Written Answers Nos. 503-19
503. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the remaining part of their single payment scheme payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54234/13]
View answerAn application under the Single Payment Scheme / Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 3 May 2013. This application was processed with payment issuing in respect of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme on 24 September. An advance payment issued in respect of the Single Payment Scheme on 16 October with the balancing payment under the Single Payment Scheme issuing on 10 December.
504. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an application for single farm payment will be granted in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54255/13]
View answerThe closing date for receipt of applications under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme was 15 May, with late applications (subject to a cumulative penalty of 1% per working day) acceptable up to 10 June. However the 2012 Single Payment Scheme application of the person named was received by my Department on 5 November 2013. The late penalty was waived on foot of the appeal submitted. Payment will shortly issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
505. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce a compensation package arising from the outbreak of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome or blue ear as it is more commonly known; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54284/13]
View answerPorcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a virus that causes a disease in pigs, called Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), also known as blue-ear pig disease and is a widespread disease affecting domestic pigs. The symptoms include reproductive failure, pneumonia and increased susceptibility to secondary bacterial infection. It is caused by a virus classified as a member of the genus Arterivirus. PRRS was first recognised in the United States in 1987, and the causative virus was identified in the Netherlands in 1991.
The position as regards PPRS is that this is disease syndrome would appear to be endemic in Ireland, as it is in virtually all pig producing countries in the world. While it is acknowledged that PRRS has a negative economic impact on affected farms, there are no PRRS related health guarantees applicable in respect of intra-community trade in pigs and thus no additional health guarantees can be sought or imposed in relation to intra-community trade. Given these circumstances, my Department does not have any plans to introduce a national eradication programme or a compensation regime at this time.
506. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine the penalising of farm payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54361/13]
View answerAn application under the Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2013. This application was processed and an advance payment issued in respect of the Single Payment Scheme on 14 November with the balancing payment issuing on 2 December.
Deductions in respect of both Modulation and Financial Discipline were applied to these payments in accordance with the EU Regulations governing the administration of the scheme. My Department, nor, indeed, any Member State, has any discretion in the application of either Modulation or Financial Discipline.
507. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals his Department and Bord Bia have for an adequate marketing programme for pigmeat for 2014; the specific marketing initiatives that are planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54374/13]
View answerThe pigmeat sector is the third largest sector in Irish agriculture in terms of output and exports and a significant contributor to employment and the economy generally.
Approximately 50% of Irish pigmeat is consumed on the home market while exports this year are focussed on the UK, China, Russia, Japan the US and continental Europe. The growing list of third country markets in which Irish pigmeat is consumed is evidence of my continuing efforts and those of Bord Bia to increase the profile of Irish agri food products worldwide. Indeed there was a welcome new market opportunity with the opening of the Australian market for Irish pigmeat product earlier this year.
For 2014, the strategic focus of Bord Bia for the pigmeat sector on the home market will be to promote the Quality Mark and the consumption of pork to consumers. The domestic market remains difficult with consumption coming under pressure. Key activities envisaged in 2014 are TV and point of sale advertising, Facebook and website activities, digital advertising, PR activities and radio promotions. Pork, ham and bacon with the Quality Mark will also feature in the RTE 1 ‘Home Chef’ series with Neven Maguire starting in mid January. In total there will be 19 weeks of promotional activity for pork and bacon on the home market throughout 2014.
The main export markets will remain important in 2014, given the pressures on the home market. In the UK, support will be directed towards projects which can assist processors in identifying and developing business opportunities. In Russia, efforts will be directed towards enhancing relationships with local authorities, to maintain market access and build market and customer contact for Irish exporters through exhibitions such as Prodexpo. In Asia, similar efforts in building trade links will continue for 2014, working closely with the Chinese Meat Association, and relevant Chinese government agencies. In terms of trade development, Bord Bia will host an Irish stand at two trade fairs, Sial China in Shanghai and CIMIE in Beijing, while inward buyer visits from this region will continue to be supported. In addition, with direct market access to Vietnam and Thailand, Bord Bia plans to do a market assessment of the opportunities within these two countries to explore the export opportunities for Irish operators.
I can assure the Deputy that I regard the pigmeat sector as a critically important element of the Irish agri food industry and that my Department and its agencies will continue to work with industry to explore new market opportunities and develop the sector to its full potential.
508. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to the severity of the eligibility cutbacks to the single farm payments on the most marginal small farmers in the disadvantaged areas, that many now will be forced to cease farming and join the dole queues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54422/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be fully aware of the value of the EU funded Direct Payment Schemes to Ireland. Each year farmers in Ireland benefit from funding of over €1.5 billion under Schemes such as the Single Farm Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Agri-Environment Schemes, etc. This comprises the entire net income of many thousands of Irish farmers.
The European Commission has an obligation to ensure that Member States manage and use the EU funding granted to them in accordance with the very restrictive provisions governing the Schemes and general financial provisions. All of the lands declared by farmers must be eligible if these lands benefit from payment under one of more of these Schemes. My Department is currently carrying out a comprehensive exercise by excluding ineligible features, such as houses, roads, scrub, rivers, etc. in land parcels declared by farmers. In the vast majority of cases, the exclusion has no impact on payments as the farmers in question have taken a prudent approach and reduced the declared area to take account of the ineligible feature. No cutbacks have been applied on eligible land.
I would like to reassure the Deputy that every effort is being made to protect the interests of the majority of farmers who were fully compliant in the declarations they made on an annual basis under the Schemes.
509. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has received an application from Sligo County Council for funding for vessel access and harbour-pier repairs at Rosses Point, County Sligo, under the 2014 fishery harbour and coastal infrastructure development programme; when a decision is expected to be made on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54425/13]
View answerThe Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Development Programme which my Department administers on an annual basis provides funding for capital works at the six Fishery Harbour Centres. Where exchequer funds allow, and having considered competing priorities, funding can be made available for Local Authority owned piers and harbours.
The harbour at Rosses Point is, in the first instance, the responsibility of Sligo County Council. The allocation of funding within the confines of the overall 2014 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Capital Development Programme is currently under consideration. Therefore, Local Authorities have not been asked to submit proposals for funding under that programme at this stage.
510. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a REP scheme payment, in view of the fact that the single payment scheme and disadvantaged area payment has issued to the person with the agreement of the inheritance unit of his Department. [54430/13]
View answerThe Mother of person named commenced REPS 4 in May 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. The Mother of the person named is now deceased and an issue has arisen in relation to the legal status of the lands declared in the Agri-Environmental Plan prepared in 2008. This issue is currently being investigated and officials of my Department are currently in contact with the person named with the intention of bringing the situation to an speedy conclusion.
511. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount spent on external IT consultants by his Department in 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the estimated spending in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54433/13]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy can be found in the attached table. The IT consultancy engagements concerned relate to quarterly independent assessments of the Department’s IT security measures as required for EU accreditation purposes and biannual independent security review of the Department's IT infrastructure. An independent review of all the Geographical Information based computer systems (GIS) in my Department was also carried out as this is an integral part of the effective and efficient administration of our EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based payment schemes. The total amount spent on external IT consultants in each year is as follows:
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
To date 2013 |
|
€ |
74,279 |
73,597 |
122,511 |
101,217 |
It is estimated that the spend in 2014 will amount to some €108,000.
512. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of legal action against his Department for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54449/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy can be found in the accompanying table. The figures listed include the costs and damages incurred by my Department in legal actions.
|
Year |
Amount paid (€) |
|
2011 |
1,195,299 |
|
2012 |
1,454,457 |
|
To date 2013 |
1,230,856 |
The Department is mindful of keeping all associated legal cost to a minimum.
513. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has re-negotiated external IT consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54465/13]
View answerMy Department awards a contract for ICT Security consultancy services on a two year basis. The service consists of quarterly independent assessments of my Department’s ICT security measures and a biannual independent security review of my Department's ICT infrastructure as required for EU accreditation purposes. In addition, services for independent web application testing are provided where required.
Following an open EU public tendering procedure held earlier this year, a contract for this work was awarded in June 2013. On this occasion it was awarded to a different company than on the previous occasion that this work was tendered. It is envisaged that my Department will run an open EU tender competition for this ICT consultancy work again in 2015, on the expiry of the existing arrangement.
My Department is also heavily reliant on high quality Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to assist with single payment and rural environmental protection schemes and to assist in carrying out our animal health obligations. Following an open public tendering procedure held in 2012, my Department awarded a contract to Compass Informatics to carry out a comprehensive review of the operation of the Department’s GIS systems and to produce a report on how to ensure that these systems continue to serve my Department well into the future. The final report was completed in 2013 and a number of the recommendations are currently being implemented. My Department also has contracts in place for ICT contract programming resources.
514. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide detail in tabular form, in respect of his Department or any agency under his remit, any exemptions granted to the long-standing general principle of pay policy that the payment of additional remuneration to public servants for undertaking additional duties is not permitted; the additional remuneration involved in each case; the date of sanction for such additional remuneration; the rationale behind such sanction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55028/13]
View answerIn response to the Deputy’s question, I have detailed below the Special Advisers that have been/are employed in my Department for which a salary increase was requested, based on the substantially higher salaries each earned in the private sector. The salaries were approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. There are currently no exemptions granted to staff of my Department for the payment of additional remuneration for undertaking additional duties. My Department is checking records going back to 2000. In the event that any additional remuneration was paid in the past, details will be forwarded to the Deputy.
|
Name |
Title |
Salary |
|
Fergal Leamy from 11/4/2011 to 9/9/2011 |
Special Adviser to Minister Coveney |
€130,000 per annum |
|
Ross MacMathuna from 16/1/2012 |
Special Adviser to Minister Coveney |
€103,200 per annum |
515. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm that funding will continue to be made available in 2014 through Pobal to a preschool (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54028/13]
View answerThe childcare service referred to by the Deputy is participating in thee Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which is implemented by my Department and provides a free pre-school year for children before they commence primary school. Funding will continue to be provided under this programme for qualifying children enrolled in the service under the ECCE programme in 2014.
I understand that the programme the Deputy is referring to is funded by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) under the Community Services Programme (CSP). I understand from the the DSP that the current three year contract of support under that programme is due to expire on 31 December 2013 and that the CSP grant support for the childcare service is to phase out by the end of 2014. I understand that this determination has been communicated to the company and an opportunity made available to the Board to seek a review of the decision. Any future correspondence on this issue should be addressed to the Minister for Social Protection.
516. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will undertake a study with regard to the way fast food outlets and supermarkets who undertake special cheap deals targeted at lunch times and schoolchildren can be curtailed in the interest of combating the growing levels of youth obesity. [53837/13]
View answerResponsibility for the regulation of food and beverage providers lies with the Department of Health and, through it, with the HSE and Food Safety Authority of Ireland. I understand that this remit currently focusses on food safety rather than nutritional content.
The Minister of Health has established a Special Advisory Group on Obesity on which a member of my Department sits. This has been working with food providers on a variety of initiatives including calorie posting on menus which many providers are now undertaking. The Food safety Authority is working on developing a calorie counter tool for cafes and restaurants which will make that job easier for small operations that do not have the resources to do this. This will help young people and families make more informed choices about what they eat. Discussions are also underway with vending machine operators and schools, to ensure the majority of produce available from vending machines falls into the healthier choice category.
I will be happy to arrange for the Deputy's suggestion regarding the curtailment of fast food deals targeted at school children to be brought to the attention of the Special Advisory group on Obesity for consideration.
517. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline what offices relevant to her Department are located or have been decentralised outside of Dublin; if she will provide the total number of staff in her Department and the number of staff based outside County Dublin as of 2013; the annual cost incurred in 2012 and 2013, respectively, for decentralised staff travelling to meetings in Dublin; the number of times staff travelled to individual meetings in Dublin in each of those years; the costs those staff will be reimbursed; if her Department has procedures or mechanisms in place such as video-conferencing to reduce the cost of travelling for each unit based outside Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53989/13]
View answerThe Department of Children and Youth Affairs is housed in one building in Dublin. No part of the Department has been decentralised.
518. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if public health nurses are excluded from the remit of the Child and Family Agency; if she will be liaising with the Department of Health to introduce reforms in the public health nursing system to support public health nurses in their vital role as the first point of contact with many families and potentially assisting the provision of early intervention to families in need. [54038/13]
View answerThe legislation to establish the new Child and Family Agency (CFA) has recently completed its passage through the Oireachtas. The Child and Family Agency Bill has been signed by the President and it is now the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 (No. 40 of 2013). The necessary Commencement and Establishment Orders are in preparation to allow for establishment of the Agency on 1 January 2014 as planned. The establishment of the Child and Family Agency is a key priority for the Government. From its establishment the Agency will have service responsibility for: Child welfare and protection services currently operated by the HSE including family support and alternative care services; child and family-related services for which the HSE currently has responsibility including pre-school inspections and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services; services relating to the psychological welfare of children and their families currently provided by the HSE; the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board which currently operate as separate bodies under the Department of Children and Youth Affairs will be merged into the new Agency; the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency made recommendations on a range of other services relevant to children and families, including public health nursing, speech and language therapy, child and adolescent mental health and children’s detention.
The practical implications of the scale of organisational change already outlined in the legislation are such as to require that consideration of these wider recommendations and, should it be considered appropriate, their implementation take place according to a less immediate timescale. This will allow for more careful review and consideration in conjunction with relevant Departments, principally the Department of Health.
A joint protocol for inter-agency working between the HSE and the Child and Family Agency, when established, has been prepared following extensive dialogue between Children and Family Services, Primary Care, Disability Services and Mental Health Services. The protocol aims to ensure a consistent national approach to service delivery where two or more services are involved in the same case. The protocol provides for local collaboration across care groups at local practitioner level with a mechanism for escalation to Area level and beyond if required. The Department, and the Child and Family Agency upon establishment, will continue to advance such a collaborative approach in conjunction with the Department of Health and the HSE.
519. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the early years strategy will be compiled following the publication of the report of the expert group on the early years strategy. [54040/13]
View answerFollowing the announcement of the preparation of Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy, I appointed an Expert Advisory Group, chaired by Dr Eilis Hennessy of UCD, to advise the Minister and her Department on recommendations for inclusion in the Strategy. The work of this Group has concluded, and their comprehensive report, ‘Right from the Start’, was launched recently.
A wide range of recommendations is set out in the report for consideration, covering issues that affect Ireland’s youngest children and their families, including early childhood health, support for parents, and ensuring quality in early years provision. The recommendations in the report are being considered within my Department. I recently held a consultation event at which key stakeholders from a wide range of relevant areas examined the recommendations and considered whether other issues needed to be considered for inclusion in the Early Years Strategy. The report and these deliberations will contribute substantially to the final draft of the new Strategy.
The Early Years Strategy is one of a number of detailed strategies under the National Children and Young People’s Policy Framework 2014-2018 which is nearing finalisation. This will set out the overall principles, vision and outcomes for children and young people and will guide actions across Government over the period 2014 to 2018. I hope to publish the Policy Framework early in the New Year. I expect that the Early Years Strategy will be finalised and published shortly thereafter.
