Written Answers Nos. 102-110
102. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the GLAS+ top-up payment will be automatically paid to GLAS participants whose land is designated SPA, SAC or NHA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42637/14]
View answerThe agri-environment scheme GLAS is one of the schemes included in Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme which is currently being considered by the European Commission. The proposal is that applicants for GLAS with designated SAC and SPA lands, which form part of the Natura 2000 Network (but does not include NHA land), will get priority access to the Scheme under Tier 1. The proposed ‘top-up’ GLAS+ payment of up to €2,000 extra will be available to a limited number of farmers who commit to measures of exceptionally high environmental benefit. The initial targeting of this GLAS+ payment will be at farmers who have to undertake a number of mandatory actions under Tier 1. Where GLAS+ is approved, the payment will be made automatically.
103. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disadvantaged area aid payment in respect of a person (details supplied) will be processed without delay. [42641/14]
View answerAn application under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2014. Payment has not yet issued to the person named as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements. Immediately the holding concerned is confirmed as having met these requirements, the case will be further processed with a view to payment issuing to the person named at the earliest possible date thereafter, provided all other Scheme requirements have been satisfied.
104. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he has put to the new EU Agricultural Commissioner to deal with the serious difficulties facing many dairy farmers due to impending super levy penalties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42660/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the superlevy fine is set by milk quota Regulations agreed at EU level. Given that fact, it is not possible for me on a unilateral basis to change that rate without the agreement of both the Commission and all other Member States. At each Agriculture Council over the last year the issue of additional measures to ensure a ‘soft landing’ to milk quota abolition in 2015 was discussed. I, and some other like-minded Ministers, consistently called on the Commission to take action to ease the burden of the super levy in the final year of the quota regime but such an agreement was not forthcoming at the time and this remains the case. As there is no common position at the Council of Agriculture Ministers such an improvement looks unlikely to be achieved. It must be clearly noted that a number of other countries are opposed to any action on this and have sought to link the issue to possible measures to regulate supply after quotas are gone. I am obviously resolutely opposed to any talk of supply controls after quota abolition next April on the basis that these quotas have only served to shackle Irish farmers over the last 30 years. The resultant stalemate means there is insufficient support for any change to the regulations and no agreement has been possible. The current Italian presidency agreed to consider the issue at their first Council meeting in July, it was again discussed in October and I fully expect that the issue will remain high on the agenda for discussion at future Councils where I will continue to seek to have the matter progressed in a way that is fair to both Irish and EU dairy farmers.
In preparing their enterprises for the post quota era, I have at all times urged that farmers have regard for the fact that milk quotas would remain in place until April 2015, along with the associated superlevy regime, and I would take this opportunity today to reiterate this call. I would again urge farmers to use the time period between now and the removal of milk quotas to identify, with their dairy adviser, steps to manage both their milk supply and their dairy herds so that they have an efficient herd as they enter the post quota era. In this regard, I am organising a major dairy conference on November 19 next to assess our readiness for quota abolition and to take stock of the current challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
105. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ,further to Parliamentary Question No. 248 of 30 September 2014, if the additional costs associated with the preparation of a single commonage management plan justify the variance between GLAS rates applicable to privately-owned Natura and commonage, given that non-commonage landowners also require the services of a planner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42676/14]
View answerThe agri-environment scheme GLAS is one of the schemes included in Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme which is currently being considered by the European Commission. The costings for all GLAS actions are based on income forgone, the cost of compliance and transaction costs. A higher rate of payment per hectare for commonage land has been proposed in order to cover the additional costs associated with both the preparation and implementation of a single Commonage Management Plan. This plan has to be drawn up for the entire commonage, by a single agricultural advisor, and it requires the shareholders grazing the commonage to work together to deliver its objectives over a five year period. The extra effort involved, and additional overhead in terms of planning, is reflected in the proposed commonage payment rate.
106. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the disadvantaged area aid payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be processed without delay. [42677/14]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 15 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. This inspection has been completed and the results are now being finalised with the intention of issuing any payment due as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
107. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of aquaculture licences fully granted or determined by him in 2014 versus the targets he set for determinations at the beginning of the year; the reasons for any shortfall; where the bottlenecks still exist in dealing with the backlog of processing aquaculture licences; the agency responsible for any delays in processing determinations and the solutions being put in place to deal with the problem; if the agency causing the problem is one under his control or the responsibility of another Department; if it is outside of his remit, the steps he has taken with the Department involved to resolve the issue; the list of bays and number of aquaculture licence determinations which he committed to achieve during a speech at the recent national shellfish conference organised by the IFA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42687/14]
View answerIt is not possible, as yet, to confirm the outturn for 2014 in relation to aquaculture licence determinations. I can confirm, however, that the number will be less than the projected outturn due primarily to the delay in the provision of final Appropriate Assessments in respect of which there is broad consensus between the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, on the scientific inputs. This delay reflects the ongoing complexity inherent in the overall process. Following discussions with the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, I am confident that, notwithstanding the complexities involved, 2015 will see a significant and sustained increase in licence determinations. In the order of 120 determinations are projected for Quarter 1, 2015 alone.
Based on information currently available, it is expected to achieve licence determinations in respect of the following bays in the first half of 2015:
- Donegal Bay;
- Dungarvan Harbour;
- Clew Bay;
- Valentia/Portmagee Channel;
- Lough Swilly;
- Galway Bay.
My Department prioritises bays based on the number of aquaculture sites, the ready availability of scientific data and other factors. The prioritised list of bays is kept under continuous review so as to facilitate the use of scientific and other resources on a flexible basis across the full range of bays.
108. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the details of average amounts paid by his Department and those bodies under its aegis to recruitment and temporary employment agencies, that is, the proportion of the fee paid from State funding to such agencies which is received by the worker and the proportion by the agency. [42701/14]
View answerMy Department’s recruitment is done through the Public Service Appointment Service (PAS), apart from two current contracts in respect of the provision of security staff in one of the Department’s Regional Offices. Details of the fees paid to agencies in respect of the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 are outlined in the following table.
|
Agency |
Techskills |
FRS Farm Relief Service |
|
2011 |
€77,713 |
Nil |
|
2012 |
€69,555 |
€5,366 |
|
2013 |
€52,876 |
€27,959 |
|
2014 to date |
€32,328 |
€ 32,067 |
The use of recruitment and employment agencies by the State Bodies under my Department’s aegis is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves.
109. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an annual breakdown of the fees paid to recruitment and employment agencies by his Department and those agencies under its aegis. [42714/14]
View answerMy Department’s recruitment is done through the Public Service Appointment Service (PAS), apart from two current contracts in respect of the provision of security staff in one of the Department’s Regional Offices. The details requested by the Deputy are outlined in the following table.
|
Agency |
Techskills |
FRS Farm Relief Service |
|
2011 |
€77,713 |
Nil |
|
2012 |
€69,555 |
€5,366 |
|
2013 |
€52,876 |
€27,959 |
|
2014 to date |
€32,328 |
€32,067 |
The use of recruitment and employment agencies by the State Bodies under my Department’s aegis is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves.
110. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence the current number of cases being processed by the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces; the number of cases in respect of which decisions have not yet been made for a period of six months, one year, two years or three years; the reason for these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42524/14]
View answerThe Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established as an independent statutory office, under the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004. The Ombudsman has full independence and autonomy in the discharge of his statutory functions, including the processing and administration of cases referred to his Office for investigation. I understand from the Ombudsman’s Annual Report for 2012, which is the latest available, that at the end of that year some 55 cases were on hand, 14 of which had already received a Preliminary Report. I am advised that the Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2013 will be published before the end of the year. As the Deputy will be aware, there was some delay in bringing cases forward due to a case being before the courts challenging the appointment of the current Ombudsman. I am happy that matter is now closed and that the Ombudsman is proceeding to deal with the caseload as quickly as possible.
