Written Answers Nos. 126-133
126. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will extend the young farmer top-up scheme to include all first-time applicants under 40 years of age irrespective of the number of years they have been farming to help more young farmers earn a basic wage from farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2969/15]
View answerIn accordance with the EU Regulations governing the Young Farmer scheme, eligibility for payment is limited to farmers under 40 years and is payable for a period of no more than five years following the commencement of the young farmer’s farming activity. The scheme is intended to provide financial assistance to young farmers during the period immediately following the setting up of their farming enterprise. My Department has no discretion regarding these eligibility criteria and as such it is not possible to extend the Young Farmers Scheme to include the category of farmers as proposed by the Deputy.
127. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason an off-farm income limit of €40,000 is being applied to young farmers applying to the national reserve to have their entitlements increased towards the national average when a similar off-farm income limit does not apply to young farmers applying for a 25% top-up on their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2983/15]
View answerIn accordance with the relevant EU Regulation governing the National Reserve, Member States have the option of applying objective criteria in the allocation of entitlements. The application of an off farm income limit has been included as objective criteria since the introduction of the National Reserve in 2005.
The process of deciding objective criteria for the National Reserve is carried out in consultation with the Direct Payments Advisory Committee which includes members of the main farming bodies and advisory services. After consultation with this Committee in recent months and in the context of the limited funding available to the National Reserve, it was decided that an off-farm income limit of €40,000 would be applied to all applicants.
The EU Regulations governing the Young Farmer scheme do not provide for the inclusion of off farm income as eligibility criteria.
128. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of direct payments paid each year to farmers under EU and national schemes from 2007 to 2014; the profiled amount to be paid to farmers in direct payments in each year from 2015 to 2020 in view of his recent statement that between now and 2020 there will be an effective increase in payments because of a very strong rural development programme, with increased expenditure each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3049/15]
View answerTotal Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 direct payments to farmers by my Department over the last eight years are outlined in the table.
|
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 (est) |
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
1,995.3 |
2,067.3 |
1,997.2 |
1,798.9 |
1,968.0 |
1,862.0 |
1,723.0 |
1,710.4 |
Source: DAFM
The initial estimate for 2015 is €1,735m; EU funding of €2.19bn is available for RDP measures over the period to 2020. The Government’s continuing commitment to strategic investment in the agri-food sector and the rural economy is evidenced by the provision of National Exchequer funding to bring the total allocation for the new RDP to some €4 billion. The profile of expenditure under the new RDP will increase over the course of 2014-2020 as farmers join the new schemes. The approval of the draft RDP is currently the subject of ongoing negotiation with the EU Commission, and is being pursued as a matter of priority by my Department. Once approved, expenditure for RDP schemes will be subject to the normal annual budgetary process in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
129. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount provided in the Revised Estimates for 2015 for expenditure on the GLAS; his views that this expenditure will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3050/15]
View answerI expect 25,000 – 30,000 farmers to be approved into the GLAS scheme in 2015 and the estimated expenditure for the year is €20 million. Given the level of interest in the scheme I believe this estimate is realistic and I expect payments to commence in the last quarter of the year.
130. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on reducing Ireland's super levy bill for 2015 particularly in view of falling milk prices; the details of the proposals he has put to his European colleagues and the Commission in this regard, particularly in view of the fact that total EU production on aggregate is under quota; when he will have a response to these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3054/15]
View answerThe rules governing the imposition of a super levy fine are set by regulations agreed at EU level. Under these regulations each Member State is allocated a volume quota of milk, above which a super levy fine (of 28.6 cents/litre) has to be paid to the EU Commission by producers who contribute to the over production. It is not possible for me on a unilateral basis to adjust super levy rules.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, I have, on numerous occasions, called on the Commission to take action to mitigate the impact of super levy fines, primarily via utilisation of an adjustment to the butterfat coefficient, as this would not have required an amendment to existing regulations. Other options previously discussed included the front-loading of the remaining quota increases, a reduction in the super levy, or a type of EU flexi-milk arrangement which would have operated providing EU production overall was within quota. However, given the reaction of the Commission, and the opposition of a blocking minority of Member states, some of which have gone so far as to seek to link the issue to possible measures to regulate supply after quotas are gone, there is no realistic prospect of any movement on the super-levy. This is also true of a butterfat adjustment, and coming into the final year of milk quotas, farmers should manage their milk supply with this in mind.
At national level I have impressed on the major banks the need to show flexibility in their dealings with farmers experiencing temporary cash flow difficulties in 2015. Co-ops may have a role in mitigating the impact of the global price downturn on their suppliers, and have some flexibility in relation to the phasing of superlevy bills to farmers. Furthermore Teagasc has recently commenced a series of dairy seminars throughout the country to help dairy farmers manage through 2015, while also planning the efficient development of their dairy business in a non-quota environment.
There is evidence that milk suppliers are taking steps to manage their milk supply in the final months of the quota regime. The milk quota position for the period up to end-December 2014 leaves Ireland 5.93% over quota when account is taken of the butterfat content of the milk deliveries. This figure continues the downward trend in the over-quota figure, coming from a peak of 7.15% in October 2014.
This downward trend is welcome and I would encourage milk producers to continue to manage production, with the help of their advisors, into the important production months of February and March.
At EU level, the end of the 2013/14 milk quota year saw total milk deliveries come in at 4.6% below quota. It is difficult to project what the end of quota year position will be in the EU next April. Data taken from the EU Milk Market Observatory show that deliveries for the whole of the EU for the period from January to the end of October 2014 are 5.4% above the same period last year. For the same period it is worth noting that production has increased in 26 of the 27 countries reporting to the EU Milk Market Observatory, with half those countries experiencing increases above 5%. Notwithstanding the possibility of softening of milk prices impacting on the final outcome, these EU production trends would appear to suggest that overall EU deliveries may be nearer to quota than in previous years.
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 2 December 2014, the grounds on which the High Court quashed his Department's original decision of March 1987, and it was concluded that it was not necessary to do other than carry out a review after which the original decision could be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2891/15]
View answerThe position in this case is that judicial review proceedings were taken against the decision of the then Minister to reduce the applicant’s disability pension under Section 13(2) of the Army Pensions Acts. The Minister’s decision to reduce the pension was based on him taking into consideration compensation received by the applicant under a court settlement in respect of the same injury.
In his submissions to the High Court regarding the proceedings, the then Minister for Defence consented to the setting aside of his original decision and to the matter being considered anew by the Minister. Based on the submissions made in the case the High Court made an Order that the Minister’s original decision of March 1987 be submitted to the Court for the purpose of quashing. The Court further ordered that the Minister enter anew upon the review of the applicant’s pension. The High Court Order made did not make any reference to the approach to be taken in the review, or give any direction as to the decision to be made.
Following the High Court Order, the individual’s solicitors were invited to make representations on his behalf and detailed representations were subsequently made. A fresh examination was undertaken and all aspects of the case, including, in particular, the representations made by the solicitors, were fully considered by the then Minister for Defence. A new bona fide decision was made by the then Minister. I am satisfied that the decision was made in accordance with the relevant High Court Order and the relevant statutory provisions.
132. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces plan to have a recruitment drive for the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2900/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service. Targeted recruitment has taken place so as to maintain the level of 9,500 personnel and to ensure the operational capacity of the Defence Forces. As the Permanent Defence Force is currently below the agreed stabilised strength of 9,500, it is intended that targeted recruitment will continue within the resource envelope allocated to Defence.
It is too early to say when a new General Service Recruitment campaign specifically for the Air Corps will take place. When a new Air Corps recruitment campaign is launched, details will be made available on the Defence Forces website www.military.ie.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, I intend to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.
133. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if there are any structures or mechanisms to facilitate families living in Army accommodation where the martial relationship has broken down and notice has been given to quit the premises. [2968/15]
View answerWhen serving personnel leave the Defence Forces, or otherwise vacate a married quarter property that had been assigned to them, they are required under military regulations to return vacant possession of that property. Over the years, the vast majority of serving personnel have returned vacant possession of married quarter properties when required to do so. Those who fail to return vacant possession of such properties are termed “overholders” and the Department seeks to recover possession from this group. The legal process for the recovery of the property commences with the issue of a “Notice to Quit”.
In the period since January 2013, 15 of such properties have been returned to the Department, many of which had been occupied by former spouses or family members of those who had originally been allocated the property.
Where married quarter properties are located outside barracks they are offered for sale to the occupant and many have been disposed of in this manner. The majority of properties being overheld at this point however are located within barracks and it is not possible to offer these for sale as they must be retained for military use.
The Department assists in whatever way it can in order to resolve the cases of overholding without recourse to legal action. However, any initiative to resolve overholding must support and complement the current policy, which dates back to 1997, of withdrawing from the provision of married quarters.
In cases where the occupants are unable or unwilling to purchase a property being overheld, the Department provides whatever documentation it can to support applications for housing assistance and officials from my Department have had discussions with relevant local authorities to determine what if any supports are available for overholders in this regard.
There are also a number of advice and support services available to Defence Forces personnel and their families. The Defence Forces Personnel Support Service (PSS) has a representative in every Barrack. The PSS is a central aspect of human resource management that provides a confidential information, training and education, support and referral service for Defence Forces personnel. There is a PSS office in every major installation in the Defence Forces, with one or more qualified Barrack Personnel Support Service Officer(s) (BPSSO).
The role of the BPSSO includes providing information, assistance and counselling on a range of matters including:
- Interpersonal problems
- Stress in many forms (personal, due to family and/or financial problems etc.)
- Bereavement (in its many forms, including family breakup)
- Housing (including stress from mortgages, inability to sell property to relocate family nearer the military workplace etc.)
Each Brigade/Formation also has a civilian Defence Forces Social Worker (full-time or part-time) whose tasks are to provide assistance and support to service personnel and their families where required.
In addition, there is an Independent Confidential Helpline and Counselling Service for Permanent Defence Force personnel. Since 2013 this independent and confidential service was extended to the Reserve Defence Force, Civilian Employees of the Department of Defence and Civil Defence Personnel and a broader range of services was introduced, including family and couple counselling.
