Written Answers Nos. 228 - 235
228. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the target of his Department and subsidiary offices throughout the country regarding employment of persons with disabilities in the special category; if the target is being achieved; the total number of employees in that category currently and the percentage of the total workforce in his Department that it represents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24607/13]
View answerThe Disability Act 2005 stipulates, among other things, that a public body shall ensure, unless there is good reason to the contrary for not doing so, that not less than 3% of people employed by it are persons with disabilities. My Department is complying with this statutory target for the employment of people with a disability. The most recent data available shows that 3.3% of staff have declared that they have a disability; this corresponds to 114 employees within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
My Department is committed to providing the supports necessary to enable staff with disabilities to participate fully in the workplace and it is also supportive of initiatives to provide work experience placements to people with disabilities. The most recent initiative which my Department participated in is the Job Shadow Initiative, which is a project designed to bring people with disabilities and local employers together in the spirit of collaboration to enable job seekers explore the world of work. In addition my Department provided two 6 month placements under the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) Programme during 2012, which offers paid mentored work experience to graduates with disabilities. My Department plans to participate again in the WAM Programme during 2013.
In relation to the State Bodies that come within the aegis of my Department, during 2012, the following bodies met the statutory requirement: Bord na gCon, Coillte Teoranta, Teagasc, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Marine Institute, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and Aquaculture Licensing Board (ALAB). The bodies that did not achieve the 3% target are: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) - 2.68% (up from 2.14 in 2011); Bord Bia (BB) - 1.1% (same as 2011); Irish National Stud (INS) - 0.0% (same as 2011); Veterinary Council Ireland (VCI) - 0.0% (same as 2011); National Milk Agency (NMA) - 0.0% (same as 2011).
The VCI and NMA employ 4.5 and 5 people respectively. The National Disability Authority monitors these statistics and has accepted these returns in the past. Each of the other three agencies are subject to the current recruitment embargo.
230. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason single farm payment and REP scheme entitlements for a person (details supplied) were cut by 5% because they were unable to cut rushes due to weather conditions in February 2013 and therefore failed inspection. [24688/13]
View answerIn order to be eligible under the Single Payment Scheme and other area based schemes, an applicant must ensure that all agricultural land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). A Cross Compliance inspection relating to the Single Farm Payment was carried out on the holding concerned on 27 February 2013. When conducting inspections, my Department’s personnel take prevailing weather conditions into account. For example, where the practice is to cut rushes and it has not been possible to top them in the current year, inspectors will take a broader assessment including whether there is evidence that they have been cut in previous years.
During the course of this inspection, a parcel was identified where there was no evidence of grazing, cutting or topping having taken place for a number of years and rushes had become dominant as a result. Furthermore a second parcel of land was identified where severe poaching had occurred due to the out-wintering of cattle. As a result of these findings, a penalty of 5% has been recorded against the applicant’s 2013 Direct Payments. The applicant was notified on 3 April 2013. A request for a review of this decision has been received and is currently being examined. The applicant will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as possible, which can, in turn, be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office within 3 months of the date of the review.
The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first four years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. These checks have now been completed for 2012 and the Year 5 75% payment amounting to €5,400.82 issued for payment on 14 May 2013 less deductions of €2,269.22 for penalties/reductions for over-claims on land declared and non-compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. The remaining Year 5 25% balancing payment amounting to €2,556.68 issued for payment on 20 May 2013.
Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all administrative checks must be passed and eligibility conditions met before payment can issue. If the person named is dissatisfied with the application of penalties in this instance, there is a “right of appeal” procedure to the Agriculture Appeals Office, Kilminchy Court, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The appeal must be made within three months of the date of notification of the penalties.
231. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the publication on 14 March 2013 of the report Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation and Parliamentary Question No. 996 of 16 April 2013 and comments of 15 May 2013 by the British Member of Parliament, Anne McIntosh, if his Department has concluded its consideration of the possibility of instituting legal proceedings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24703/13]
View answerThe report on the ‘Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation’, published on 14 March, includes details of the companies that came to my Department’s attention during this investigation and the actions taken by the Department. Operations in a total of four plants were suspended (in some cases on a voluntary basis) for varying periods arising from the investigation. Information in relation to activities by traders and other intermediaries in the supply chain outside of the jurisdiction has been passed to Europol and other Member States to facilitate continuing investigations in other countries.
My Department is considering the possibility of instituting legal proceedings where appropriate, as indicated in the report. It is important to note in that context that while some of the failures referred to in the report risked reputational damage to the Irish food sector, they did not breach EU or national law. The fact is that the Irish authorities were the first to discover and disclose this problem of adulteration of beef products, which turned out to be a pan European problem. The investigation team worked closely with colleagues in other Member States, facilitating investigations in those countries. Exposure of this malpractice will result in improved consumer protection not just in Ireland, but also in the UK and elsewhere. We remain fully open to assisting any other Member State or entity with regard to ongoing investigations in other jurisdictions and will continue to do so in a transparent manner, as has been the practice throughout the equine DNA investigation.
232. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are circumstances in which an application to the new agri-environment options scheme, which has not yet been accepted, may be amended as serious errors have been detected in relation to the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24722/13]
View answerMy Department is on the point of finalising the processing of applications received under the Agri-environmental Options Scheme on the basis of the information submitted by the applicants. The Scheme Terms and Conditions clearly set out the information requirements to be submitted with each application by the closing date. My Department have been in contact with applicants with a view to resolving queries arising on applications submitted but there are no provisions for applications to be substantially amended as this stage.
233. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the agri-environment options scheme 1 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24723/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 November 2010 and full payments totalling €531.42 and €4,999.96 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. The person named was also selected for a ground inspection, which took place on 3 October 2012. During this inspection, issues of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the scheme were noted in relation to the Laying Hedgerow and Traditional Stone Wall Maintenance actions, which resulted in a penalty being imposed.
On 29 January 2013, a letter issued to the person named informing him of this penalty and giving him the option to appeal the decision. The person named submitted an appeal to my Department and the original decision was upheld on 9 April 2013. My Department is currently processing the application for payment based on the inspection and payment for the 2012 scheme year will issue shortly.
234. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when agri-environment options scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay; when computerised processing of payments will start in relation to AEOS1; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24725/13]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2010 and full payments totalling €1,666.66 and €4,999.98 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During the checking process in respect of the 2012 scheme year, issues were identified in relation to the claimed areas on the Species Rich Grassland and Traditional Hay Meadow actions. My Department has now finalised the application of the person named and payment in respect of the 2012 scheme year will issue shortly.
235. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will put in place a detailed independent review of the whole forest sector here, both Coillite and private, with a view to determining the changes that still need to be made to meet the challenges of the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24746/13]
View answerAn in-depth review of national forest policy is currently being finalised. This review, arising from a Government commitment that such be undertaken, commenced in 2010 and was undertaken by a group consisting of representatives of the forestry sector. The review of forestry policy is currently in the process of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which includes consultation with statutory bodies and the general public. It is anticipated that the process will be concluded by the end of July after which it is planned to issue the report, taking account of any further inputs received during the SEA process.
