Written Answers Nos. 120 - 128
120. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Defence if he will have a review carried out of the file of a person (details supplied) in County Cork in an effort to get a resolution to accuracy of his discharge files; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26387/14]
View answerThe Military Authorities have advised me that the person concerned served a total of 136 days in the Reserve Defence Force in 1969 and on 29 December 1969 he went absent. In January 1970 a Court of Inquiry was convened where he was declared an “Illegal Absentee” and was struck off the strength with effect from 29 December 1969. The Military Authorities have further advised, that having reviewed the individual’s file, they are satisfied that the individual concerned was discharged in full accordance with Defence Forces regulations.
121. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Defence the cumulative total of unapproved salary top-ups currently being paid under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27081/14]
View answerThere are no unapproved salary top-ups currently being paid to staff of the Department of Defence, the Permanent Defence Force or the Army Pensions Board.
122. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of shellfish aquaculture licences nationally and covering what amount of foreshore, in hectares, is in the possession of French oyster farmers; the mechanism and process under which he sanctions such trading in licences; the number of such licence trades that have occurred in the past ten years; the average price per hectare in 2013 and 2014 for licences which are traded; if he has any control over this value; if business plans or other bona fides are required from non-national companies that intend to exploit the nationally owned and regulated public foreshore; if there is any requirement on these companies to employ local persons to operate sites here; the surveillance required for the importation of live shellfish stocks into these sites; if non-national companies are eligible for grant aid from the Irish State under the rules of the European Fisheries Fund or the forthcoming European Maritime and Fisheries Fund; if licences may be traded if they are subject to section 19 of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act; if licences which are under the protection of section 19 and which have been transferred and paid for under contract between the licensee and third party are still valid and, if so, who is the licensee and who is liable for licence fees to the State as per the conditions of the individual licences; if the perception by the Irish industry is true that non-national companies are given preference over existing Irish oyster farmers in terms of processing licence or renewal applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26384/14]
View answerUnder EU law there can be no discrimination on the grounds of nationality.
In practice, almost all aquaculture licences for oyster production have been granted to Irish registered companies or Irish operators.
My Department is examining its records and will revert to the Deputy if further information comes to light.
123. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a disadvantaged area payment; his views that the delay in processing this application is extreme; if he will expedite the application [26432/14]
View answerUnder the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, applicants are required to maintain 0.15 livestock units for a minimum retention period of seven consecutive months, applicants are also required to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the 12 months of the scheme year. Payment under the 2013 Scheme has not issued to the person named as their holding has not satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements.
124. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the schemes in place for a farmer who has to retire from farming due to ill health; his plans to put one in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26434/14]
View answerThe Early Retirement Scheme, in conjunction with the Young Farmers’ Installation Scheme, aimed to encourage older farmers to pass their land on to younger, qualifying farmers. There was no specific scheme that catered for farmers retiring due to ill health, although someone in that situation could well have availed of the provisions of the Early Retirement Scheme.
The scheme was suspended in 2008 due to budgetary constraints. It was reopened briefly in September, 2009, with limited additional funding, to accommodate farmers who had applications completed or close to completion at the time of suspension. However, I have no plans to re-open this scheme or introduce another similar scheme at this time.
125. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he and his Department became aware of breaches of the artificial insemination of greyhounds regulations 2005 and the steps he and his Department have taken to ensure the integrity of the Irish greyhound stud book is protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26441/14]
View answerThe Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the authority responsible for the registration and identification of greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon under Section 26 (2) of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. Bord na gCon is the statutory body with responsibility for the improvement and development of the greyhound industry, greyhound racing and coursing.
The requirements governing the practice of artificial insemination of greyhounds are set down in the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations, 2005, S.I. No. 561 of 2005, which were made by Bord na gCon.
My Department was informed by Bord na gCon in early 2013 that procedural issues had arisen in relation to the registration of greyhounds conceived following artificial insemination which were at variance with the provisions set down in the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations, 2005, S.I. No. 561 of 2005. The matters at issue are between Bord na gCon and the ICC.
Officials from my Department raised these matters with executives at the highest level in Bord na gCon on a number of occasions in 2013 and again in 2014. Bord na gCon has confirmed to my Department that it has had a number of discussions with the ICC on these matters. Most recently Bord na gCon has informed my Department that it has initiated intensive discussions with a wide range of industry stakeholders, including the Irish Coursing Club, on these issues in recent weeks and it has invited written submissions from interested parties. I understand from Bord na gCon that there has been productive dialogue in this regard and that a comprehensive proposal for the resolution of this issue is imminent.
126. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway first received an early farm retirement pension; when payment of this pension will cease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26452/14]
View answerThe person named is in receipt of an Early Retirement Scheme pension with effect from 23 September, 2008. The first payment under the scheme was made to them, with arrears, on 31 May, 2009.
Payment of the pension will cease with effect from 3 September, 2014.
127. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy 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 Offaly where it is estimated that the person will receive 10% less on 11.72 hectares than on his current SFP where on 4.42 hectares the person received €755.68 with a total value of €3340.11; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26454/14]
View answerUnder the Single Payment Scheme the value of the entitlements was allocated on the basis of agricultural activity during the Reference Period of 2000 to 2002, and largely reflected the productive capacity of each farm during that period and gave rise to wide variations in the unit value of entitlements held by individual farmers.
It is no longer possible to justify the significant differences in the unit value of entitlements held by farmers based on the use of historical references. The model of convergence that will be applied in Ireland, while initially retaining the link with current payments under the Single Payment Scheme, gradually moves all farmers towards a national average value. The purpose of this model is to achieve a phased redistribution of payments between those who currently hold high value entitlements and those who hold low value entitlements.
The person named declared 11.72 hectares in 2013 and provided he retains that land in 2015, he will be allocated 11.72 new Basic Payment Scheme entitlements in 2015. The value of these entitlements will be based on a percentage of the value of Single Payment Scheme entitlements owned by him in 2014. In addition to the entitlements value, there will be a Greening payment.
While it will not be possible until 2015 to say definitively how much the payment per hectare will be, it is estimated that the person named will be eligible in 2015 to receive a total payment per hectare that will be slightly above the national average value. There will be a minor reduction by way of convergence each year thereafter.
128. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons who have contacted his Department under the beef genomics scheme who have proof of postage, but have had their applications rejected on the basis that they have no proof of delivery; when his Department's policy on proof of postage changed; if the application clearly stated that applications had to be submitted by registered post; the number of applications received under the scheme and the number received by registered post; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26475/14]
View answerMy Department has currently received approximately 40 appeals relating to applications with no proof of postage. No appeals have been received where the applicant had a swiftpost or registered post receipt.
The Terms and Conditions of this Programme specifically state that a swiftpost receipt is required as proof of postage where it is claimed that an application had been submitted. This has been the only acceptable evidence of postage for the Single Payment Scheme in 2011 and since the Beef Data Programme commenced in 2013.
A total of 37,000 applications to join the Scheme were received with approximately 12,000 of these received using swiftpost/registered post.
The closing date for receipt of applications to join this Scheme was extended from 4 to 17 April, and a 1% penalty is applied for each day that the application is received after the closing date, up to the 12th of May. Cases where an application was received after the closing date are reviewed on an individual basis. Any case that is rejected by my Department has the right to appeal the decision to the Agriculture Appeals Unit.
