Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

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Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers ■ BSc Food Design and Nutrition; ■ BSc Food Marketing and Nutrition; ■ Advanced Certificate in Packaging; and ■ Diploma in Packaging. All industry training short courses are fully subscribed because courses are only arranged when there are sufficient applications. Financial Support Available at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise Mr Swann asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the level of financial support that is available to students enrolled in (i) full time; and (ii) part time courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. (AQW 13414/11-15) Mrs O’Neill: Full time Further Education support. DARD provides a means tested living expenses grant to eligible full time students attending a Further Education course at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). Eligibility is based on residency and previous study. A maximum grant of £2,362 is available for students living in campus halls of residency or in lodgings and £1,659 for students living in the parental home. The grant is based on an assessment of residual household income, which includes parents’ income for students who depend on their parents financially. A household contribution is calculated for a residual household income of £23,660 and above. A Childcare grant is available for students with dependent children in approved childcare. Additional support is available for students assessed as having a specific learning difficulty or disability. Full time Higher Education support Support for CAFRE higher education students is administered by Student Finance NI – a service delivery partnership between DEL, the five local Education and Library Boards (ELB) and the Student Loans Company (SLC). CAFRE students apply to their local ELB for financial support and they determines eligibility and entitlement. SLC sends financial notification of entitlement and payment schedule letters. Students are eligible to apply for a non means-tested tuition fee loan, to the maximum fee charged by CAFRE (£1,380 for academic year 2012). A maximum means tested maintenance grant of £3,475 and maximum means tested maintenance loan of £3,750 (home), £4,840 (lodgings) is available for academic year 2012/13. Additional support is available through a Parent’s Learning Allowance (max £1,538), a Childcare Grant (max £148.75 per week for one child and £255 for two or more), an Adult Dependant’s Grant (max £2,695) and a Special Support Grant. A Disabled Students’ Allowance is a non means tested allowance to support students with disabilities or learning difficulties. An equipment allowance (max £5,266), non-medical helper’s allowance (max £20,938) and general allowance of up to £1,759 per year are available. Hardship Fund This fund is intended to provide support to students who are experiencing exceptional financial difficulty in meeting costs associated with learning. All full-time students are eligible to apply. Applicants must have taken out a student loan (if eligible) and should have exhausted all other sources of income. Awards are made primarily to students in severe financial hardship, mature students, lone parents and those students with children who are not eligible for a childcare grant. Each case is considered on its own merit by a panel and the amount paid (if any) is based on basic needs being met such as travel, food and books. WA 452
Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers Part time Further and Higher Education students Current policy with regard to part-time study at either further or higher education level for CAFRE students is that the Department will not charge tuition fees for students who are employed in the agrifood industry. Part-time CAFRE students who have been accepted onto the Department of Employment and Learning’s ApprenticeshipsNI programme are eligible for £100 payment in respect of the successful completion of each essential skill unit of Communication, Application of Number and ICT. Courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise Mr Swann asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what percentage of (i) full-time; and (ii) part-time courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise are delivered by independent training providers. (AQW 13415/11-15) Mrs O’Neill: No full-time or part-time courses at CAFRE are delivered by independent training providers. Promotion of Northern Ireland Produce Mr Hamilton asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what action her Department is taking to assist in the promotion of Northern Ireland produce with the EU’s Protected Geographical Indication status. (AQW 13467/11-15) Mrs O’Neill: From the outset, I want to make clear that EU State Aid regulations do not allow for the promotion of individual produce based on origin. However, as you are aware, my Department administers the EU Protected Food Names (PFN) Scheme on behalf of applicants. This provides a system for the protection of food names on a geographical or traditional basis and can be used as a valuable promotional too. My Department’s strategy is to raise awareness of this scheme and its benefits to producer groups who can then decide if the scheme would be of benefit to their marketing strategy. My officials can also help producer groups in making applications. Achievement of a PFN Scheme has significant potential for products as exports are highly sought after with any of the three protected name markings. So, as well as protecting local produce in the expanding global market, it is also another tool to help with export-led growth. The North has recently had three successful PGI applications: Lough Neagh Eels; Armagh Bramley Apples and Comber Earlies. I visited each of the groups involved in these three product applications and, while wider uptake of the scheme is still at a relatively early stage for the north, I am confident that the PGI status will bring a marketing advantage to each of the products. Indeed, this is already happening with the first crop of Comber Earlies having successfully secured a contract with a major retailer. My Department managed very positive media coverage, not only of the achievement for each PGI produce but also to raise wider awareness of the scheme. We followed this up with a PFN exhibition stand in the Food Pavilion at the Balmoral Show. I visited this stand and was pleased to see a wide range of interest from the public as well as producers. My officials are now following-up contact with interested parties who visited the stand. There has also been progress in developing new applications. A joint venture with colleagues in the south for ‘Irish Salmon’ is at an advanced stage, while meetings with other local producer groups are also ongoing, which will hopefully result in further new applications. To help producer groups consider the benefits of the scheme, we are developing an Information Pack, as well as additional information for the DARD website. We are also planning a seminar for producers, to explain the scheme and its benefits. The Department’s Supply Chain Development Programme is also available to provide support for farmers and growers to work together with others to help them improve the rewards from their supply chain. At a recent Ards Borough Council meeting DARD Supply Chain explained to growers and packers of Comber Earlies how the PGI should be used to help promote Comber Earlies and explained how the WA 453
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Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

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