Written Answers Nos. 137-142
137. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of appointments to State boards under the remit of his Department in each year from 2011 to 2014; the number that were publicly advertised; the reason all appointments are not open to public competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26264/14]
View answerSince May 2011, a notification has been placed on my Department’s website inviting expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to the boards of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. On 21 May 2014 an updated list of board vacancies was placed on my Department’s website. I have also advertised the State Board vacancies in the national newspapers.
In making any board appointments, I am not necessarily confined to those who make such expressions of interest but ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant mix of knowledge and expertise to contribute to the relevant board.
In the case of a number of bodies, some board appointments, while made by me, are not at my sole discretion in that individuals are nominated for appointment by me by various organisations as specified in the relevant statute. These are the Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board, Bord Bia, Teagasc, National Milk Agency, Veterinary Council of Ireland and Horse Racing Ireland.
The information sought by the Deputy is outlined in the table as at 18 June 2014:
|
Body/Agency |
No of Board Members |
No of Board appointments since March 2011 |
Name |
Date Appointed |
‘Expression of Interest’ appointments |
No of current vacancies |
|
Imelda Reynolds (Chair) |
1 April 2014 |
|||||
|
Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board |
7 |
8 (including the Chair) |
Brendan Brice Camilla Keane Sean Murphy Michael Sweeney Dr Owen McIntyre Jim Power Lorcán O Cinnéide |
9 November 2011 23 February 2012 1 January 2013 1 January 2013 11 April 2013 11 April 2013 22 October 2013 |
The Chair was appointed from an ‘expression of interest’ The other seven appointments are nominations made by prescribed organisations from which the Minister made appointments |
0 |
|
Michael Carey (Chair) |
19 November 2011 |
|||||
|
An Bord Bia |
15 |
14 (including the Chair) |
Gary Brown Michael Cronin Rhona Holland John Kingston Brody Sweeney Mary J Byrne John Bryan John Horgan John Comer Frank Hayes Caroline Keeling Prof Fergal O’Gara Eddie Downey |
7 October 2011 7 October 2011 7 October 2011 7 October 2011 7 October 2011 28 March 2012 24 March 2012 7 December 2012 12 April 2013 12 April 2013 10 December 2013 30 January 2014 30 January 2014 |
Eleven nominations made by prescribed organisations from which the Minister made appointments |
1 |
|
Kieran Calnan (Chair) |
13 June 2012 |
|||||
|
Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
6 |
5 ( including the Chair) |
Pádraig O Céidigh Sean O’Donoghue Damien McLaughlin Bill Deasy |
30 April 2013 2 March 2014 21 March 2014 27 May 2014 |
Three appointments from ‘expressions of interest’ |
2 |
|
Philip Meaney (Chair) |
12 April 2011 |
|||||
|
Bord na gCon |
7 |
8 (including the Chair) |
Matt Murphy Brendan Moore Tim Gilbert Tony McNamee William O’Dwyer Riona Heffernan Colm Gaynor |
2 December 2011 2 December 2011 2 December 2011 2 December 2011 12 June 2012 5 February 2014 28 May 2014 |
Six of the Ordinary Members of the Board appointed submitted ‘expressions of interest’ |
0 |
|
Brendan McKenna (Chair) |
8 October 2012 |
|||||
|
Coillte |
9 |
7 (including the Chair) |
Oliver McCabe David Gunning Julie Murphy O’Connor John Moloney Jerry Houlihan Roísín Brennan |
24 October 2011 25 May 2012 24 June 2013 9 October 2013 1 May 2014 1 May 2014 |
Four appointments were from ‘expressions of interest’ |
3 |
|
Joe Keeling (Chair) |
13 March 2013 |
|||||
|
Horse Racing Ireland |
14 |
6 (including the Chair) |
Noel Meade Neville O’Byrne Mary O’Connor Meta Osbourne Eimear Mulhearn |
8 February 2012 8 February 2012 8 February 2012 18 December 2013 18 December 2013 |
Five Ordinary Members of the Board were appointed following their nomination by stakeholder groups in accordance with legislation |
0 |
|
Matt Dempsey (Chair) |
28 February 2013 31 October 2013 (re-appointment) |
|||||
|
Irish National Stud |
7 |
9 (including the Chair) |
John Tuite Seamus Boyle Mark Weld Kate Horgan Paul Shelly |
25 October 2013 9 April 2014 (re-appointment) 25 October 2013 9 April 2014 (re-appointment) 29 October 2013 29 October 2013 8 March 2011 |
Four of the Directors appointed had submitted ‘expressions of interest’ |
0 |
|
Dr John Killeen (Chair) |
8 January 2014 |
|||||
|
Marine Institute |
9 |
5 (including the Chair) |
Paul Hyde David Owen Prof Patricia Barker Donal Kelly |
1 June 2012 4 December 2012 19 February 2013 15 April 2013 |
Four appointments were from ‘expressions of interest’ |
2 |
|
National Milk Agency |
14 |
13 |
Denis Fagan Eamonn McEnteggart Padraig Mulligan Timothy Cashman Jerome Crowley Richard Donohue Michael Kilcoyne Walter Moloney John Foster Eoghan McSweeney George Kearns Tony O Driscoll Frank Tobin |
23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 23 January 2013 22 October 2013 22 October 2013 22 October 2013 |
Five Producer representatives appointed following election in Dec 2013 in accordance with legislation. Eight Ordinary members of the Board were nominated by the relevant stakeholder groups. |
0 |
|
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority |
3 |
2 |
Micheál O Mahony Dr Susan Steele |
1 January 2013 4 March 2013 |
Recruitment by Public Competition |
0 |
|
Dr Noel Cawley (Chair) |
17 September 2013 (re-appointment) |
|||||
|
Teagasc |
11 |
9 (including the Chair) |
Thomas Cooke Dr Karina Pierce Brendan Gleeson Tom Tynan Padraig Gibbons Alan Jagoe Prof. Gerald Fitzgerald Tim O’Leary |
5 October 2011 9 January 2013 9 January 2013 9 January 2013 15 September 2013 (re-appointment) 15 September 2013 15 September 2013 23 January 2014 |
Three appointments were from ‘expressions of interest’ |
0 |
|
Veterinary Council |
19 |
17 |
Michael Sheahan Peadar Ó’Scanaill Michael Sadlier Deirdre Campion Martin Blake Barbara Bent Kevin Twomey Bridget Younge Grace Mulcahy Stephen Gordon Margaret O’Sullivan William Cashman Fergus Smith John B Magee Raymond Finn Morgan G Lyons Susie Walton |
1 January 2012 1 January 2012 1 January 2012 1 January 2012 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 1 January 2014 |
Ten representatives appointed following elections in both 2012 and 2014 in accordance with legislation. Four members of the Board were nominated by the relevant stakeholder groups. Three Ministerial appointments |
2 |
138. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 178 of 12 February 2014, if he will provide an update on an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26306/14]
View answerThe Agriculture Appeals Office received an appeal from the above mentioned on 8 January 2014. The appeal was acknowledged and a request was sent to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the Department file and a statement on the issue. The Department file was received on 21 May 2014 and was assigned to an Appeals Officer.
As an oral hearing has been requested in this case, the Appeals Office has been in direct contact with the appellant in order to schedule the oral hearing and is currently awaiting a response. Following the oral hearing a decision will be made on the case and will issue in writing.
139. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the rural development plan 2014-2020 will be formally submitted to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26354/14]
View answerThe Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP) will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. The proposed measures for inclusion in the new RDP were the subject of extensive stakeholder consultation and the resultant public feedback informed the design of the draft Programme. An ex-ante evaluation incorporating a Strategic Environmental Analysis and an Appropriate Assessment is currently being carried out on the proposed measures by independent, external evaluators in a process which also involves a further round of stakeholder consultation.
Under the EU Regulations, the deadline for the submission of the draft RDP to the Commission is 22 July, 2014 but is intended to submit a draft of the new RDP to the European Commission at the end June, 2014. The submitted draft will then form the basis for detailed discussions with the European Commission over the following months.
140. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the payment rates for the GLAS measures will be announced; if he proposes to announce these payment rates before formal plans are submitted to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26355/14]
View answerThe final consultation on the draft Rural Development Programme (RDP) has just recently closed and work on the costed elements of the GLAS Scheme, which form the basis of the payment rates, is well advanced. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement in this regard in the very near future, before I submit the proposals to the European Commission.
141. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason it is proposed in the context of GLAS to give priority to farmers who are classified as more intensive as opposed to those who are classified as less intensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26356/14]
View answerThe governing regulations identify key priorities that must be addressed in the design of the mandatory agri-environment measure under the terms of the new Rural Development Programme. These include Halting Biodiversity Decline, Maintaining Water Quality and Combating Climate Change. A balance between these priorities must be delivered and the proposals for GLAS reflect an appropriate response to achieving those objectives and securing EU approval for the scheme. Intensive farmers are included in Tier One of GLAS for priority access to the scheme on condition that they undertake certain prescribed actions; however, the vast majority of places in Tier One will be allocated to non-intensive farmers.
142. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a commonage farmer will not be prioritised for participation in GLAS if he-she cannot get agreement of either more than 50% or 80% of the other shareholders of the commonage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26357/14]
View answerA key element of the new strategy for managing commonages under GLAS is the development of a collective approach, where the majority of shareholders come together to manage the land in the best interests of the broader environment. GLAS is an environmental scheme and all measures proposed under that scheme must make a clear contribution towards better environmental management of agricultural land. I have proposed a two tier system for awarding commonage owners prioritised access to GLAS: top priority will be given to those who can achieve 80% or more participation in the collective, but if a minimum of just 50% participation can be secured, that will guarantee second-tier access to the scheme. I believe this concession, which I introduced last month, will significantly ease the burden of securing agreements, while at the same time providing a critical mass for management of the commonage, which can be expanded upon in future years. Critical mass is the key thing to be achieved here; we need sufficient people working together to achieve the best results for these commonages, and ensure their preservation into the future in the interests of both the farming community and the environment. Below 50% participation in the collective, I do not believe that the required critical mass is achieved.
