Written Answers Nos. 74-81
74. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total funds allocated for the control of horses, in 2013 and 2014, respectively; the numbers of horses dealt with in each year; the estimate for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4113/15]
View answerMy Department provides funding under the Control of Horses Act, 1996 to assist local authorities with expenses incurred in dealing with stray and abandoned horses. The number of horses seized by local authorities in 2013 and 2014 and funding provided by my Department to assist control of horses activities is set out as follows.
|
Year |
Horses Seized |
DAFM Funding |
|
2013 |
4,727 |
€3m |
|
2014 |
4,464* |
€2.3m |
*The figures for the 2014 horse seizures are based on the most up to date information provided to me by local authorities. The closing date for receipt of final claims from the local authorities is 16 February 2015.
It is not possible to estimate the expenditure that will incur in 2015; however a figure of €2.6 million has been allocated by my Department for control of horses activities and urban horse projects.
75. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an AEOS payments in County Mayo; if there is a specific localised issue with the payment of AEOS in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4116/15]
View answerIn line with the governing Regulations, payments under AEOS issue in two tranches, a 75% payment and a 25% payment. Payments have been made under the 75% tranche for AEOS 1, 2 and 3 in respect of the 2014 Scheme year and continue to issue on an ongoing basis. Final arrangements are in train to issue the 2014, balancing 25% payment to all eligible AEOS 1, 2 and 3 participants as soon as possible.
There are no specific issues with payments for County Mayo.
76. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a young farmer who is added to a parent's herd number this year will be entitled to entitlements from the national reserve under the young farmer's provision; if the farmer will be eligible for the TAMS top-up for young farmers and also the young farmer's top-up under the basic payment and the greening payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4131/15]
View answerIn accordance with relevant EU Regulations, priority under the National Reserve will be given to farmers meeting the definition of Young Farmer and New Entrant in the first instance. If the farmer described by the Deputy meets all of the eligibility conditions for the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme, as set out in the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme Terms and Conditions, he may qualify for both of these schemes following his inclusion on his parents herd number.
The Greening Payment is payable on eligible hectares as a percentage of the total entitlements allocated from the National Reserve.
A full list of eligibility criteria can be found in the Terms and Conditions of the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme on my Department’s website at http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/nationalreserveandyfs/.
With regard to TAMS, this scheme has been submitted to the EU Commission for approval as part of the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020. It includes provision for an increased grant rate of 60 per cent for investments by eligible young farmers, as compared to the standard grant rate of 40 per cent which will be generally available. While it is my intention to make this enhanced rate of aid available to as wide a pool of young farmers as possible, until EU approval is to hand with the full conditions for eligibility agreed, I cannot confirm that a person in the situation described by the Deputy will definitely qualify.
77. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the grassland scheme payment will be granted in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4132/15]
View answerAn application under the 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme was received from the person named on 12 May 2014. Processing of this application has only recently been completed with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
78. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the definition of permanent grassland for the purposes of the implementation of the basic payment schemes and greening schemes here include permanent pasture and shrubs and-or trees which can be grazed including established scrub and heather - calluna vulgaris - in all stages of its life cycle and also land which can be grazed and which forms part of local practices where grasses and other herbaceous forage are traditionally not predominant in grazing areas, as set out in article 4 (h) of the direct payment regulations 1307/2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4136/15]
View answerThe provision referred to under article 4 (h) of Regulation 1307/2014 for permanent grassland is 'land used to grow grasses and other herbaceous forage … it may include other species such as shrubs and or/trees which can be grazed provided the grasses remain predominant as well as where member starts so decide land which can be grazed and which forms part of local practices where grasses and other herbaceous forage are traditionally not predominant in grazing areas'.
In relation to the Basic Payment Scheme, the requirement is that each agricultural parcel declared by an applicant under this Scheme must have a farming activity on it to be eligible for payment. Such an activity, which must be appropriate to the type of land involved and which should ensure that the area currently eligible for payment remains in this state , includes grazing the land .
The areas as described, excluding established scrub and ungrazed heather will, in general terms, be eligible under the Basic Payment Scheme provided there is evidence of an agricultural activity being carried out.
79. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their AEOS, DAS and SPS for 2013 and 2014 following an inspection of their lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4164/15]
View answerA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 and 2014 Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme revealed that a number of the parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. Following the review of my Department's decision, sought by the person named, a visit by a Department official to verify the position on the ground is now necessary. The person named will be advised, in writing, of the findings of the verification visit as soon as possible following the visit. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this verification check, the decision can be appealed to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee, within 4 weeks of the notification letter.
The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from the 1 September 2011 and payment has issued in respect of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years.
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, must be completed before any payment can issue. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of the 2014 Scheme year and 75% payment issued on the 12 December 2014. The balancing 25% payment will issue at the earliest opportunity.
80. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a balancing payment will be issued to a person (details supplied) regarding the loss of a number of cattle within their herd to tuberculosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4237/15]
View answerThe holding of the person concerned was restricted under the TB Eradication Scheme on 19 September 2014 following the identification of 24 reactor animals at a herd test completed on that date.
It has not been possible to pay reactor compensation provided for under the TB Eradication Scheme because (i) the herdowner concerned initially rejected the independent valuation of the animals concerned and has subsequently refused to participate in the Arbitration process which was established to deal with such cases and (ii) there are unresolved discrepancies in regard to a number of animals registered in the herd.
In relation to (i), my Department has been in correspondence with the herdowner on a number of occasions in the recent past with a view to including his appeal in the next available Arbitration hearing. A response is awaited. As regards (ii), in response to a number of requests from my Department in recent months, documentation was received by the relevant Regional Office on 27 January and this is being evaluated.
The question of payment to the herdowner cannot be advanced until the matters outlined above have been satisfactorily resolved.
81. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding the 2011 Killybegs, County Donegal jobs initiative, if he will provide the minutes of all the meetings held by the initiative's high level group; if he will provide a comprehensive list of all the expenses claimed by the members of the task force; if he will provide the job creation figures achieved as a result of the initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4242/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my comprehensive response to him on these same issues last week on 21 February.
As I advised the Deputy in that response, there was no arrangement for payment from public monies of expenses to non-public sector members of the Group. I expect that the public sector representatives on the Group would have claimed their normal travel and subsistence expenses at public sector rates, but I had no role in that matter. The Deputy may wish to contact the various public bodies directly.
As I also advised the Deputy, I understand that figures for job creation from the initiative are not yet available.
The minutes of the High Level Group's meetings are not publicly available, as the Group's discussions by necessity touched on commercially sensitive matters. However, the outcome of its deliberations are all reflected in its Report, which as I advised the Deputy is available on my Department’s website at -
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/publications/2011/KBHLGReport.pdf.
