Written Answers Nos. 204-12
204. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a full list of the applications made by a local authority (details supplied) for funding under the Fishery Harbours and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2012 and also the Fishery Harbours and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2013. [20879/13]
View answerMy Department provides funding, where exchequer funds allow, for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers and slipways under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Coastal Local Authorities were invited to submit applications for projects in both of years of interest to the Deputy, 2012 and 2013. Applications received from Mayo Co Co were as follows:
Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme
2012 Application for funding from Mayo County Council
|
Location |
Total Project Cost |
|
Roigh |
€150,000 |
|
Killala Main Pier |
€300,000 |
|
Bundorragha |
€300,000 |
|
Kilcummin |
€150,000 |
|
Cloghmore |
€50,000 |
|
Westport |
€50,000 |
|
Newport Quay |
€200,000 |
|
Frenchport |
€25,000 |
|
Rosmoney |
€150,000 |
|
Purteen |
€150,000 |
|
Ballina Harbour |
€150,000 |
|
Ballyglass |
€150,000 |
|
Porturlin |
€150,000 |
|
Rinroe |
€150,000 |
|
Murrisk |
€150,000 |
|
Mulranny |
€150,000 |
|
Tullaghan |
€20,000 |
|
Dooagh |
€100,000 |
|
Saleen |
€150,000 |
|
Shore Rd, Belmullet |
€150,000 |
|
Rathlacken |
€150,000 |
|
Faulmore |
€10,000 |
|
Belmullet Quay |
€75,000 |
|
Valley |
€150,000 |
|
Roscahill |
€150,000 |
|
Cashel |
€100,000 |
2013 Application for funding from Mayo County Council
|
Location |
Total Project Cost |
|
Killala Harbour |
€150,000 |
|
Roigh |
€150,000 |
|
Bundorragha |
€150,000 |
|
Ballina Harbour |
€150,000 |
|
Newport Quay |
€150,000 |
|
Killala Main Pier |
€150,000 |
|
Westport |
€50,000 |
|
Cloghmore |
€50,000 |
|
Frenchport |
€25,000 |
|
Purteen |
€30,000 |
|
Ballyglass |
€150,000 |
|
Saleen |
€150,000 |
|
Porturlin |
€150,000 |
|
Rinroe |
€150,000 |
|
Mulranny |
€150,000 |
|
Tullaghan |
€20,000 |
|
Dooagh |
€100,000 |
|
Shore Road, Belmullet |
€30,000 |
|
Roscahill |
€150,000 |
|
Rathlacken |
€150,000 |
|
Faulmore |
€10,000 |
|
Belmullet Quay |
€75,000 |
|
Valley |
€30,000 |
|
Cashel |
€100,000 |
205. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the budget allocated to the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme for the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013; the amount actually spent in each of these years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20918/13]
View answerMy Department administers the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Development Programme. The programme funds capital works at the six State owned Fishery Harbour Centres and, subject to available exchequer funding, the programme also provides grant aid to coastal Local Authorities for development and repair works at marine facilities in their ownership. The table below details the allocation and expenditure for each of the years 2009 to 2013:
|
Year |
Allocated |
Expenditure |
|
2009 |
€15,000,000 |
€14,910,074 |
|
2010 |
€10,600,000 |
€8,565,507 |
|
2011 |
€10,862,023 |
€9,919,430 |
|
2012 |
€7,250,000 |
€6,728,315 |
|
2013 |
€8,595,000 |
Not yet available |
206. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that his Department has been issued with a compulsory purchase order by Donegal County Council for part of the Lough Foyle sea bed at Carnagarve, Moville, County Donegal; and if so, his Department's response. [20970/13]
View answerMy Department has received a Compulsory Purchase Order from Donegal County Council in respect of the area referred to by the Deputy. The matter is currently under consideration within my Department.
207. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding that is available for the purposes of providing agriculture handling facilities and agricultural sheds; if so, the process involved for applying for such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20992/13]
View answerGrant-aid is available for the purchase of mobile handling equipment for the sheep sector under the TAMS Sheep Fencing/Mobile Handling Equipment Scheme. The grant-rate is 40 per cent and the maximum eligible investment ceiling is €25,000, i.e. a maximum grant of €10,000 per holding. The application forms and terms and conditions of the Scheme are available on my Department’s website. There is no grant-aid currently available from my Department for the construction of animal housing or sheds.
208. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to make an application for emergency funding to the EU to deal with the fodder shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20994/13]
View answerIn response to difficulties currently being experienced by farmers in sourcing fodder, I introduced a scheme on the 24th April last – the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme – under which €1m is being made available to assist in transport costs associated with importation of forage from abroad. The Scheme is operated by my Department through the Dairy Co-operatives/Milk Purchasers. The scheme originally covered forage imported by the co-ops from 15th April 2013 to 3rd May 2013 but I have announced an extension to the duration of the scheme for one week until Friday 10th May 2013. In order to provide for wider variety of forage, I have included maize silage under the scheme and large quantities of maize silage are currently being sourced abroad for early delivery to farmers.
The Department funded scheme complements the work being done by the farm organisations, the dairy co-operatives and marts etc who are making great efforts to assist farmers in need of fodder. In addition to the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme, emergency assistance continues to be made available under my Department’s early warning system to farmers whose animals are currently experiencing serious welfare issues and where the farmer him/herself is unable to cope with the situation.
With regard to the EU Solidarity Fund, this Fund is, in the main, confined to major disasters which have lasting repercussions on economic stability, living conditions and the natural environment. A natural disaster is considered as 'major' if it results in damage on the State’s territory estimated either at over EUR 3 billion (2002 prices), or at more than 0.6 % of its gross national income. I am keeping the funding and fodder situation under review and will react as appropriate to emerging situations.
209. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment of an agri-environment options scheme 1 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21009/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st November 2010 and full payments totalling €833.30 and €4,999.97 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. 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. During these checks for 2012 issues were identified in relation to the claimed areas on the Species Rich Grassland action. Officials in my Department are finalising the application of the person named with the intention of issuing payment as soon as possible.
210. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of members of staff in his Department that are employed on temporary contracts; the way such members of staff have been employed on a temporary contract basis; the pay grades that the temporary staff members occupy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21021/13]
View answerOne Assistant Secretary General and one Principal Officer have been re-hired on a part-time, contract basis which are due to expire at the end of the EU Presidency on 28 June 2013. Payments are calculated on a daily rate taking into account normal pension abatement rules. Three temporary Forestry Inspectors, Grade 3 are employed on a fixed term contract which is due to expire October 2013.
211. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff in his Department that have retired from service in the past five years that have now been reinstated on temporary contracts; if he will confirm the pay grade that said staff members occupied at retirement and also at reinstatement; if he will disclose the gap in working days between their retirement and their reinstatement on a temporary contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21030/13]
View answerOne Assistant Secretary General who retired on the 22 October 2010 has been re-engaged by my Department since 25 October 2010 on a part-time contract basis which is due to expire at the end of the EU Presidency on 28 June 2013. One Principal Officer who retired on the 30 November 2009 has since been re-engaged from 1 October 2012 on a part-time contract basis to work on specific matters related to the Irish Presidency of the EU until 28 June 2013. Normal pension abatement rules have been applied in both cases.
212. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason payment under the 2012 disadvantaged area based scheme has not issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21032/13]
View answerUnder the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the holdings of eligible applicants were required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of six consecutive months, in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. As the person named has not as yet demonstrated that the holding satisfies the scheme minimum stocking density requirements, as of now, no payment is due in respect of the 2012 Scheme.
