Written Answers Nos. 597-612
597. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the position on his Department's negotiations with the Crown Estate regarding Lough Foyle (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22486/14]
View answerMy Department is working with other relevant Departments and agencies towards the conclusion of a management agreement for both the Foyle and Carlingford areas in order to facilitate the eventual acquisition by the Loughs Agency of aquaculture licensing functions for these Loughs. The Deputy will appreciate that this is a complex task requiring the participation of a number of stakeholders.
My Department has recently organised a meeting of senior officials from a number of lead Departments involved and a second meeting is planned for the coming weeks. The purpose of these cross Departmental meetings is to arrive at an agreed way forward in terms of the future management of activities on Lough Foyle while pursuing a parallel workable resolution to the complex jurisdictional issues involved. The latter aspect in particular will require careful and detailed consideration to bring about an agreed way forward.
Due to the complex legal and jurisdictional complexities involved and the necessity for the involvement at a later stage of a number of other agencies, including the Crown Estates, it is not possible at this stage to give final timeframes for the resolution of this matter.
598. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 558 of 4 February 2014, the history of the plot in question; his views on whether the plot was vested in the person named; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the plot in question has been cut in recent days; the options available to the person named, who has previously rented the plot; if he will consider selling the plot; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22493/14]
View answerThe ownership of the turbary rights over Plot 1Q4 in the town land of Cloonkelaun and the associated cutting of turf would be a civil matter between the registered owners of Folios SL12378 and SL16764F and the individual named and is not an issue in which I have power to intervene. As already stated the ownership of the fee simple for the plot in question is held by me as successor to the former Irish Land Commission and is not presently for sale.
599. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine a case (details supplied); if his Department will assist or provide guidance in having this vessel registered as a 345 kW on the Irish registry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22509/14]
View answerUnder the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003, the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing were transferred from the Minister to the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats, which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in that Act and Ministerial Policy Directives. All applications for sea-fishing boat licences are considered by the Licensing Authority. The head of the Licensing Authority is the Registrar General of Fishing Boats. The Act prohibits the Minister from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case or group of cases with which the Licensing Authority is or may be concerned.
The Licensing Authority received an application to license the MFV “Courage” in the Polyvalent Segment of the fleet on 27 December 2013. In accordance with normal licensing procedures, a licence offer issued to the applicant on 8 January 2014 containing seventeen conditions all of which must be complied with before the vessel can be licensed. Condition number three requires that the vessel must be issued with a safety certificate (i.e. a Fishing Vessel Safety Certificate) and condition number seven requires that the gross tonnage and kilowatt engine power must be determined. Both of these functions are entirely matters for the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. In relation to the Register of Fishing Boats, the Registrar General is legally obliged to register the characteristics of the vessel as established by the Marine Survey Office. Consequently neither my Department nor the Licensing Authority has any role in the establishment of engine power.
600. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will expedite payments under the 2013 beef data programme in view of the current financial difficulties facing farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22535/14]
View answerPayments to all eligible participants under the 2013 Beef Data Programme will commence in June of this year when all of the required notifications on calves born during the late autumn will be submitted by participants in the Programme and the related verification checks are completed by my Department.
601. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm payment for 2013 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22558/14]
View answerThe person named was written to by my Department in August 2013 as part of a review of land parcels declared for the purposes of benefiting from payment under the Single Payment Scheme and other area-based Direct Payment Schemes. The person named was notified about ineligible areas for the scheme years 2008 and 2012 which gave rise to overpayments in the scheme years 2009 and 2012 and of his right of appeal. My Department has no record of any appeal received from the person named.
The application of the person named for the 2013 Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas Schemes has been fully processed. Payment for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was to issue on 24 September 2013 but was fully recouped by the Department against the above mentioned overpayments. Payments for the Single Payment Scheme issued on 16 October 2013 and 2 December 2013. The advance payment had monies recouped by the Department as this was in respect of the above mentioned over-payments. The balancing payment was paid in full to the applicant.
602. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to detail the number of farmers in County Mayo who are still awaiting their payment under the sheep grassland scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22564/14]
View answerPayments under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 8 December 2013, and, to date, payments worth €14,355,675 have issued nationally, to some 29,072 applicants, with payments continuing to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible. Details for County Mayo are contained in the table.
|
County Name |
Applied |
Paid |
Gross Amount Paid |
|
Mayo |
4,187 |
3,977 |
€1,713,319.42 |
603. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 521 of 13 May 2014 to set out the position regarding the grassland sheep scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22628/14]
View answerTo be eligible under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme, as per the Terms & Conditions, applicants were required in their own right to fulfil a number of conditions, including Section 23 (iv) which provides that applicants under the Scheme must have submitted a 2012 Sheep Census Return by the deadline of 11 March 2013 detailing the number of sheep maintained on the holding. As the person named did not submit a 2012 Sheep Census, no payment is due under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme.
604. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an agri-environment options scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22660/14]
View answerThe persons named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2010 and full payments have issued in respect of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Scheme years. During a 2013 inspection, the persons named were found to have non-compliances in respect of the Traditional Hay Meadow action. A letter issued to the persons named notifying them of the inspection findings and setting out the appeal option. As no appeal was received by my Department, the application is being processed on the basis of the inspection findings with the intention of issuing payment in respect of 2013, less penalties, at the earliest opportunity.
605. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the agri-environment options scheme 2013 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22690/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2010 and full payments have issued in respect of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Scheme years. During a 2013 inspection, the person named was found to have non-compliances in respect of the Riparian Margin action. A letter issued to the person named notifying him of the inspection findings and setting out the appeal option. As no appeal was received by my Department, the application of the person named is being processed on the basis of the inspection findings with the intention of issuing payment in respect of 2013, less penalties, at the earliest opportunity.
606. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the position regarding single farm payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22722/14]
View answerAn application under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 10 May 2013. Following a LPIS review, overclaims, totalling 0.46 hectares, were identified in respect of 4 land parcels. The application was processed for payment on this basis and payment issued in two instalments on 18 October and 5 December 2013. An official from my Department has sent the 2013 payment details for the person named and has directly contacted the person named as the Deputy requested.
607. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive an agri-environment options scheme payment. [22745/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from 1 May 2013. 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. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of 2013 and payment will issue shortly.
608. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an agri-environment options scheme payment for 2013 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22751/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from 1 May 2013. 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. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of 2013 and payment will issue shortly.
609. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive a decision on a single farm payment appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22813/14]
View answerIn order to comply with EU requirements, the 2013 Single Payment Scheme application of the person named was one of a number selected for a Cross Compliance inspection. During the course of this inspection breaches were identified in relation to the sheep identification and registration requirements, specifically relating to census and dispatch docket discrepancies and the failure to maintain a flock register, resulting in a 5% penalty being recorded. However, as similar breaches had been recorded at an inspection within the previous 3 years, rules relating to repeated non-compliances were applied as per the EU regulations governing the scheme, and a 15% penalty was recorded for 2013. The person named was notified of this decision on 24 May 2013.
A review was requested and a letter, upholding the original inspection decision, issued to the person named on 15 July 2013. The person named has appealed this decision to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office and an oral hearing was conducted on 23 April 2014. The person named will be informed of the outcome of the appeal as soon as it is available.
611. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the issue of quad rigging, especially in the Irish Sea; his views on the impact this is having on fish stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22819/14]
View answerQuad rigged fishing gear is one of a number of fishing gears which may be used in the fishery targeting nephrops (prawns). Twin rigged trawls have been practised by Irish fishermen for decades in both whitefish and nephrops fisheries. The advantage of a twin-rigged trawl over a single trawl of equivalent dimensions is that it allows a similar area of seabed to be covered while reducing the drag of the gear and consequently the power required to tow it. Over the last 2 to 3 years quad rigged trawls have widely replaced twin rigged trawls in the Irish Nephrops fishery. The principal reason the quad rig is being adopted so widely and so quickly appears to be that it allows fishermen to catch their Nephrops quota more efficiently than the twin rig. Some industry members have expressed concerns about the use of this gear and its impact on the nephrops fishery.
The matter has been considered by the Irish Fisheries Science Research Partnership (IFSRP) which comprises industry representatives, the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) at its March meeting. BIM has included quad rig trials as part of its work programme for 2014, which I understand have been undertaken. When the work on the quad rig trials is completed, BIM will summarise current knowledge on this gear to inform a discussion at the IFSRP. I will consider the views of the IFSRP on the use of this gear in the nephrops fishery and any recommendations received.
612. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the position regarding payment owed to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [22862/14]
View answerIn order to comply with EU requirements, the 2009 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named was selected for a Cross Compliance inspection. This inspection identified breaches in relation to the cattle identification and registration requirements, specifically the requirement to maintain an accurate herd register for 5 years, resulting in a 5% penalty being applied to the 2009 payments under both the Single Farm Payment and Disadvantaged Areas’ Schemes. The breaches identified did not result in a penalty being applied to payments under the REPS 4 Scheme.
The person named was notified of the inspection decision on 18 December 2009. The person named appealed this decision and following a further examination of the case a letter, upholding the original inspection decision, issued on 5 June 2012. The person named was also informed of the right to appeal the outcome of the review to the independent Agriculture Appeals office within 3 months. The Agriculture Appeals Office has no record of any appeal from the person named.
