Schemes and Services 2014-2020

i i d h

agriculture_ie www.agriculture.gov.ie

Schemes and Services 2014-2020

Raphoe Killybegs

Sligo Town Drumshambo Cavan Town Main Department Oﬃces Castlebar Regional Oﬃces Roscommon Town Navan Backweston, Howth Laboratories & Field Stations Ros a mhil Athlone Celbridge Dublin Galway City Tullamore Clane Fishery Harbour Centres Naas Portlaoise

Limerick City Kilkenny City

Tipperary Town Enniscorthy

Tralee Waterford City Johnstown Castle Estate Dunmore East An Daingean Fermoy Cork City Castletownbere Clonakilty

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine – Main Oﬃces

Head Oﬃce - Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Clonakilty Oﬃce – National Seafood Centre, Dublin 2, D02 WK12. Clogheen, Clonakilty, Cork, P85 TX47. Tel:0761 064400 also 01 6072000 Tel: 0761 064409 or 023 8859500

Backweston Office – Portlaoise Office – Backweston Administration Building, Stacumny Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Lane, Celbridge, Co Kildare, W23 X3PH. R32 RPA6. Tel: 01 5058600 Tel: 0761 064419 also 057 8674400 Cavan Office – Wexford Office – Government Offices, Farnham Street, Cavan, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford, Y35 PN52. H12 D459. Tel: 0761 064412 also 049 4368200 Tel: 0761 064415 also 053 9163400 See Appendices 1A to 1G for full contact details of Department offices, laboratories etc. See Appendix 2A for full contact details of Teagasc Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and County Advisory and Training Services information.

Schemes and Services 2014-2020

Copies of this booklet are available on request from the local oﬃces of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and from Teagasc Oﬃces, by email from [email protected]

by post from: Corporate Aﬀairs Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 WK12.

Also available on the Department’s website; www.agriculture.gov.ie

Support measures under the Rural Development Programme Ireland 2014 – 2020 are co-funded from the European Agricultural fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Europe investing in Rural Areas

This booklet is intended as a guide only to the schemes and services operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other relevant Government Departments and Agencies, and has no status in law.

1 Ministerial Foreword

Simon Coveney, T.D. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The agri-food, fisheries and forestry sectors continue to be among the most important and successful indigenous manufacturing sectors in this country. Its primary producers are the economic backbone of rural Ireland and provide the raw material for the country’s highly developed and diversified food and drinks industry. Due to our high level of self- sufficiency in many products, the bulk of the sector’s output is exported. Given its importance, geographic spread and export reach, the agri-food industry clearly has a very significant role to play in Ireland's ongoing economic development.

My Department together with a broadly based committee, representative of the major interests of the agri-food, ﬁsheries and forestry sector, have worked on the development of a strategy for the sector for the period up to 2025. The resulting Food-Wise 2025 Strategy will maintain the impetus gained from the very successful Food Harvest 2020 Report and Implementation Plan. That report sees Ireland’s agri-food industry as being on a journey - one that is connecting local communities across the island to vast and diverse food markets around the globe - to borrow a phrase used throughout Food Wise 2025 - “Local Roots, Global Reach”. Building on our success to date, Food Wise 2025 sets out a vision for the industry continuing along this course of growth, recognising the importance of strategic foresight in capitalising fully on emerging opportunities in the years ahead. With the agri-food sector now recognised as one where ambition and investment are rewarded, Food Wise 2025 highlights the practical ways in which aspirations for growth can be made tangible and the sector can be supported as it strives for new levels of success in the intervening decade.

Our primary producers, our farmers, are customers of this Department and as such are valued and supported. In 2015 we agreed a new Farmers’ Charter of Rights. The Charter is eﬀectively an agreement between the Department and its farmer customers on delivery targets for the Department’s schemes and services and brings clarity to the arrangements around inspections. It also sets out in very clear language, the timelines, application, payment and appeals processes and is a very useful reference for farmers. The Charter will remain in place until 2020 coinciding with the lifetime of the Pillar I and Pillar II schemes.

2 Ministerial Foreword

My Department’s IT systems underpin the delivery of the vast array of payments to farmers. We are constantly reviewing our systems and technology to ensure that we can deliver the best possible service to our customers. We also have sophisticated electronic services which are under constant development. Approximately 60% of farmers applied online for payment in 2014. This is a significant increase from 5% in 2007 when this service was first introduced. I encourage more of you to avail of this service as it reduces errors and increases efficiency for everybody. We also continue to use our text messaging system to send reminders of important dates and to help keep you informed of key developments.

My Department places great value on those involved in agriculture, ﬁshing and forestry sectors and their immense contribution to the Irish economy. Notwithstanding all of the new technology and systems, we are very conscious of the need for a comprehensive reference guide to assist all of our customers in their regular interaction with the Department on its many schemes and services. In this regard I am very pleased to introduce Schemes and Services 2014 – 2020. This booklet provides details of the various payment schemes administered by the Department, highlights important dates, covers matters relating to animal health and welfare, the numerous support measures that are in place, food safety controls and many other services. I recommend that you take time to read this publication and see what support or service my Department can provide to you.

Minister of State Tom Hayes T.D. With responsibility for Forestry, Horticulture, Food Safety and the Greyhound Industry.

Minister of State Ann Phelan T.D. With special responsibility for Rural Economic Development (implementation of the CEDRA report).

3 Contents

1. GENERAL INFORMATION 10 Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Website 11 Online Services 11 Telephone Authenticity 13 Customer Services 13 Quality Service Unit 13 Inheritance Enquiry Unit 13 Service to Assist Bereaved Families 14 Complaints 14 Press and Information Office 15 Requirements of the Disability Act 2005 15 Access Officer 16 Complaints Procedure under the Disability Act 2005 16 Website Accessibility 16 Farmers’ Charter of Rights 17 Farmers’ Annual Payment Statement 17 Direct Credit Payments 17 Agri-Taxation 18 Freedom of Information Act 19 Access to Information on the Environment 20 Data Protection Act 1988 as Amended 20 Laboratory Services 21 Rural Development 2014 – 2020 22 CEDRA Initiatives 22 Agriculture Appeals Office 24

2. SUPPORT PAYMENTS FOR FARMERS 26 Basic Payment Scheme/ Greening 27 Young Farmers Scheme 31 Protein Aid Scheme 32 Greening 32 National Reserve 33 Transfer of Entitlements 34 Cross Compliance 35 Nitrates Derogation 36 Environmental Impact Assessment 38 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and Areas of Speciﬁc Constraints (Islands) 39 Livestock Units (LUs) used To Establish Stocking Density 41 Knowledge Transfer and Infor