Written Answers Nos. 65-68
65. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payment of their disadvantaged areas scheme payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43340/14]
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’s 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.
66. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payment of their 2014 disadvantaged areas scheme and single payment scheme payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43341/14]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas scheme application on 13 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm inspection inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection and a cross compliance inspection.
These inspections have 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.
67. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork does not meet the educational requirements to be approved as a GLAS-FAS planner-adviser in view of the fact that they have the necessary qualifications and considerable work experience required; and if this decision will be reviewed. [43370/14]
View answerIn order to be approved as a GLAS Advisor, an advisor must also be approved as an advisor under the Farm Advisory System (FAS) operated by my Department. The Farm Advisory System is governed by EU Regulations, which requires that advisors are suitably qualified and regularly trained. In determining the level of educational qualifications required to be a FAS/GLAS advisor, my Department must ensure that such qualifications are of an appropriate standard to meet the objectives of the various schemes on which advice is being provided. Advisors must be qualified to interpret soil tests, understand the requirements of all schemes and understand constraints of land management imposed by various land designations. Furthermore, advisors must be in a position to translate this knowledge into detailed management plans and advice for famers participating in the various schemes.
In order to ensure that advisors meet the requirements outlined above, my Department requires that all advisors must have attained a HETAC Level 8 Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science/Land Management in Agriculture and must have taken soil science and an animal or crop production subject to a level 8 degree standard.
My Department has undertaken a detailed examination of the course content of the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture completed by the person named and has determined that this course does not meet the level 8 educational qualification standard required to be approved as a FAS/GLAS advisor.
68. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their disadvantaged areas scheme and single payment scheme payments for 2014; the reason the payments have been delayed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43387/14]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas scheme application on 11 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The EU Regulations also require that where it is not possible to make an accurate determination on the eligibility of a parcel or parcels of land by means of an assessment of the available satellite imagery, a field inspection must be undertaken to verify the eligibility of the land.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection. Initial processing of this inspection identified a requirement to verify the eligibility of land declared by means of a field inspection.
On completion of this inspection the results will be be 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.
