Written answers

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Departmental Budgets

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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196. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the €4,756,000 capital allocation in food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare within his Department for 2019 by specific project; the projects that will be commenced and completed in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6033/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The main components of the capital allocation for the Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health and Animal Welfare ( DAFM Programme A) is shown in the following table.

Description Allocation 2019

Information Management Technology & DAFM Laboratories4,036,000
Sheep EID720,000

This funding provides for ensuring that my Department continues to maintain a robust and responsive IT infrastructure to support Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health and Animal Welfare, and to assist my department in maintaining its certified ISO 27001 Information Security Standard and for the on-going maintenance and improvements works at the Departments laboratories.

I have also provided funding to support livestock marts and slaughter plants with the installation of facilities in connection with the Electronic Identification system for sheep in 2019.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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197. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the €159,845,000 capital allocation in farm sector supports and controls within his Department for 2019 by specific project; the projects that will be commenced and completed in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6034/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The main components of the €159,845,000 capital allocations for the Farm Sector Supports and Controls ( DAFM Programme B) for 2019 are set out in the following table.

Description Allocation 2019

Forestry*78,179,000 *
Targeted Agricultural Measures (TAMs)69,493,280
Commercial Horticulture6,000,000
Traditional Farm Buildings Capital1,250,000
Information Management Technology ( Admin Budget) 1,236,000
Dev Organic Sect 2014-201,200,000
BEEP1,150,000

* A further €22 million will be allocated from funds carried over from 2018 (subject to approval)

It can be seen that the vast majority of the funding is allocated to Forestry Programme schemes , including establishing new afforestation and the cost of annual premiums for existing forestry, and the Targeted Agricultural Measures (TAMS) which is co funded by the EU under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020. These schemes provide grant aid which part-fund many thousands of projects undertaken by individual operators. As they are demand led the precise number of individual projects, start dates etc. cannot be provided.

Furthermore, this allocation will provide assistance in the development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector by grant aiding capital investments in specialised buildings and equipment, as well as the provision of funding in the Organic Sector to support the development of the sector to respond to market demand for organically produced food. It also includes support for weighing equipment for the new Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) scheme.

The Administrative budget capital allocation for Programme B in 2019 provides for ensuring that my Department continues to maintain a robust and responsive IT infrastructure to support of the delivery of farmer payments and controls and to assist my department in maintaining its certified ISO 27001 Information Security Standard.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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198. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the €34,685,000 capital allocation in policy and strategy within his Department for 2019 by specific project; the projects that will be commenced and completed in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6035/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The main components of the €34,685,000 capital allocations for the Policy and Strategy (DAFM Programme C) for 2019 are shown in the following table.

Description Allocation 2019

Horse &Greyhound Fund - Horse Racing Ireland-Capital11,100,000
Food Sector Brexit Capital8,630,000
National Food Innovation Hub Teagasc6,000,000
Prepared Consumer Food Centre – Teagasc 5,000,000
Teagasc Capital Grant3,150,000
Restoration of Johnstown Castle520,000
Information Management Technology (Admin Budget) 241,000
H&G Fund Bord na gCon-Capital44,000

The 2019 allocation for the Policy and Strategy includes the Brexit capital supports for the food sector, which were announced in Budget 2019. The grant schemes for food companies and artisan food producers are demand-led schemes, so the numbers of projects or their completion dates of are not yet known.

Innovation and product development is crucial to enhancing the resilience of the sector and to support this I have provided funding for the construction of the National Food Innovation Hub at Teagasc, Moorepark and the further enhancement of the Prepared Consumer Food Centre at Teagasc, Ashtown a project which commenced in 2018. I have also provided for the maintenance of Teagasc’s facilities and laboratories and the completion of the Johnstown Castle Restoration project. I have also provided for Horse Racing Ireland support for development projects at race courses, via the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund.

The Administrative budget capital allocation for Programme C in 2019 provides for ensuring that my Department continues to maintain a robust and responsive IT infrastructure to support of the delivery of Policy and Strategy activities and to assist my department in maintaining its certified ISO 27001 Information Security Standard.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown of the €56,714,000 capital allocation in the seafood sector within his Department for 2019 by specific project; the projects that will be commenced and completed in 2019, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6036/19]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The main components of the €55,714,000 capital allocation for the seafood sector ( DAFM Programme D) for 2019 are shown in the following table.

Description Allocation 2019

Development and Upgrading of Harbours for Fisheries 26,890,000
Marine Inst. Grant Capital12,000,000
BIM Grant Capital12,100,000
Remediation of Haulbowline Island2,500,000
Seafood Development Programme Capital1,300,000
SFPA Capital400,000
Information Management Technology (Admin Budget) 287,000

The major Fisheries Harbour Centre development projects I have provided for are the Dinish Island pier project at Castletownbere which will be substantially completed this year and Smooth Point project at Killybegs which is planned for commencement in the second half of the year. I have also provided part-funding for a range of smaller projects at local authority owned piers.

The Haulbowline Island East-Tip remediation project was substantially completed in 2018 but funding is provided for residual costs.

Most for the funding I have allocated to BIM is to support a range of measures (co funded by the EU under the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund) to be undertaken by operators in various parts of the sector. In common with other demand led schemes it is not possible at this point to indicate the number of projects and completion dates. I have also provided for research programmes operated by the Marine Institute and for the design phase of a replacement for one of its fisheries research vessels. I have also provided for the maintenance of the facilities of Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute.

The Administrative budget capital allocation for Programme D in 2019 provides for ensuring that my Department continues to maintain a robust and responsive IT infrastructure to support of the delivery of its Seafood sector activities and to assist my department in maintaining its certified ISO 27001 Information Security Standard.

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