2022 Scheme Year payment, as the Rare Breeds payment issued a year in arrears.
In addition, GLAS officials have identified approximately 60 cases requiring financial reconciliation. These are a combination of top-up to system payments, penalty refunds, reversals and posting of debts following revised decisions.
I can assure you that everything is being done to pay, as soon as possible, all ACRES and the remaining GLAS participants who clear pre-payment checks.
395. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale behind the decision to include mineral soils under GAEC2 despite the clear intent that GAEC2 should solely apply to peatland and wetlands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13259/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGAEC 2 (protection of carbon rich soils) is a baseline requirement under the CAP regulations and is legally required to be put in place for 2025 as part of the conditionality requirements for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payment scheme. The proposal which my Department has submitted to the European Commission for approval aims to strike the balance between the vital protection of peatlands and wetlands, and the farmer's right to continue with agricultural activity on this land.
Regarding your question on the inclusion of some mineral soils, conditionality requirements must be controlled at land parcel level. Trying to isolate parts of the parcel where activities can or cannot not take place is not practical and would be very difficult to control. If a farmer believes that their parcel should be split, or that it should not be included in the standard, they can appeal to my Department. However, if 50% or more of the parcel is identified in the map, then it is in scope.
To apply a different threshold than the 50% rule for GAEC 2 would either bring in far more mineral soils into the standard, or leave too much peat soils outside of the protection of the standard. I believe this percentage strikes the right balance.
The proposed map is well-understood and has been in use for many years. A clear, parcel approach based on well-understood maps is a fair way to ensure that we get the required protection in place without any uncertainty as to the requirements, or where they apply. It is in all our interests for farmers to have certainty.
The proposal does not prohibit any of the common practices that these lands are typically subject to. For grassland, reseeding is still possible, as is maintenance and repair of existing drains. New drains are also allowed, subject to the relevant planning legislation, which is already a requirement.
396. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will take steps to amend Ireland’s proposal on GAEC2 in order that it is fairer for all farmers and not impact smaller family farms more than those larger farm enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13260/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGAEC 2 (protection of carbon rich soils) is a baseline requirement under the CAP regulations, and is legally required to be put in place for 2025 as part of the conditionality requirements for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payment scheme. The proposal which my Department has submitted to the European Commission for approval aims to strike the balance between the vital protection of peatlands and wetlands, and the farmer's right to continue with agricultural activity on this land.
With regard to the impact on different farm sizes, all farms regardless of size are subject to conditionality requirements.
The proposal does not prohibit any of the common practices that these lands are typically subject to. For grassland, reseeding is still possible, as is maintenance and repair of existing drains. New drains are also allowed, subject to the relevant planning legislation, which is already a requirement.
397. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department, or any agency under his Department’s remit, have, since 1 November 2024, entered any contract in respect of a hotel (details supplied) or have had any discussions, or received any offers, in respect of using these premises for any reason; the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13271/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has not entered any contract in respect of a hotel (details supplied) or has had any discussions, or received any offers, in respect of using this premises for any reason, since 1 November 2024.
As regards the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.
398. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the ARP scheme will be extended beyond March 2025. [12972/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Accommodation Recognition Payment scheme is currently in place until 31 March 2025. However, the scheme may be extended by Ministerial order, subject to Oireachtas approval.
In making an order to extend the scheme, I am required under the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Act of 2022) to have regard to the need to continue to make provision for a financial contribution to assist in increasing the availability of accommodation for temporary protection beneficiaries.
This scheme is an important instrument of public policy that has supported my Department in meeting the accommodation needs of those fleeing the war. It has also diverted thousands of beneficiaries away from State-contracted accommodation.
Section 4(2) of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 enables me to make such change to a date considered appropriate, following consultation with the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I can confirm that I have undertaken those consultations.
The Act of 2022 also requires, where such an order is proposed to be made, that a draft of the order be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and that the order shall not be made until a resolution approving the draft has been passed by each House of the Oireachtas. I wish to confirm a draft order to extend the scheme has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and will shortly be considered in each House.
