Written answers

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agriculture Schemes

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1223. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the type of activities which can qualify for farm payment from the new programme funded from carbon tax; and the projected impact they will have on carbon equivalent emissions. [52901/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The new CAP Strategic Plan will run from 2023 to 2027, and each Member State's Plan is due to be submitted to the European Commission by 1st January 2022 for approval.

Working in consultation with other Government Departments, as well as State Agencies, my Department is coordinating the development of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. Carbon tax funding over the period will be used to fund our flagship Agri-Environmental Climate Measure (AECM), in keeping with the Programme for Government commitment to spend €1.5 billion over the period to 2030 to help farmers to farm in a more environmentally sustainable way.

The AECM will deliver a range of environmental, climate and biodiversity benefits by supporting farmers to undertake appropriate actions. The nature of the actions will be determined by the needs of each farmer's land and environs. Many of these actions will have co-benefits for biodiversity, water, soil, and air quality as well as contributing to climate objectives.

A key climate-related sub-action is reduced management intensity of grassland on peat soils. This will help to reduce emissions and protect the peat carbon pool. Other sub-actions such as low input grassland and planting of trees and hedges will also help reduce emissions.

The AECM is still at the design stage. In addition, uptake of actions in this voluntary scheme will be demand-led. Taking these factors into account, it is too early to project the specific impact the AECM will achieve. However, it will align with, and contribute to, Ireland’s climate objectives.

In due course, information on uptake levels for specific measures will be made available for scheme evaluation and to the Environmental Protection Agency. This will ensure effective monitoring as well as allowing national greenhouse gas inventories to be updated.

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated under the ANC scheme in 2021; the rates of payment under the scheme for the different classes of land, that is, island, mountain, severely disadvantaged and less severely disadvantaged; the estimated amount of each type of land eligible for the scheme; the annual amount allocated for the scheme for the years 2023-2027 in the new CAP proposals; the proposed rates of payment under the various categories of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52912/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The total funding for the Areas of Natural Constraints scheme is €250 million for the 2021 scheme.

The current rates of payment for the various categories of land under the Areas of Natural Constraints scheme are set out in the table below.

Land Category Area 2021 Rate
Category 1 First 12 Hectares €148.00
Category 1 13 - 34 Hectares €112.00
Category 2 First 10 Hectares €111.00
Category 2 11 – 30 Hectares €104.00
Category 3 First 8 Hectares €93.00
Category 3 9 – 30 Hectares €88.25
Areas of Specific Constraints (Island farming) First 20 Hectares €250.00
Areas of Specific Constraints (Island farming) 21-34 Hectares €170.00
Areas of Specific Constraints (Island farming) 35-40 Hectares €70.00

Below is the estimated amount of each type of land eligible for the ANC Scheme.

Designation Area (Hectares)
ANC CAT1 1,238,306.08
ANC CAT2 1,444,851.76
ANC CAT3 571,758.01
ASC CAT1 18,754.32
ASC CAT2 73,058.54
ASC CAT3 326,412.81
ISLAND 15,175.02

Applicants who hold lands which are no longer eligible, following the completed re-designation of ANC lands in 2019, will receive a degressive payment in 2021 of €25 per qualifying hectare.

It is proposed that the current financial allocation of €250m per annum will remain unchanged under the new CAP for 2023-2027 and that the payment rates set out above, including the different categories of land and the degressive structure, will be maintained.

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1225. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rules of eligibility pertaining to equines under the present ANC scheme; if it is proposed to change these rules in the forthcoming CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52913/21]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1226. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the rules of eligibility pertaining to donkeys under the present ANC scheme; if it is proposed to change these rules in the forthcoming CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52914/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1225 and 1226 together.

As outlined in the terms and conditions of the 2021 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme, applicants must satisfy minimum stocking requirements in order to be eligible for payment.

Equines (Horses/Donkeys) are eligible for inclusion in the stocking requirement calculations subject to specific criteria including:

- Registration of the premises where equines are kept with the Department in accordance with S.I. No. 8 of 2012, Diseases of Animals Act 1966 (Registration of Horse Premises) Order 2012.

- Submission of Proof of ownership documents in the form of the original passport which must be in the applicant’s name.

- In the case of horses, specific requirements concerning breeding enterprise criteria and equine age apply.

- Only 50% of the stocking requirements can be fulfilled using donkeys and applicants must use other livestock to fulfil the other 50% requirement.

Work on the details of the schemes to be introduced under the new CAP is currently under way and details of the structure and requirements of the proposed successor scheme to the Areas of Natural Constraints scheme are not yet available. These details will be published by the Department once this process has been completed and the details have been approved by the European Commission.

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