OCE-158150-D7M5R7
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)
AIE: Information held by or for the NPWS related to forestry project CN90607
AIE 053 2025 Request – CN90607
Notes;
The NPWS recommended that a full EIA Statement should be provided by the developer.
It wasn’t requested and DAFM issued a licence – although there is no AAD on the file.
AIE: Ballinalee Pig Farm, Longford
“Under the AIE Regs to request details of DAFM inspections at the following site: Ballinalee
Pig Farm, Longford Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/g5ypRc6UH8dXE8kNA. Please include dates of inspections for 2023-2024. Please include inspectors’ reports, including any photographs, notes or other reports for the period 2023-24”
The initial decision maker has not included the Schedule of Records refused. Please forward the schedule so we can review and engage with the internal reviewer on each element For context, here’s the most recent EPA inspection file on the same pig farm, so RTK would expect that the DAFM inspection files might follow similar format
Note due to file sizes the EPA inspectors images are in a google doc
https://irishriverproject.com/2025/01/11/oee-aie-2024-42-a-pig-farmer-co-longford/
AIE Request – Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum
Under the AIE to request:
1) Minutes of any Meeting of the Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum in 2024 since Meeting 20 (22 May 2024), together with copies of any presentations circulated at these meetings, and any data/reports provided to farming organisations after the meetings
2) Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum – Meeting 20, Date: 22 May 2024
a) DAFM Presentation circulated (Disease Trends Update)
b) Research Update presentation circulated
c) Simon More, UCD critique of the TB eradication programme presentation circulated
d) DAFM data provided to farming organisation in response to request for statistics in respect of animals where PCR test carried out
e) DAFM data provided to farming organisation request analysis of C10 herds who are now in a
breakdow
3) Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum – Meeting 19, Date: 27 February 2024
a) Minister’s response to the letter from the IWG Chairman on the Wildlife Programme
b) Summary document of the work of the TB Forum and IWG to date
c) Department provided an update on wildlife figures in terms of vaccination, culling and staffing
d) DAFM presentation – Disease Trends Update The Department presented TB Disease Trends 2022-2024 which examined the increase in rolling totals of TB reactors and restricted herds
e) ESRI behavioural report findings on Bovine TB
f) Simon More presented preliminary results on a study “Is badger vaccination, in combination with existing cattle-based controls sufficient to eradicate bTB from Ireland?”
4) Minutes of any Meeting of the Finance Working Group – since Meeting 16, 24th February 2023 together with copies of any presentations circulated at these meetings, and any data/reports provided to farming organisations after the meetings
5) Minutes of the Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum’s Implementation Working Group (IWG) – since Meeting 39, 03 September 2024, together with copies of any presentations circulated at these meetings, and any data/reports provided to farming organisations after the meetings
a) DAFM update on disease situation by county
b) DAFM data analysis on movement of animals between herds
6) Bovine TB Stakeholder Forum’s Implementation Working Group (IWG) – Meeting 38, 02 July 2024
a) DAFM records on minority herds who do not carry out TB tests and are trade restricted (cannot sell on the open market). It is unclear from minutes if this data was made available to farming organisations and/or IWG members, so please consider this request for the records regardless of whether provided or not, in summary format as aggregated by DAFM for reporting purposes
For context on above please see
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/d3baf-tb-forum
https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/217aa-finance-working-group
AIE: DAFM and the development of standard emergency response procedures in relation to forestry
The Regulatory Review as part of Project Woodland, published in June 2022, contained the following Recommendations;
“The EIA Directive provides that Member States may, through their national laws, disapply the EIA Directive to projects which respond to a civil emergency if the Member State decides that applying the
EIA Directive would have an adverse effect on the environment. The Irish High Court has held that this provision applies only to projects responding to an unforeseen emergency, not to projects intended
to avoid foreseeable emergencies 71. The Habitats Directive and Birds Directive make no provision for projects responding to emergencies 72. The Water Framework Directive provides a very limited
derogation in response to extreme force majeure events.
- It is recommended that DAFM consult with the forestry sector and other key stakeholders and prescribed bodies on standard emergency response procedures, which will guide foresters planning for and responding to foreseeable emergencies such as storms, fire, disease etc. Standards may be subject to prior SEA screening and AA screening/AA, as required, prior to adoption. An afforestation licence application would be accompanied by a proposed emergency response plan, prepared in accordance with the standards. Once assessed and approved, it would be up-dated periodically (e.g. 3-5 years) or as frequently as required to take account of changes to the forest and the receiving environment and the different emergency risks which may emerge as the forest matures. The proposed emergency response plan would be part of the project that is assessed before the afforestation licence is granted.
- It is recommended that, pursuant to recommendation 14, the Forest Regulations may be amended to expressly exempt from the requirement for a licence any emergency works which are carried out substantially in accordance with an approved emergency response plan. DAFM should be given prior notice before the commencement of emergency works, and DAFM should reserve the right to step in and require a licence application to be made where it considers that there are likely significant effects which must be appropriately assessed before the works are carried out.
- It is recommended that the standard conditions to be attached to an afforestation licence should include an obligation to give DAFM prior notice of any proposed emergency works, and that such works shall be carried out substantially in compliance with the emergency response plan as assessed and approved by DAFM.”
Save Leitrim submitted an AIE request to DAFM after Storm Darragh;
We wish to receive under the AIE Regulations, in electronic format;
With reference to recommendations 17, 18 and 19 of the Project Woodland Regulatory Review (June 2022) (see below)
Information related to the development of standard emergency response procedures.
To include, but not restricted to, any consultations, actual or proposed, with
a) the forestry sector
b) other key stakeholders
c) prescribed bodies
To clarify, this could include any information related to consideration or discussion on the introduction of such procedures and changes to Regulation.
There is a very strong public interest case to be made for this information.
Note: Two and a half years after the publication of the Report DAFM cannot find any information which would suggest that there has been any consideration of Recommendations 17, 18 and 19 of the Regulatory Review. In failing to implement the Recommendations DAFM have left Ireland exposed in terms of compliance with European Law for the major clear-up operations that are ongoing in plantations across affected areas.
AIE Refusal: DAFM Register of Controlled Finishing Units (Feedlots), and related bTB outbreaks in 2024
AIE.24.004
Context:
What is a Controlled Finishing Unit?
As part of Ireland’s Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, if a beef finishing herd meets the necessary criteria, it is allowed to avail of a special status, known as a Controlled Finishing Unit (CFU).
A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals. It is a non-breeding herd which disposes of all cattle on the holding direct for slaughter and poses a minimal risk of infecting cattle on adjacent holdings.
To be considered eligible for CFU status, the holding must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:
The cattle are permanently housed (never on pasture) or;
There are no contiguous holdings with cattle or;
The boundaries are walled, double fenced or equivalent so as to prevent any direct contact with cattle on contiguous holdings.When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the bovine TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB Regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established.
Such herds are not exempt from testing, reactor removal or disinfection requirements. Restricted CFU herds (feedlots) are TB tested at least once a year.
According to DAFM, the CFU status arrangement allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle.
Cattle from CFU herds (feedlots) restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to an EU approved slaughter plant and may not be exported.
New figures obtained by Agriland from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that as of November 2022, there are currently 374 Controlled Finishing Units (CFUs) or ‘feedlots’ in Ireland.
DAFM data also indicated that as of November 3, 2022, there were approximately 121,000 animals in CFUs. It can be therefore estimated that the average CFU has a herd size of 324 cattle.
The data comes as DAFM figures indicate that in the first nine months of this year, 308,500 cattle from CFUs were slaughtered at EU approved plants.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/number-of-feedlots-in-ireland-and-average-cfu-herd-size
Locations
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/revealed-factory-feedlot-contribution-to-irish-beef-kill
Factory Feedlots
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/feedlot-operations-undermine-origin-green-beef-plan-movement
Kill Numbers at EU Approved Slaughter Plants Originating in Controlled Finishing Units
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-12-06/138/speech/503
https://assets.gov.ie/298954/18c1f9d5-1d86-4a40-af2b-6ca6f6698e8a.xlsx
How many controlled finishing units or feedlots in the State are accredited under the Bord Bia sustainable beef and lamb assurance scheme?
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-12-06/140/question/140
Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commission a social, economic and environmental impact assessment of factory-controlled feedlots.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-03-09/77/question/77
Tender: Provision of Auxillary Services for TB Eradication Programmes of the DAFM
12/11/21
Number of tenders received: 1
Awarded supplier:
National Co-Op Farm Relief Services , organisation no: 4607731J
Value excluding VAT: 16000000.00 EUR
Tender: suitably trained and skilled operatives to assist in delivery of the badger capture and inspections programme, badger activity scoring and new sett survey
Term for a period or periods of up to twelve (12) months with a maximum of two (2) such extension or extensions
Approximately one hundred and twenty (120) operatives are required
The duties will include the laying and removal of restraints, checking on restraints and the removal, culling and transportation of badgers
The duties will include the laying of restraints, checking restraints, assisting the Contracting Authority’s official in the course of the vaccination, removing restraints including travel costs.
Related duties, including assistance for surveying and setts classification)
The Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, implemented by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM), contains a comprehensive wildlife strategy in order to limit the spread of TB from badgers to cattle.
The badger is a protected species under the Wildlife Act. Where there has been a TB breakdown, and badgers are identified as the cause, the badgers are captured in restraints and humanely culled and removed, under licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In addition, badgers are captured in specific vaccination zones, scanned and either released or presented for vaccination.
It is important to stress that capturing and removal is undertaken only in areas where serious outbreaks of TB have been identified in cattle herds and where an epidemiological investigation carried out by the Department’s veterinary inspectorate has found that badgers are the likely source of infection. The Department is very conscious of the welfare of badgers and any removal of badgers is carried out in accordance with the licence.
Tenders are sought for the Provision of suitably trained and skilled operatives to assist in delivery of the badger capture and inspections programme, badger activity scoring and new sett survey for the TB Eradication Programme of DAFM.
A detailed description of each of the services provided by the current service provider is set out in the ‘Overview of Services to be Provided’, and the Contracting Authority requires tenderers to describe how they will deliver the services required to achieve the objectives described in this RFT.
Services are generally required between September and June but may be required throughout the whole year.
Approximately one hundred and twenty (120) operatives are required by the Contracting Authority to perform all the duties described for badger capture and inspection; and for surveying and sett classification as described below.
Should there be any changes in the proposed funding, DAFM reserve the right to purchase additional services and also reserve the right to alter their requirements in line with the availability of funding.
The service provider provides the following:
(a) The setting of restraints for the capture of badgers at badger sett locations/paths/passes identified by and under the direction of the Contracting Authority for a defined work-cycle;
(b) The inspection of the restraints before 1.00pm each day of the relevant cycle, unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Authority;
(c) The humane dispatch of the badger including culling, tagging, recording, packaging and delivery to an agreed location;
(d) The humane capture and presentation for vaccination;
(e) The humane release of vaccinated badgers;
(f) The humane capture and removal or release of any other species captured as directed by the Contracting Authority;
(g) The taking up of restraints, under the direction of the Contracting Authority;
(h) The surveying/sett classification.
This service is provided throughout the country and can take place in all Counties simultaneously. However, tenderers should note that in this regard the area of agricultural land “under capture” (i.e. relevant to the service required) varies from County to County.
- The tenderer must have manpower levels available to:
- deploy operators each year from September to June for the term of the contract,
- to capture between 5,000 and 15,000 (estimated) badgers per annum, and have the flexibility to deal with seasonal variations and locations.
Experience indicates that generally between 70 – 150 restraints can be laid at 8 – 12 active setts on day 1
The successful tenderer’s operative who laid the restraints will check the restraints s/he placed at least once every 24 hours (on or before 1pm on each of the days of the working cycle) or as directed by the Contracting Authority’s personnel.
Experience shows the time required to check restraints by one operative could take up to 4 hours per day
https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_docs.asp?PID=202034&LID=229806&AllowPrint=1
AIE Request: reports/presentations by Teagasc to DAFM on the ASSAP programme (2023-2024 YTD)
Governance: ASSAP Oversight Committee, Farming Consultative Group, MoUs
ASSAP Structure Review
ASSAP regional breakdown of referrals / expected referrals
Reporting (Ag Planner Software) and Quarterly Meetings
Records include Nitrate Action Programme, Derogation Report 2023 (12/07/2024)
AIE Request: Afforestation, general documents
AIE 24 751
Forestry Opportunities Map – “The right trees in the right places for the right reasons”
The updated Forestry Opportunities Map provides high-level national guidance on land suitability for afforestation, supporting the establishment of forests for various purposes, including timber production, environmental enhancement, climate change mitigation, forest industry development, alternative off-farm income generation, and opportunities for tourism and recreational use.
The Forestry Opportunities Map opportunities map identifies opportunities for additional forest planting in Ireland, as well as areas where new planting would be unsuitable for various reasons.
The map aims to guide and promote sustainable forest development and is consistent with the Government’s recently published Forest Strategy for the sector.
The Forestry Opportunities Map complements the information presented in the strategy and can be used to plan for “the right trees in the right places for the right reasons”.
The spatial layers used in compiling the Forestry Opportunities Category Map are available to Registered Foresters via DAFM’s online licence application system, iNET
AIE request to DAFM FS 8/1/25
Under the AIE Regs to request in shp file or similar GIS open data format the mapping provided in the following report:
Forestry Opportunities Map “The right trees in the right places for the right reasons”Dec 2024Published by: Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine. Johnstown Castle Estate
The shp files are listed in the report as follows
Component Map Layers of the Opportunities Map include
- NPWS Designated Sites: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), National Heritage Areas (NHAs), Proposed NHAs, Special Protection Areas (SPAs), and National Parks.
- Water Bodies: Streams, lakes, and reservoirs (sourced from the EPA landcover map).
- Existing landcover including urban areas and waterbodies: From the EPA landcover map.
- High Nature Value Farmland: Identified by Teagasc.
- Source Protection Areas and Drinking Water Abstraction Points: Mapped by the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI).
- High-Status Objective Waterbodies: Data from the EPA.
- Freshwater Pearl Mussel Catchments: Data provided by the NPWS
- Potentially Fisheries-Sensitive Areas: Compiled in consultation with the Inland Fisheries (see Forestry Scheme Manual, July 2024).
- Potentially Acid-Sensitive Areas (see Forestry Scheme Manual, July 2024).
- Areas with bird species of high conservation importance: Spatial data compiled from the NPWS and BirdWatch Ireland.
- National Monuments / Architectural Heritage: Data from the National Monument Service.
- Soils data: Provided by Teagasc
- Forest Productivity Map: Developed by Teagasc.
- Existing Forest Cover: Information from DAFM and Coillte.
For the purposes of this AIE, where the shp files referenced in the report are already in the public domain via gov.ie or similar, please note this in responses
The report notes that “The spatial layers used in compiling the Forestry Opportunities Category Map are available to Registered Foresters via DAFM’s online licence application system, iNET”Open access to iNET under the Open Data Directive may meet the DAFMs obligations to release environmental data in an open data format, eg API and/or bulk upload facilityRTK have no access to iNET so are unable to determine if iNET meets any of the requirements of open data. As part of this AIE, please note the access requirements for iNET