Written Answers Nos. 104-115
104. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an agri-environment option scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36207/14]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from the 1st 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, have to be completed before any payment can issue. During these checks a query arose in respect of land parcels declared which required digitisation. This is being dealt with by my Department at present and once the digitisation process is completed, the application will be processed with a view to making payment in respect of 2013 at the earliest opportunity.
105. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of Department staff in County Galway that have transferred to Government Departments in counties Mayo or Sligo to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36209/14]
View answerNo staff from my Department in County Galway transferred to Government Departments in County Mayo or County Sligo to date this year. In 2013, however, 4 clerical staff from my Department’s offices in Galway transferred on a temporary basis to Claremorris, County Mayo.
106. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department deals with the area aid and single farm payments to farmers who transfer land from their holding to local authorities for the common good relating to road works, flood alleviation and so on as the transfer pertains to regional and local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36258/14]
View answerIn order to receive full payment under the Single Payment Scheme an eligible hectare must be declared for each entitlement held by the farmer as set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 73/2009. Consolidation of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme was also introduced in 2005 under this regulation. Consolidation (stacking) of entitlements means that in certain circumstances a farmer may give up to the National Reserve his/her own existing entitlements. The farmer is then re-allocated a lower number of entitlements with a higher net unit value.
Farmers who satisfy certain conditions are eligible to apply to have their entitlements consolidated. The reduction in the number of hectares must have arisen due to certain circumstances, including the acquisition of land by a public authority under a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for non-agriculture purposes.
Application for consolidation of entitlements as a result of hectares lost as outlined above could only be considered if these hectares were used to establish entitlements during the reference period 2000 to 2002. Consolidation of entitlements has been available each year since 2005.
107. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will be nominating a person representing the large multiple supermarkets to the board of the National Milk Agency, at the inception of the new term for members of this board, which is due for renewal in December 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36287/14]
View answerThe Milk (Regulation of Supply) Act, 1994, allows for the appointment by the Minister of ordinary members of the board of the National Milk Agency nominated by processor, distributor, retail and consumer interests. There is currently one retail sector representative on the board and this has been the practice since the establishment of the Agency. The National Milk Agency (Members) Regulation, S.I. No. 234 of 1995, sets down the prescribed number of ordinary members from each sector as follows:- consumers – one; retailers – one; distributors – one; processors – four; producers – five. The Milk (Regulation of Supply) Amendment Act, 1996, increased the number of members to be nominated by consumer interests to at least two.
Appointments are ordinarily for a term of three years and the next renewal is due in December 2015. It is open to the retail interests mentioned by you to seek to nominate a representative for consideration for appointment at that time. Any request from retail or other interest groups wishing to nominate an additional representative to the Board should be forwarded to my Department for consideration.
108. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their mapping appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36362/14]
View answerDue to inadvertent oversight the appeal of the person named to which the Deputy refers was not replied to, an official of my Department contacted the person named directly, this morning, to explain the position and apologise for the oversight. A letter, formally replying to the enquiry, will issue to the person named without further delay. The issue under appeal relates to the removal of ineligible areas from the claim of the person named – gardens of a dwelling house from one land parcel and sheds from another. While these reductions, in themselves, did not give rise to penalties, as the eligible area of the claim of the person named was reduced, the payment made was marginally below the maximum. In order to receive full payment, applicants under the Single Payment Scheme are required to declare one eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held.
109. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Defence if he has received proposals regarding the future use of Columb Barracks, Mullingar, County Westmeath; the Government's plans for the future use of this facility. [36179/14]
View answerThe former Columb Barracks in Mullingar is currently used by Westmeath GAA Board under a short term licence and it is hoped to put a long term arrangement in place with the Board for the use of the barracks over the coming weeks. The former barracks is also currently used by An Garda Síochána and the Customs Service for training purposes and it is intended that these arrangements will remain in place. A number of other organisations and individuals have also made enquiries/suggestions as to the possible use of the barracks and these are being looked at in the context of an overall plan for the barracks under a long term lease with Westmeath GAA Board.
110. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Defence his plans to engage in further recruitment to the cadets corps of the Permanent Defence Force in addition to the 20 who have already been recruited; if some of those who have been selected as being suitable and are on a waiting list will be facilitated in the near future; the likely timescale for further recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36246/14]
View answerThe 2014 Cadetship Competition for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service has been conducted and 39 Cadetships are being awarded, comprising of 20 Army to include 2 Equitation School, 9 Air Corps and 10 Naval Service Cadetships. The intake of Cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to Defence. The selection of Cadets following the 2014 competition has been finalised and offers of Cadetships have recently issued. As there is only one intake of Cadets each year candidates are not placed on a waiting list, but should they continue to fulfil all the eligibility criteria they may re-apply for the Cadetship Competition in subsequent years. It is too early at this stage to say if there will be such a requirement for a further intake of Cadets in 2015.
111. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details of the total population of the southern region of An Garda Síochána; the population and the number of square kilometres of each Garda division in that region; the population and the number of square kilometres in each Garda district in those divisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36167/14]
View answer112. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank available for policing duties and those assigned to managerial-administrative duties in each Garda district in the southern region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36171/14]
View answer113. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details by Garda district in the southern region; the number of vehicles registered in each of the following years which are in use for policing duties, 2007 to 2013, and to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36175/14]
View answer114. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details by rank, the number of gardaí available for policing duties and those assigned to managerial-administrative duties in each district in the southern region during the years 2011 to 2013, and to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36176/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 111 to 114, inclusive, together.
The information the Deputy is seeking is currently being collated by my Department. I will contact him when it is to hand.
115. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the annual costs of running the prison service for each year since 2005; and the average cost per person imprisoned in each of those years. [36177/14]
View answerThe annual costs of running the prison service for each year since 2005 and the average cost per person imprisoned in each of those years is captured in the following table. The figures presented for 2013 are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General and may be subject to change.
|
YEAR |
Cost of Running Prison Service - (€000) |
Cost of Keeping an Offender- (€) |
|
2005 |
334,931 |
90,900 |
|
2006 |
387,240 |
91,700 |
|
2007 |
373,055 |
97,700 |
|
YEAR |
Cost of Running Prison Service - (€000) |
Cost per Available, Staffed Prison Space - (€)* |
|
2008 |
402,318 |
92,717 |
|
2009 |
357,827 |
77,222 |
|
2010 |
317,109 |
70,513 |
|
2011 |
330,149 |
65,359 |
|
2012 |
316,805 |
65,404 |
|
2013 |
304,967 |
65,542 |
*Cost per Available, Staffed Prison Space.
It should be noted that the methodology for measuring costs across the prison estate was reviewed in 2008. The previous approach (Cost of Keeping an Offender) did not give consideration to the various factors that drive costs.
The revised methodology is of greater benefit in the financial management of the Service than the one previously used as it facilitates the strategic measuring and comparing of costs across the prison estate. It also excludes costs which are not under the direct control of the Irish Prison Service, for example, teachers salaries.
