Written Answers Nos. 150-156
150. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Defence if consideration will be given to a proposal for a crèche (details supplied) in County Kildare by the sale of Department lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17073/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware Magee Barracks is surplus to the Department’s requirements and in accordance with normal procedure it can only be disposed of by sale to another Government Department or State Agency or by public auction/tender. Agreement has been reached with the Department of Education for the sale of a portion of the site for the construction of a new school. When the formalities of this sale are complete the remainder of the site will be disposed of by public auction. In the circumstances the proposal put forward is not one which can be given favourable consideration.
151. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the person with responsibility for developing the commercial elements of Howth and the other major harbours under his Department's remit; and his views on whether a dedicated business manager could be appointed to focus on developing the commercial viability of major Irish harbours. [17022/14]
View answer152. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to address the current lack of on-site marine repair facilities at Howth harbour. [17023/14]
View answer153. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the main tenants of units at Howth harbour and the leases underpinning their occupancy of these units. [17024/14]
View answer154. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to fill vacant facilities at Howth harbour with marine related local businesses; and if there is a detailed development plan within his Department for Howth harbour. [17025/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 154, inclusive, together.
My Department has responsibility for the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Rossaveel and Killybegs.
Responsibility for policy decisions in relation to other major harbours rests with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Howth Fishery Harbour Centre has a fully operational boat yard and synchrolift which is available to all users of the Fishery Harbour Centre. Users of the boat yard can, subject to relevant Health and Safety and other requirements, commission contractors with the expertise required to carry out repairs on their vessels.
Properties located in the Fishery Harbour Centres are, when appropriate, offered for tenancy under lease agreement by means of an open competitive tendering process in accordance with good practice and public procurement guidelines.
In 2013, my Department held public competitive tendering processes for vacant sites in three Fishery Harbour Centres namely Howth, Castletownbere and Killybegs and plans with regard to potential future uses for vacant properties at the Fishery Harbour Centres are kept under ongoing review by my Department.
My Department currently has in the region of 50 property agreements in place in Howth Fishery Harbour Centre. The terms, which may differ, are individual to each agreement.
155. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a number of farmers (details supplied) in County Clare under the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17060/14]
View answerPayment has issued this week under the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme to the person named and also to the vast majority of other applicants under this programme.
The legal deadline, under the governing EU Regulations, for making these payments is the end of June 2014. Since actions undertaken by the BFCP participants continued throughout 2013, it was not possible to carry out the required eligibility inspections, which must be carried out prior to payment, until 2014. The EU Regulations also provide that all of the eligibility inspections must be completed before payments can commence, which is now the case. These payments for 2013 totalling €986,000 support high environmental value farming in the Burren, which is one of Ireland’s outstanding landscapes and is known worldwide. These payments will bring the allocation to participating farmers by my Department over the four years of this measure to over €3.8 million.
156. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [17117/14]
View answerIn order to comply with EU requirements the application of the person named was selected for a Cross Compliance/Bovine Identification and Registration inspection in 2013.
The inspection was arranged for 26 April 2013. On 25 April the person named contacted the inspecting officer to inform him that they would not allow the inspection to take place. In submitting an application under the Single Payment Scheme, applicants agree to permit officials of the Department to carry out farm inspection with or without prior notice. The person named was informed that failure to co-operate with the inspection would result in a nil payment. The person named continued to refuse to allow the inspection to be undertaken and as a result a 100% penalty was recorded against the relevant payments for 2013.
The person named was notified of this decision on 11 June 2013. The person named was also informed of the right to seek a review of this decision. No request for a review has been received by my Department to date.
If the person named wishes to seek a review of this decision they can do so by writing to the District Inspector, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Houston Hall, Raheen Industrial Estate, Raheen, Limerick, submitting any new evidence or documentation in support of their case.
In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of any review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
