Wednesday, 21 Nov 2012

Written Answers Nos. 181 - 188

Semi-State Bodies Remuneration

Questions (181)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

181. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details of the number of semi-State and State agency executives and employees on an agency by agency basis that have salaries of more than €100,000 per year; if he will provide this information in tabular form, detailing any additional allowances, bonuses and the annual cost to the Exchequer of any pension packages to such employees, in terms of tax reliefs or other costs; if he will provide this information for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52135/12]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

The details sought by the Deputy are set out in the tables below for each of the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. No bonuses were paid to any staff in the years in question. With the exception of a small number of employees who receive payments in respect of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) in lieu of membership of a pension scheme, all staff in question are members of Civil Service Superannuation Schemes or the Courts of Justice & Courts Officers Superannuation Scheme in the case of certain employees of the Courts Service.

Salaries and Allowances paid in 2010

Agency	Number of employees with salary over €100,000	Total value of Allowances paid in the year and number of recipients where relevant
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission	5	€1,240 (3 recipients)
National Disability Authority	1	0
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner	1	€337
Equality Authority	1	€13
Irish Human Rights Commission	2	0
National Property Services Regulatory Authority	1	€26
Courts Service	53	€152,525 (16 recipients)
Irish Prison Service	9	€51,565 (6 recipients)
Property Registration Authority	11	€338 (1 recipient)
Garda Inspectorate	1	0
Refugee Appeals Tribunal	1	0
Office of the State Pathologist	3	0
Criminal Assets Bureau	1	0
Forensic Science Laboratory	1	0
Probation Service	1	0
Office of the Inspector of Prisons	1	0

Salaries and Allowances pain in 2011

Agency	Number of employees with salary over €100,000	Total value of Allowances paid in the year and number of recipients where relevant
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission	5	€1,023 (3 recipients)
National Disability Authority	1	0
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner	1	€338
Equality Authority	1	0
Equality Tribunal	1	0
Irish Human Rights Commission	2	0
National Property Services Regulatory Authority	1	0
Courts Service	50	€152,525 (16 recipients)
Irish Prison Service	9	€46,916 (5 recipients)
Property Registration Authority	9	€792 (2 recipients)
Garda Inspectorate	3	0
Refugee Appeals Tribunal	1	0
Office of the State Pathologist	3	0
Criminal Assets Bureau	1	0
Forensic Science Laboratory	1	0
Probation Service	1	0
Office of the Inspector of Prisons	1	0

Salaries and Allowances paid in 2012

Agency	Number of employees with salary over €100,000	Total value of Allowances paid in the year and number of recipients where relevant
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission	6	€226 (1 recipient)
National Disability Authority	1	0
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner	1	€339
Equality Authority	2	0
Equality Tribunal	1	0
Irish Human Rights Commission	1	0
National Property Services Regulatory Authority	1	0
Courts Service	50	€152,525 (16 recipients)
Irish Prison Service	14	€53,678 (8 recipients)
Property Registration Authority	8	€12,208 (2 recipients)
Garda Inspectorate	2	€113 (1 recipient)
Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner	1	0
Refugee Appeals Tribunal	1	0
Office of the State Pathologist	3	0
Forensic Science Laboratory	1	0
Probation Service	1	0
Office of the Inspector of Prisons	1	0

Semi-State Bodies Remuneration

Questions (182, 183, 184)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

182. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the number of semi-State and State agency executives and employees on an agency by agency basis who have salaries of more than €100,000 per year; if he will provide this information in tabular form, detailing any additional allowances, bonuses and the annual cost to the Exchequer of any pension packages to such employees, in terms of tax reliefs or other costs; if he will provide this information for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52128/12]

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

183. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52142/12]

John Halligan

Question:

184. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52154/12]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 to 184, inclusive, together.

There are no semi-State companies under the aegis of my Department. My Department has two agencies under its remit - the Civil Defence Board and the Army Pensions Board. Both agencies are staffed by civil servants. No employee of these agencies has a salary of more than €100,000 per year.

Food Labelling

Questions (185)

Brendan Smith

Question:

185. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the proposals, if any, with the European Commission in relation to the need to introduce proper labelling for poultry meat, pig meat and sheep meat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51914/12]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Food Information for the Consumer Regulation (1169/2011/ EC) of 25th October 2011 provides for the extension of explicit compulsory origin labelling requirements to meats other than beef. Detailed rules are to be adopted in implementing acts by 13th December 2013, following an impact assessment by the Commission. The impact assessment is at present under way. The Department of Health and Children is the lead department on this dossier, but my department has been consulted throughout the negotiating process and will continue to engage with that department as the dossier is progressed.

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Questions (186)

Jim Daly

Question:

186. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when single farm payment for 2011 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51660/12]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

An application under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2012. Processing of this claim has recently been finalised and payment will issue to the nominated bank account in the coming days.

Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations

Questions (187)

Dara Calleary

Question:

187. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if cross compliance FÁS training, post 2013, will be funded under CAP Pillar 2; the steps he will take to ensure such funding will be in place. [51681/12]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The European Commission published its proposals on CAP post 2013 in October 2011. Negotiations are ongoing at present and it is not yet possible to predict what the finer details of the agreement will be. While there is an option in the draft Rural Development regulation for Member States to fund farmer participation in the Farm Advisory Service, it is too early to say what our future funding priorities will be.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions

Questions (188)

Dara Calleary

Question:

188. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason applicants under the agri-environment options scheme 3 cannot apply for funding to undertake different work within the same LIPIS parcel number. [51682/12]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Area based actions in the Agri Environment Options Scheme namely, Species Rich Grassland, Traditional Hay Meadow, Wild Bird Cover, Green Cover Establishment from a Sown Crop and Minimum Tillage must be delivered on a full parcel as identified on the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). This is necessary to establish from databases the area on which the payment is calculated and avoids the need to physically measure areas declared for payment. The Establishment and Maintenance of Habitats, Arable Margins, Riparian Margins, Tree Planting and Hedgerow Planting cannot be allowed on the same parcel as an area based action. As the entire area of the parcel must be devoted to the area based action selected it is not possible to allow other actions which impact on the eligible area to be selected. However Hedge Coppicing, Hedge Laying, Traditional Stone Wall Maintenance and Installation of Water Trough Actions may be selected on parcels chosen for area based actions as these actions do not impact on the physical area of the parcel.