Written Answers Nos. 216-235
216. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the announcement of approximately €23.5 million in forestry premium payments issued in 2026, the amount of funding payments made in respect of plantations of native woodlands; the amount of payments made in respect of non-native plantations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4646/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current Programme, the Afforestation Scheme 2023-2027, offers landowners a choice of 12 Forest Types which cover a broad range of options to plant native and non-native species.
The annual broadleaf target has increased from 30% to 50% of total annual planting. This is reflective of the substantial increase of 66% in premium rates for the establishment of a native forest, as well as five additional years of premiums for farmers across most Forest Types. Further, a 20% broadleaf species component is now mandatory for all mixed forest types, including Sitka spruce, thus supporting increased biodiversity and habitat linkages.
The total premia paid in 2026 amounted to €23,473,116 which includes multi annual premia payments across four Forestry Programmes, and can be broken down by native and non native species as per the table provided below.
|
- |
€ |
% |
|
Native |
8,059,459 |
34% |
|
Non-native |
15,176,733 |
65% |
|
Supplementary/Other Payments |
236,923 |
1% |
|
|
23,473,116 |
|
The figures provided in the table include planting under the current and earlier Forestry Programme and account for plots that were planted with native trees, oak, and broadleaf. This also includes broadleaf/native species included in mixed planting under Forest Types such as Diverse Conifer, Continuous Cover Forestry, Mixed high Forest: Conifer, and Mixed high Forest: Spruce.
217. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rationale for limiting approvals for TAMS 3 solar PV applications to approximately 25% of eligible applicants in tranche 9; the specific budgetary, administrative, or policy constraints that determined this cap; the evidence base used to justify rejecting the majority of farmers who sought to invest in renewable energy despite Government commitments to increase on-farm renewable generation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4650/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. TAMS 3 has been hugely successful to date, with payments of over €121 million issuing to farmers since payments commenced in June 2024. A total of more than 45,000 applications were received in the first eight tranches of the scheme, which is almost three times the number received over the corresponding eight tranches in TAMS II. All eligible applications received across those eight tranches have been approved, with the result that more than 40,000 approvals have issued to farmers to date, allowing them to proceed with their investments.
In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CSP, it was necessary to apply the ranking and selection criteria to limit the number of approved applications in tranche 9, which closed for applications in September 2025.
The number of applications and the level of funding provided to date under certain schemes, such as the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), have well exceeded expectations, to the extent that more than 20% of the total TAMS budget is being spent on the SCIS alone. To date, a total of 3,149 SCIS applications have received approval, with €22.9 million in payments issuing to 1,232 applicants.
The budgetary allocation for TAMS 3 is spread over all schemes and it is not possible to allocate a budget to each of the eleven schemes individually. On that basis, a decision was made to focus on approvals for core on-farm investments such as farm safety and nutrient storage, acknowledging the huge importance of continued investment in these measures.
218. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of solar PV applications received, deemed eligible, and approved under each TAMS 3 tranche to date; the total funding allocated for solar PV under TAMS 3; the total funding actually drawn down; and whether his Department has assessed the cost-effectiveness of increasing the approval rate given the high level of unmet farmer demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4651/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. TAMS 3 has been hugely popular to date, with 5,529 applications received under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), which is one of eleven schemes under the suite of TAMS schemes. To date, a total of 3,149 approvals have issued under the SCIS, with payments of €22.9 million issuing to 1,232 applicants.
An overall allocation of €88 million has been provided for TAMS 3 for 2026. It is not possible to allocate a budget to each of the eleven schemes individually.
|
SCIS Applications by Tranche |
|
|
|
TRANCHE |
STATUS |
SCIS |
|
Tranche 01 |
Applications Received |
751 |
|
Tranche 01 |
Approvals Issued |
666 |
|
Tranche 02 |
Applications Received |
738 |
|
Tranche 02 |
Approvals Issued |
644 |
|
Tranche 03 |
Applications Received |
326 |
|
Tranche 03 |
Approvals Issued |
294 |
|
Tranche 04 |
Applications Received |
645 |
|
Tranche 04 |
Approvals Issued |
580 |
|
Tranche 05 |
Applications Received |
513 |
|
Tranche 05 |
Approvals Issued |
445 |
|
Tranche 06 |
Applications Received |
307 |
|
Tranche 06 |
Approvals Issued |
232 |
|
Tranche 07 |
Emergency Tranche* |
0 |
|
Tranche 08 |
Applications Received |
455 |
|
Tranche 08 |
Approvals Issued |
287 |
|
Tranche 09 |
Applications Received |
899 |
* SCIS investments were not included in the emergency tranche 07, responding to Storm Éowyn.
The number of applications and the level of funding provided to date under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) have well exceeded expectations, to the extent that more than 20% of the TAMS budget is being spent on the SCIS alone.
In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CSP, it was necessary to limit the number of approved applications in tranche nine by applying ranking and selection criteria, and this will also be considered for future tranches. On that basis, a decision was made to focus on approvals for core on-farm investments such as farm safety and nutrient storage.
220. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the justification for using nitrates derogation status as a negative scoring criterion for solar PV applications under TAMS 3; whether the Department has assessed the impact of this criterion on dairy farmers who have significantly higher electricity demand and therefore greater renewable-energy potential; whether the Department will review this scoring system to ensure it aligns with the objective of maximising emissions reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4653/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Ranking and Selection System (RASS) under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) applies marks across a range of criteria, including the Age of the Applicant, the Size of the Holding, Land in Area of Natural Constraints (ANC) and Nitrates status.
A negative mark does not apply for any type of farming enterprise in the scoring criteria for SCIS. Under the Nitrates criteria, a score of + 0.01 marks per Kg of nitrates per hectare is awarded, with a maximum of 1.7 marks available.
The SCIS is open to farmers of all enterprise types. I am satisfied that the current scoring system is the best mechanism for ensuring that funding is targeted at the most appropriate enterprises. I will also ensure that the system continues to be reviewed on a regular basis.
221. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of solar PV approvals, by farm enterprise type, dairy, beef, tillage, mixed and so on; whether the Department has evaluated whether the current scoring system disproportionately disadvantages full-time dairy farmers relative to lower-energy-use enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4654/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. TAMS 3 is a hugely popular scheme, with 5,529 applications received under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), which is one of eleven schemes available under the TAMS umbrella. To date, a total of 3,149 approvals have issued under SCIS, with €22.9 million in payments issuing to 1,232 applicants.
|
SCIS Approvals by type |
|
|
Enterprise Type |
Total Approvals |
|
Field Crops (Tillage) |
97 |
|
Horticulture |
10 |
|
Milk |
1725 |
|
Mixed (Crops and Livestock) |
124 |
|
Other Grazing Livestock (excl. Milk) |
967 |
|
Other Permanent Crops (Fruits) |
1 |
|
Pigs or Poultry |
225 |
|
Total |
3149 |
Under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme, grant aid is provided to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology, together with battery storage on Irish farms.
Of the 3,149 approvals issued to date under SCIS, 55% of approvals have issued to dairy farmers. This achieves the objective of providing support to a sector with significant energy usage by encouraging investment in renewable energy, thereby reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. On that basis, I believe that the current ranking and selection scoring system is the best mechanism for ensuring that funding is targeted at the most appropriate enterprises. I will also ensure that the system continues to be reviewed on a regular basis.
222. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average processing time for solar PV applications under TAMS 3; the number of applications currently pending; and the steps being taken to reduce delays given the time-sensitive nature of renewable-energy investments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4655/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received.
The TAMS 3 scheme operates in tranches, with generally four tranches per year. There is no difference in the processing time in any of the TAMS 3 sub-schemes as the processing of all applications commences upon closure of the specific tranche.
The timeline for approval of applications under TAMS 3, including those received under the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS), has been agreed with the relevant farm bodies and laid down in the Farmers' Charter. The issue of approvals following the selection of valid applications will take place within three months of ranking and selection of files under each tranche, and no longer than six months following the closure of a tranche. Ranking and Selection is the process whereby the overall cost of applications received in a particular tranche is assessed taking into account the available budget. It is a regulatory requirement that Ranking and Selection must take place on all eligible applications. Under Tranches 1 to 8,100% of eligible applications proceeded through the Ranking and Selection process.
On average, all eligible TAMS 3 investments, including solar PV applications, where there are no issues with the application/accompanying documents, are processed within three months following the ranking and selection process. I believe the processing of applications, in its current structure, is the best method of ensuring that applicants receive timely approval to proceed with their investments.
223. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase supports for fishermen and women and the fishing industry after the disastrous quota negotiations recently (details supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4662/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe outcomes of the December 2025 Fisheries Council will, regrettably, result in reduced fishing opportunities for Ireland's fishermen and women in 2026.
The most significant reduction relates to the Mackerel quota. The scientific advice - on which the EU bases its decisions on quota setting - reflects the impact of overfishing of the Mackerel stock by certain Third Countries. Ireland has repeatedly raised the overfishing of Mackerel by certain Coastal States outside the EU over recent years and has called for the EU to take a strong position to protect this valuable stock.
A range of supports and services are provided to the Irish fleet under Ireland's €258 million Seafood Development Programme, which is co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027.
Together with Minister Heydon, I am establishing a working group under the auspices of Food Vision 2030 to develop a framework of supports to address the substantial challenges currently facing the sector.
224. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the Food Safety Authority of Ireland became aware that beef from Brazil treated with oestradiol was available on the Irish market in December 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4667/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Food Safety Authority of Ireland is under the aegis of the my colleague the Minister for Health.
225. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has been engaging with authorities in Northern Ireland regarding a matter (details supplied). [4668/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra226. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has been engaging with UK authorities regarding a matter (details supplied). [4669/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, which is under the aegis of the Department of Health, is the central competent authority for food safety and as such lead in the investigation of such matters. The Authority issued a press release on 7th January 2026 in relation to this matter.
Consignments arriving at ports and airports in Northern Ireland and destined for premises in Ireland, are subjected to the same Import Control Inspections as apply at the Border Control Posts operated by my Department.
227. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of veterinary practices that have registered with his Department as retailers to enable them to dispense prescription items not issued by them. [4758/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of veterinary practices that have registered with my Department as retailers is 77. The most recent figures from the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) workforce report published in May 2025 indicate that there are 764 total registered veterinary premises.
S.I. 462/2024 states that the following prescription only medicines (POM) can be dispensed from a premises which holds a retailer’s licence on receipt of a veterinary prescription:
(a) an intramammary veterinary medicinal product,
(b) an antifungal veterinary medicinal product,
(c) an antiparasitic veterinary medicinal product,
(d) an immunological veterinary medicinal product
(e) an injectable digestive stimulant, or
(f) an injectable vitamin and mineral.
While veterinary practices may generally dispense prescription only medicines to animals under their own care, by registering as a licensed retailer, a veterinary practice can dispense one of these products on receipt of a valid veterinary prescription issued by another veterinary practitioner.
228. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details of pier projects that were delivered by his Department in 2025, in particular piers that were extended or redeveloped. [4791/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. It also has responsibility for Cape Clear, and some Piers, Lights and Beacons.
In March 2025, I announced a capital investment package of €27.75 million under the 2025 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. This allocation provided funding for capital commitments in respect of a number of ongoing projects, as well as funding to facilitate the planned commencement of certain new projects. It also included an allocation for a Local Authority Marine Infrastructure scheme. Projects funded through this scheme are delivered by the local authorities themselves.
Many projects supported under the Fishery Harbour Centre Programme are multi-annual in nature. Accordingly, no pier extension or redevelopment projects were completed and delivered by my Department during 2025.
Notwithstanding this, my Department has delivered several significant pier development projects in recent years, including works at Dinish Pier Castletownbere (€48 million, officially opened 2023), Fisher’s Pier Howth (€10 million, officially opened 2023), and Smooth Point Killybegs (€35 million, officially opened 2024).
In addition, the Deep-Water Quay project at Ros an Mhíl remains in development, and it is anticipated that construction will recommence in mid-2026, subject to the necessary approvals and funding arrangements.
All capital projects are subject to rigorous project management processes including design, tender action and implementation stages, and ongoing monitoring, evaluation and review in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Capital Works Management Framework and the Infrastructural Guidelines. Additionally, all contractual projects are subject to the applicable conditions of contract and, as such, it is necessary to follow due process in accordance with such conditions.
I will continue to prioritise investment in Fishery Harbour Centres and coastal infrastructure to support the fishing and wider maritime sectors.
229. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he ensures that all websites operated by his Department are accessible to the visually impaired. [4809/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has collaborated with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) to produce a common Design System for building of web applications. The components within this Design System are tested and compliant with “AA” standard of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and all recent, and newly built web applications, adhere to this standard. Quality Assurance, and expertise, is additionally embedded into each development team to continually access and validate that services to the public are of the highest standards.
My Department has a large portfolio of services, some of which were built using legacy technologies that pre-date modern accessibility standards. My Department has already begun a programme of modernisation that will ensure such legacy applications are also compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
230. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any website or other platform operated by his Department uses an AI-enabled chatbot; if there are plans to use chatbots; in what circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4827/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently no websites or platforms operated by my Department that use an AI-enabled chatbot. My Department is planning to conduct a proof-of-concept project with an AI-enabled chatbot to assess the benefit of this technology for Department users. All current and future AI use cases are subject to human review, data protection and governance measures. My department is committed to ensuring that any use of AI is informed by an assessment of any potential human rights and equality implications, with a need for careful management in accordance with privacy and broader ethical and legal frameworks. For operational and security reasons, my Department has been advised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) not to disclose details which could, in any way, identify potential vulnerabilities in Departmental Cyber security arrangements.
231. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total sums spent for each year from 2016 to 2025, inclusive of advertising, by his Department on social media or online platforms, including identifying separately payments to influencers on such platforms; and to set out the annual totals for that period to each specific platform, including but not limited to major platforms (details supplied). [4846/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides public information about the Department's wide range of schemes, services, and policies, and this includes public information campaigns. Social media is one of the channels that is used to communicate this information. On occasion, my Department runs paid campaigns to reach a larger audience and broaden awareness.
My Department has not paid for the services of influencers on the platforms listed during the period 2016 to 2025.
My Department did not incur expenditure in respect of social media or online platforms in the years 2016 to 2018 inclusive.
The table below sets out the expenditure in respect of social media or online platforms during the period 1 January 2019 to the 31 December 2025.
Additional paid campaigns in 2023 and 2024 covering forestry promotion and messaging on farm safety and animal welfare resulted in higher costs than other years.
|
Channel |
Year |
Expenditure |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2019 |
€24.60 |
|
Twitter / X |
2019 |
€62.21 |
|
Total |
2019 |
€86.81 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2020 |
€996.90 |
|
Twitter / X |
2020 |
€108.90 |
|
Total |
2020 |
€1,105.80 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2021 |
€2,284.35 |
|
Twitter / X |
2021 |
€465.41 |
|
Total |
2021 |
€2,749.76 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2022 |
€32.47 |
|
Total |
2022 |
€32.47 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2023 |
€99,700.46 |
|
Twitter / X |
2023 |
€5,073.5 |
|
YouTube |
2023 |
€24,355.78 |
|
TikTok |
2023 |
€3544 |
|
Total |
2023 |
€132,673.74 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2024 |
€50,548.87 |
|
Total |
2024 |
€50,548.87 |
|
Meta (Facebook / Instagram) |
2025 |
€7,000 |
|
TikTok |
2025 |
€6,500 |
|
Total |
2025 |
€13,500.00 |
232. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the basis on which funding ceilings for TAMS 3 solar PV were set; whether he will consider revising the allocation given the strong climate-mitigation case for expanding solar PV uptake on farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5476/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. TAMS 3 has been hugely successful to date, with payments of over €121 million issuing to farmers since payments commenced in June 2023. Over the first eight tranches of the scheme, more than 45,000 applications were received, which is almost three times the number received over the corresponding eight tranches in TAMS II. All eligible applications received across those eight tranches have been approved, with the result that more than 40,000 approvals have issued to farmers to date, allowing them to proceed with their investments.
The number of applications and the level of funding provided to date under certain schemes, such as the Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) have well exceeded expectations, to the extent that more than 20% of the TAMS budget is being spent on SCIS alone. To date, a total of 3,149 SCIS applications have received approval, with €22.9 million in payments issuing to 1,232 applicants.
In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CAP Strategic Plan, it was necessary to limit the number of approved applications from the most recent tranche by applying ranking and selection criteria, and this will also be considered under future tranches.
The budgetary allocation for TAMS 3 is spread over all schemes and it is not possible to allocate a budget to each of the eleven schemes individually. On that basis, a decision was made to focus on approvals for core on-farm investments such as farm safety and nutrient storage, acknowledging the huge importance of continued investment in these measures.
233. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of people aged 65 years or younger residing in nursing-homes. [4544/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
234. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she or any of her officials have used artificial intelligence to write speeches, produce social media content for her Department, or to issue responses to parliamentary questions, since she took office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4587/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.
235. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has a paid subscription with a social media company (details supplied). [4605/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for his question. My Department has no paid subscription with this social media company.
