Written Answers Nos. 149 - 156
149. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine when payment in respect of a forestry grant will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40807/12]
View answerThe applicant has been paid all outstanding grants and forestry premiums due under this forestry contract. Premium payments were suspended for a number of years pending provision by the applicant of proof that he was entitled to the farmer rate. He failed to supply the required proof and, on that basis, the premium payments were paid at the non-farmer rate in August 2012.
However, an over-claim and the removal of some of the land from forestry required that the contract payments be reduced which resulted in a debt being raised in order to recoup the overpayment of the 1st and 2nd instalments of the establishment grant. The debt was recouped by netting off the amount owed against the premium payments due. The balance due to the applicant was subsequently paid to him in August 2012.
150. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the single farm payment that used to be paid to Greencore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40816/12]
View answerThere is no record of payments under the Single Payment Scheme having ever been made to the named company.
151. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the position regarding the suckler cow welfare scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40817/12]
View answerThe person concerned was excluded from the Suckler Welfare Scheme with effect from 2010 due to the non-submission of data required under the Terms and Conditions of this Scheme.
He sought a review of the decision . This review was undertaken in August 2012 and the decision was upheld. He was notified of the outcome of the review by letter dated 20 August 2012 and advised of his right to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office. No such appeal has been received to date.
152. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the position regarding the disadvantaged area payment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40845/12]
View answerThe person concerned is an applicant under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. Currently, this applicant is one of a number, whose cases are impacted by a requirement of a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011 and who have applied for a derogation in this regard. This application is currently under consideration and, immediately a decision is reached, the person will be notified in writing. However, should the decision be negative, a fully independent appeals procedure is available.
On a more general level, I can also confirm that payments under the 2012 Scheme are scheduled to begin issuing as and from today, directly to the nominated bank accounts of Scheme applicants, whose applications have been determined at that stage. These payments will include derogation cases where the applications have successfully met terms of the scheme and are fully processed for payment.
153. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine his plans to introduce legislation or regulation to protect our National Hunt industry, which provides employment for a great many people in rural Ireland and is losing its position in the British market to French bred horses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40848/12]
View answerIreland holds a pre-eminent position in the thoroughbred racing and breeding world. Successive Governments have recognised the importance of the horse industry and have supported it through legislation and policy initiatives. Infrastructural supports are provided to the industry through various measures operated by my Department. This commitment to investment has enabled Ireland to develop into a world centre of excellence for horse racing and breeding.
The Irish bloodstock breeding and racing industry is of major national importance in terms of employment - especially in rural areas - exports and tourism. Ireland is the fourth largest breeder of thoroughbreds in the world. In excess of 40% of the EU output of thoroughbreds and 11% of the total worldwide are produced in Ireland. The World Thoroughbred Rankings show that 6 of the top 10 and 14 of the top 30 two-year-olds in the world in 2011 were Irish–trained. Approximately 17,300 people are employed in the thoroughbred industry in Ireland, mostly in rural areas and it attracts significant inward investment to the country.
My Department commissioned Indecon consultants to undertake an external review of the Irish Horse Racing Industry and this report was published in July.
The Review covers a number of crucial aspects of the industry
- Funding;
- Board of HRI;
- Streamlining of Functions;
- Marketing and Competitiveness of the Sector; and
- Legislative/Governance Changes.
I am considering the Indecon report and have not made a final decision on the recommendations as yet.
154. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine when a single farm payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40858/12]
View answerAn application under the 2012 Single Farm Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 13th April 2012.
Having secured EU Commission approval, an advance payment of 50% of the Single Farm Payment, which, in the normal course, would be due for payment no earlier than 1 December 2012, is scheduled to be made on 16 October 2012 to applicants cleared on that date for payment. My Department is making every effort to maximise the extent of advance payment, subject to ensuring that the requirements of the Scheme are complied with by individual applicants.
155. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the reason a TB reactor grant has not been paid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [40868/12]
View answer156. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will accept the 7 February 2011 appeals decisions by an appeals office to allow partial payment of TB reactor grant to a person (details supplied) [40870/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together.
On 16th October 2008, the person named was informed that he would not be receiving reactor compensation for the 41 animals removed for slaughter under the TB Eradication Programme as the evidence compiled during an investigation carried out by the Department’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and An Garda Síochána indicated that the TB test conducted on 27th September 2007 had been interfered with. The person named subsequently appealed this decision. His appeal was unsuccessful and the initial decision was upheld. He subsequently lodged a further appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office, which partly allowed his appeal. However, my Department requested a review and the review officer overruled the original decision and reinstated the 100% penalty. My Department has accepted decision of the review officer and the person named has been advised that he may appeal the decision of the Agriculture Appeals Office to the Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.
