Bernard Durkan
Question:200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9473/13]
View answerResidency Permits
Questions (200)
Written answers
I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy has permission to remain in the State on Stamp 2, student conditions, until 26 April 2013. The person made an application to INIS in July 2012 for a change to his immigration status. This application was refused. The person has subsequently made an application for a review of this refusal. A decision on this will issue prior to the expiry of his current permission.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Defence Forces Operations
Questions (201)
Finian McGrath
Question:201. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the changing of policy in relation to NATO and the use of troops in Mali and Afghanistan. [9344/13]
View answerWritten answers
There has been no change in policy in relation to Ireland’s engagement in NATO or in the current deployment of personnel to Afghanistan, or the proposed deployment of troops to Mali, which is subject to Government approval. Ireland’s relations with NATO are set within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and Partnership for Peace (PfP), including its Planning and Review Process (PARP).
Ireland joined EAPC and Partnership for Peace (PfP) on 1 December 1999. The EAPC is a multi-lateral body, made up of the 28 members of NATO and the members of PfP, for political and security-related dialogue and consultation between its members.
The primary aim of our PfP participation is to enhance the Defence Forces’ interoperability with other professional military forces for the purpose of engaging in UN authorised peacekeeping and peace support operations led by the UN, EU or NATO. Participation in PfP is fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in providing professional peacekeepers for international crisis management and peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN.
Ireland has been participating in the UN mandated NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) since 2002. The continued participation by members of the Permanent Defence Force in ISAF is reviewed annually by the Government and is subject to ongoing review by the Minister.
The ISAF operation is mandated under a number of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, since its establishment. In relation to the possible participation by members of the Permanent Defence Force in the EU Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali), this mission is provided for under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2071 (2012) and 2085 (2012).
Food Safety Authority Inspections
Questions (202)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:202. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the range of tests, if any, carried out on meat imports to ensure food safety in human food, in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9392/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is the competent authority with overall responsibility for the enforcement of food legislation in Ireland. Controls on the import of food are implemented by a number of agencies, including my Department, through service contracts with the FSAI.
In relation to intra community trade, food can be traded freely within the Community provided they originate from EU approved plants. Consignments of meat imported into Ireland from third countries are checked at a Border Inspection Post (BIP) on arrival. There are two BIPs in Ireland, at Dublin port and Shannon airport, operated by my Department. Controls on imported products consist of three types of checks – documentary, identity and physical. All consignments have a documentary and identity check and a proportion of products as laid down in legislation are subject to physical checks.
The following range of tests were carried out at Dublin port on meat imports during 2012. These include random, reinforced checks and on suspicion sampling; microbiology; growth promoters; residues veterinary medicines; environmental heavy metals.
The Environmental Health Service of the Health Service Executive also provides a range of food safety / food control services in accordance with its service contract with the FSAI. These controls include inspections and sampling of food sold in retail and catering establishments.
Beef Technology Adoption Programme
Questions (203)
John O'Mahony
Question:203. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their BTAP 2012 outstanding payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9327/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) was introduced in 2012 to improve the technical and financial performance of producers. Its objective is to improve the productivity and profitability of participants’ beef enterprises by focusing on five areas: financial management, grassland management, herd health, animal breeding/welfare and producing animals to market specifications. Under the BTAP, participants engage in peer-to-peer learning by joining discussion groups which are facilitated by professional agricultural advisors drawn from Teagasc and the private sector.
Payments to producers in 2012, which were limited to a maximum of €1,000 per participant and subject to EU state aid rules, were contingent on compliance with Programme requirements, i.e. attendance at a prescribed number of discussion group meetings or approved national events plus completion of two technology adoption tasks from a menu of eight designed to enhance on-farm efficiency. The broad range of available task options allowed participants to choose those best suited to the business needs and particular characteristics of their beef enterprises.
I understand that the individual concerned is eligible for payment and payment will issue to him within the next few weeks.
Agri-Environment Options Scheme Applications
Questions (204)
Brendan Griffin
Question:204. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on an application to be included in the agri-environment options scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9334/13]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme from the person named was received in my Department on 7 December 2012.
The initial processing of the applications has been completed and acknowledgement letters have issued to all applicants. The detailed actions listed in each application are currently being recorded and all applications will be ranked and selected according to the predetermined selection criteria. This process is expected to take several weeks and letters will issue to all applicants informing them of the outcome of the selection process in due course.
Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments
Questions (205)
Patrick O'Donovan
Question:205. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue on an agri-environment options scheme 2012 application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9335/13]
View answerWritten answers
The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st September 2011.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. The application was also selected for a Cross Compliance inspection which resulted in a penalty of 5% being imposed. The advance payment of 75% amounting to €235.50 in respect of 2011 issued to the person named on 31st January 2013. The balancing payment will issue as soon as possible. Following the issue of the 2011 payment the application of the person named will roll forward to 2012.
Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments
Questions (206)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:206. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the disadvantaged area payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9396/13]
View answerWritten answers
As processing of the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application has recently been finalised, payment will shortly issue to the nominated bank account.
The holding concerned was only recently confirmed as having satisfied the scheme minimum stocking density requirements. An exercise to take account of December 2012 data, which was recently completed, established the definitive position of the holding.
Beef Technology Adoption Programme
Questions (207)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:207. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the €1,000 beef production grant will be paid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9398/13]
View answerWritten answers
The Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) was introduced in 2012 to improve the technical and financial performance of producers. Its objective is to improve the productivity and profitability of participants’ beef enterprises by focusing on five areas: financial management, grassland management, herd health, animal breeding/welfare and producing animals to market specifications. Under the BTAP, participants engage in peer-to-peer learning by joining discussion groups which are facilitated by professional agricultural advisors drawn from Teagasc and the private sector.
Payments to producers in 2012, which were limited to a maximum of €1,000 per participant and subject to EU state aid rules, were contingent on compliance with Programme requirements, i.e. attendance at a prescribed number of discussion group meetings or approved national events plus completion of two technology adoption tasks from a menu of eight designed to enhance on-farm efficiency. The broad range of available task options allowed participants to choose those best suited to the business needs and particular characteristics of their beef enterprises.
I understand that the individual concerned did not obtain a payment because he failed to satisfactorily complete one of two selected tasks which related to the completion of a herd health plan in consultation with a veterinary surgeon. Participants who chose that task were required to join the voluntary Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, a condition of which was that herd owners had to submit tissue samples from all calves born on their holdings in 2012 to one of a number of designated laboratories. Task completion was verified by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) which maintains a database of laboratory results on behalf of Animal Health Ireland.
The rationale for this approach is that the BTAP thus recognised and rewarded producers who tested their herds during the initial voluntary phase of a national programme to eradicate a highly contagious and costly cattle disease. Information received from ICBF indicated that the herd owner in question did not sample any animals born in 2012.
It is the responsibility of participants and their facilitators to familiarise themselves with the Programme Terms and Conditions and with the consequences for breaches of the rules. In applying for the BTAP, farmers undertook to comply with the Terms and Conditions of the Programme and accepted that failure to abide by the rules could result in a loss of payment. It was determined following appeal that the individual concerned failed to fully comply with the BTAP Terms and Conditions and, accordingly, no Programme payment was possible in this case.
Animal Diseases Issues
Questions (208)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:208. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a calf has BVD, if there is any compensation for that calf; if the mother of a calf who has BVD is proven to have BVD herself is compensation available to send that cow to the factory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9402/13]
View answerWritten answers
The provision of funding for compensation in the context of the compulsory phase of the BVD programme must be placed in the context of the economic benefits accruing to farmers arising from the eradication of this disease and, particularly, the short payback time involved for individual farmers as well as the scarce budgetary resources available to my Department. It has been estimated that the overall benefit for the eradication of this disease is beneficial to farmers. I should also emphasise that the strategy of my Department is to concentrate its scarce resources in continuing to support Animal Health Ireland in its ongoing work in establishing control programmes for non-regulated diseases of livestock in Ireland.
Direct Payment Scheme Applications
Questions (209, 210, 211)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:209. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine based on a provision of €1.213 billion per annum for direct payments under pillar 1 of the CAP 2014-2020, the amount that would be paid per hectare on a flat rate basis on all land in a holding in excess of 25 ha if a payment of €350 per ha was paid on the first 25 ha; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9416/13]
View answerÉamon Ó Cuív
Question:210. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine based on a provision of €1.213 billion per annum for direct payment under pillar 1 of the CAP 2014-2020, the amount that would be paid per hectare on a flat rate basis if all the money was expended on a flat rate basis to all farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9417/13]
View answerÉamon Ó Cuív
Question:211. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine based on a provision of €1.213 billion per annum for direct payment under pillar 1 of the CAP 2014-2020, the amount of money that would be available for re-distribution if a ceiling of €50,000 was put on single payments and if all farmers were paid at a flat rate per hectare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9418/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, together.
The change in the national ceiling for direct payments from €1,255 million currently to an average of €1,214 million in the new round (2014 to 2020) arises as a result of the European Council agreement of 8 February on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF). This agreed a 3% cut in the CAP budget and a 7% cut in the overall EU budget. The formula agreed by the Heads of State and Government for the distribution of direct payment funds between Member States had originally been proposed by Ireland, and resulted in a relatively favourable outcome for this country. The result is that the level of direct payments made to Irish farmers has been largely protected, with a cut of 3.3% in current terms in order to accommodate new Member States and due to the overall cut in the Budget.
This reduction in the national ceiling will be applied across the board to all Irish farmers, and is a separate issue from the proposed convergence of direct payments within each Member State.
All the data set out below is drawn from the Department’s modelling database, which is based on actual payments to farmers in 2010. Total payments covered by the database amount to €1,250 million. The Deputy should note that this database has recently been updated with more detailed information on payments in 2010, so results may vary slightly from previous answers to Parliamentary Questions. The purpose of the database is specifically to model the impact of alternative approaches to internal convergence, rather than to deal with all of the Commission proposals on direct payments, such as the young farmer’s scheme, the national reserve, etc.
If €350 per hectare were paid on the first 25 hectares of each farm, this would leave a balance of €178 per hectare for the remaining land. Note as stated above that this is based on total payments of €1,250 million.
If farmers were paid a flat rate per hectare, as in the Commission’s original proposals, each farmer would be paid €272 per hectare, based on total payments of €1,250 million.
If farmers were paid a flat rate of €272 per hectare, but the total payment per farmer was then capped at €50,000, this would create a saving of €24 million from around 1,000 farmers. This would allow for a top-up of €5 per hectare to be paid to all other farmers, based again on total payments of €1,250 million.