Written answers
Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Departmental Expenditure
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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726. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the heading and subheadings in the Revised Estimates that deal with the allocation of funding for fisheries; the purpose of each allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57001/21]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Within the Revised Estimates, there are a total of seven sub-headings within Section D.
Subhead D1 - Administration - Pay and D2 - Administration - Non Pay relates to funding of the administrative functions of the Marine Divisions of my Department.
Subhead D3 - Fisheries - Covers costs primarily related to the operation of our Fisheries Harbour Centres. European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) support for Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Biodiversity projects for the Marine Institute, Seafood Promotion projects administered by Bord Bia are also key components. Other elements include Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board(ALAB) Member Fees and Expenses and costs related to the National Data Buoy Observation Network.
Subhead D4 - Marine Institute Grant - Annual Budget provided to the Marine Institute for general operational costs including Pay, Superannuation, Non Pay costs and Capital costs.
Subhead D5 - Bord Iascaigh Mhara Grant - Annual Budget provided to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for general operational costs , including Pay, Superannuation, Non Pay costs and funding under my Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme (EMFF) for grant supports to our seafood sector.
Subhead D6 - Sea Fisheries Protection Authority Grant - Annual Budget provided to the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) for general operational costs , including Pay, Superannuation, Non Pay costs, and funding under my Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme (EMFF) for investment in control and enforcement projects.
Subhead D7 - Haulbowline Remediation Project relates to the reimbursement to my Department’s agent, Cork County Council on a final retention payment on the East Tip construction contract and other associated costs as forecast for the remediation of Haulbowline Island.
Additional costs surrounding the annual budget provided to the Aquaculture Licence Appeals Board for general operational costs are sourced from subhead C11.
Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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727. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the heading and subheadings in the Revised Estimates which regard the allocation of funding for land use and biodiversity; the purpose of each allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57002/21]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The information in the table below is relevant to the 2021 Revised Estimates. It outlines a range of multi functional schemes intended to support farm incomes but also to support efforts to improve the environment and biodiversity.
Budget 2022 provides a gross Vote of €1.858 billion for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.The definitive allocations will be set out in the 2022 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which will be published later this year.
| Heading and 2021 Allocation in REV 2021 | Subheading | Purpose of allocation |
|---|---|---|
| B.3 Agri-environmental schemes €290.089m | B3.3 GLAS | GLAS farmers manage over 250,000 hectares of Low Input Permanent Pasture, Over 60,000 hectares of Traditional Hay Meadows and Protect the quality of over 14,000km of watercourses. They support of the management and grazing of over 228,000 hectares of commonage. |
| B3.4 Locally Led Agri-Environment Schemes | Funds European Innovation Partnership projects that allow farmers, scientists and other experts to collaborate together to develop new practices that are environmentally friendly and economically sustainable. | |
| B3.5 Organic Farming Scheme | The Organic Farming Scheme provides financial support to farmers to encourage production of organic foods. | |
| B3.7 Other Agri Envi Initiatives | Soil Sampling programme will provide information to farmers on their soil fertility and also soil pathogen assessment. The programme will measure baseline soil carbon levels which will guide future actions to support carbon farming. It will also provide the basis for the next generation of soil-specific nutrient management advice and underpin targeted fertiliser and organic manure applications (right nutrient type, right application rate, right time & right place) across all farming systems in Ireland. | |
| B3.9 EURI | 1. Straw Incorporation Measure as a pilot measure in the transitional period of the RDP. The purpose of the measure is to encourage tillage farmers to increase soil organic carbon levels by chopping and incorporating straw from cereal crops. This will sequester carbon in tillage soils, thereby reducing GHG emissions. The incorporation of straw will also have positive impact on soil biology and soil workability. 2. The objective of The Farm Environmental Study (FES) Programme is to develop a national baseline database of farm scale habitat and biodiversity data along with additional environmental parameters. | |
| B.4 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme €250m | Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme | The ANC is intended to ensure the continued conservation of the countryside in mountain areas and other less favoured areas through the provision of support to mainly low income farmers who farm in such areas and face significant handicaps deriving from inherent factors such as remoteness, difficult topography and poor soil conditions. |
| B.10 Forestry & Bio-energy €103.243m | Afforestation Scheme | Afforestation scheme provides financial support to encourage the planting of trees on land not previously under forest. Increasing the country’s forested area helps to tackle climate change, increases biodiversity and provides sustainable jobs in the rural economy. |
| B.13 Carbon Tax €23m (€20m for REAP and €3m for capital measures focusing on Peat soils) | Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP). | REAP is an agri-environment pilot project that pays farmers to maintain and improve the environmental conditions of their land. |
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