Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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569. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment that the green cert will be reviewed to ensure it is fit for purpose. [53980/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Green Cert is delivered by Teagasc and has been developed to meet the training requirements for part-time and full-time farmers. It is accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) an independent State agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland.

In 2016, Teagasc and QQI undertook a comprehensive review of the Green Cert to ensure that it reflects the changing requirements of Irish farming. This review process was led by a Standards Review Group on behalf of QQI and included industry stakeholders. The Review Group recommended strengthening the Green Cert across many key areas, in particular, grass management, animal breeding, health and safety and sustainable farming approaches.

Subject to formal validation from QQI, Teagasc plan to roll out the new Green Cert programme from early 2018. 

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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570. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment to seek recognition from the European Commission for forgotten farmers as a group with specific disadvantage under the national reserve in the same way that old young farmers are currently provided for; and the number of meetings he has had with Commission representatives on this issue. [53981/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a specific disadvantage.

In the context of the discussions with the EU Commission in early 2015 regarding the inclusion of the group referred to as Old Young Farmers under the 2015 National Reserve, the Commission advised that the inclusion of groups under ‘Specific Disadvantage’ category  of the National Reserve would require individual approval at EU level.

The National Reserve in 2017 was established using funding derived from a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements. EU Regulations pertaining to the National Reserve provide that the two categories of young farmer and new entrant to farming must receive priority access to the Reserve. In the context of the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, Ireland consulted with the EU Commission regarding the possibility of including the Forgotten Farmer group under the specific disadvantage category of the 2017 National Reserve. The EU Commission confirmed that Member States cannot use the proceeds of a linear cut to fund a specific disadvantage category of the National Reserve. 

The Commission confirmed that the only funding option for the specific disadvantage category is natural replenishment of the Reserve, such as unused entitlements or the proceeds of clawback, but only after the two priority categories of young farmer and new entrant to farming have been catered for.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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571. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment to support for further action at EU level to deliver greater transparency and fairness in the food supply chain; and the number of Council of Agriculture Ministers meetings at which he has raised this subject with colleagues. [53982/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The issue of greater transparency in the food chain supply has been discussed on four occasions in 2017 at the Council of Agriculture Ministers meetings. The European Commission is now currently conducting a public consultation exercise on whether EU level action is needed to address anti-competitive practices caused by the weaker position of farmers and SMEs in the food supply chain vis-a-vis other levels of the chain. This assessment is to take into account the work conducted by both the Agricultural Markets Task Force (AMTF) and the High-Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain (HLF).In line with the European Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) programme, the Commission will assess and summarise all the relevant available evidence and establish the need for EU action, including through a legislative initiative, by means of an Impact Assessment (IA). The outcome of this exercise, in accordance with the due process requirements for an IA, is to be presented in the first half of 2018.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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572. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment to explore the potential for the development of onshore close containment fish farming as an emerging technology. [53983/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, published in 2015, proposes 24 actions to drive the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector and grow production in the sector by 45,000 tonnes by 2023. The Plan targets a 30% increase in production derived from onshore close containment recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Considerable international developmental effort is being put into land based RAS systems. A number of technological challenges need to be overcome to make RAS economically viable.

BIM funded a 2015 study by the Irish Salmon Growers Association ‘Potential for Land Based Salmon Growout in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in Ireland’. The report describes in detail all technical aspects of RAS production and system design and operations. It also covers important biological aspects of land based salmon production.

As part of my Department’s €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme, a new Aquaculture ‘Knowledge Gateway Scheme’ was launched in 2016. I have provided BIM with a budget of €8.2 million for that Scheme over the course of the Programme. In close collaboration with aquaculture enterprises and researchers, the Scheme aims to develop knowledge, innovation and technology in the aquaculture sector to ensure its sustainable development. An important part of the focus of the Scheme will be the applied research and development on RAS identified in the National Strategic Plan. This may take the form of applied research undertaken by BIM on behalf of the sector or initiatives from industry operators or research institutions.

To further incentivise RAS developments, I increased grants rates in December 2016 under the EMFF Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme for RAS developments to the maximum possible rate of 50% for 2017 applications. In May 2017, I doubled the maximum grant amount from €500,000 to €1m per project (still at 50% of eligible expenditure).

The Knowledge Gateway Scheme and the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme remain open and BIM would welcome industry or research projects related to the development of RAS technology in Ireland.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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574. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for government commitment to continuing to explore the potential development of an all-island label to successfully address the problems associated with so called nomad cattle; and the number of North South ministerial meetings at which he raised this subject with colleagues. [53986/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The labelling of food in the European Union is governed by a number of EU regulations which lay down strict requirements including in relation to mandatory country of origin labelling for certain meats.

Under EU rules, labels on meat from cattle born and reared in the Republic of Ireland and exported live to Northern Ireland and subsequently slaughtered there, must include the member state of birth and rearing, and the member state of slaughter.

It is possible to include a voluntary label, but this may not contradict mandatory origin labelling, nor does it obviate the requirement for mandatory labelling. The possibility of a voluntary all Island label has been previously raised with British retailers,  who have made clear that they have a longstanding policy to market British and Irish beef separately, with a simple, clear origin label. 

While voluntary labelling of this nature has been mooted as a mechanism to encourage a live export trade between the Republic and Northern Ireland, it must be noted that this trade is determined by a range of factors, including the Sterling exchange rate and the supply of cattle in each market, retailer preferences and production cycles. It should be noted that live exports to Northern Ireland have increased for the year to date by 11% since the corresponding period in 2016.

The North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) is a forum that discusses a wide range of matters pertinent to the beef sectors in both jurisdictions, however this matter has not been the subject of discussions at this meeting in recent times.