Written Answers Nos. 96-103
96. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is implementing a plain English policy, as outlined by the National Adult Literacy Agency, in his Department's communications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7276/15]
View answerMy Department has responsibility for delivering a wide range of schemes and services to its many customers. Many of these schemes are, by their nature, complex. In order to provide the best possible customer service it is important to ensure that participants in these schemes have a good understanding of their terms and conditions. To this end my Department endeavours to ensure that the language used in application forms, supporting documentation and information campaigns is clear, concise and accurate and that only necessary detail is provided and requested.
Bearing in mind the need to communicate clearly in both written and verbal communications, my Department also provide s step by step guidelines, user friendly explanatory manuals, question and answer sheets and working examples for most schemes, as well as telephone help lines to deal with queries. Our on-line applications facilities are designed to provide a clear, simple and efficient system for applicants to a range of the Department's schemes. This approach not only assists our customers in the application process but also reduces the number of errors in applications and facilitates a more efficient service for all.
In addition to the above and as part of its quality customer service, my Department has put in place a Farmers Charter which among other things is intended to provide information in relation to the delivery of services and implementation of schemes in a clear, simple and easily understood format.
My Department is also conscious that some of its customers may have literacy difficulties and cannot easily access, understand and/or use information on the Department's schemes and services. In this regard a dedicated Access Officer has been assigned to ensure that material can be provided in a format more suitable for individual circumstances, where this is required.
97. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7375/15]
View answerThe Beef Genomics Scheme was launched in 2014. The person named submitted an application under this Scheme on 19 March 2014. The validation of this application has recently been finalised and any outstanding payment will issue to the applicant as soon as possible.
98. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 305 of 10 February 2013, his plans to ensure that individual farmers in commonages do not put too much stock on the commonage, to the detriment of other shareholders’ interests, in the case where no farmer in a commonage participates in green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, and in the absence of commonage framework plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7383/15]
View answerI am confident that the majority of farmers who are farming commonage land in land in Ireland will participate in the GLAS Scheme (the Green Low-Carbon Agri-environment Scheme) and will operate under the Management Plan drawn up for each commonage. Under the Cross Compliance requirements, farmers must ensure that land is maintained in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition. Where my Department finds breaches of these Cross Compliance requirements, penalties will be applied under the Basic Payment Scheme and other Direct Aid Schemes. The number of animals and the level of grazing is a matter for individual shareholders on the commonage.
99. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure country-of-origin labelling on poultry meat from April 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7388/15]
View answerIn 2011 the European Union passed the Food Information for the Consumers (FIC), Regulation 1169/2011, which has updated the requirements for consumer information and labelling in a number of areas, including origin labelling for meats other than beef.
Following on from the requirements of the FIC, Commission Regulation No. 1337/2013 introduces mandatory origin labelling for meat from pigs, poultry, sheep and goats from 1st April 2015. This provides for mandatory labelling of the Member State or third country of rearing and the Member State or third country of slaughter for these meats. The term 'Origin' can also be used where the country/member state of birth is the same as the country of rearing and slaughter. A Statutory Instrument is being prepared by my Department to ensure that the necessary provisions are in place to implement this mandatory labelling requirement from 1st April 2015.
100. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the way the €528 million originally earmarked for Natura land was spent; the changes that were made to the original agreement; when those changes were approved by the Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7391/15]
View answerUnder the initial Financial Plan for the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 an indicative amount of €528m was allocated to Natura 2000. The Natura measure provides for compensation to farmers for disadvantages in their farming activities arising out of 3 Directives – the Habitats Directive, the Wild Birds Directive and the Water Framework Directive. Natura 2000 forms an integral part of the REPs and AEOS agri-environment schemes and applicants with Natura designated land are prioritised under AEOS schemes.
Participation in agri-environment schemes, including Natura, is voluntary on the part of farmers and expenditure is therefore demand led. Actual demand under the measure during the 2007 – 2013 Programme proved to be significantly less than had been provided for. Therefore, the financial provision for Natura was revised to reflect the actual spend. This involved the reallocation of funds across the agri-environment and Less Favoured Areas schemes in Axis 2 of the Programme without changing the overall spend under that Axis.
The members of the Rural Development Programme Monitoring Committee were informed of the proposed amendments and amendments made to the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 were processed in full accordance with the regulatory and legislative process in place.
While €95m was expended under the Natura budget line this does not take into account expenditure under the agri-environment budget line that complemented and incentivised farmers with Natura land to engage with the agri-environment scheme. For example, a broad analysis of REPS 4 expenditure shows that the total combined Agri-Environment and Natura payments to farmers with Natura lands is in the order of €293.5m in respect of 390,000 hectares of farmed land.
Under GLAS, the new agri-environmental measure planned for the 2014-2020 programming period, expenditure on Natura lands will be continued and enhanced. Natura land is deemed a Priority Environmental Asset under the new scheme, and any farmer with Natura is guaranteed access to Tier One of GLAS. There are three principal categories under which Natura lands will be supported under the new Scheme, (a) Commonages – where an enhanced payment of €120/ha is proposed (increased from €75 under the last programme); (b) Privately-owned Natura, attracting a rate of €79/ha (c) Endangered Farmland birds, many of which are located on Natura lands, and where some of the highest rates of payment are available to farmers who undertake the actions necessary for the preservation and enhancement of the habitats in question (up to €375/ha).
All-in-all, it is expected that Natura-related actions will account for a very large proportion of expenditure under GLAS over the next programming period. GLAS itself is a highly targeted scheme, prioritising expenditure on birds and habitats at risk, enhanced water quality and climate change mitigation.
101. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding genomics payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7400/15]
View answerAn application was not received by my Department from the person named under the 2014 Beef Genomics Scheme and, therefore, no payment is due to the person named.
102. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that the funding for mushroom producer groups for the years 2015 to 2017, inclusive, which is payable from the European Union, is immediately made available to mushroom producers, particularly in the context of the recent submission made on their behalf by the Irish Farmers Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7402/15]
View answerThere are no mushroom producer groups recognised in Ireland.
There is one mushroom producer organisation recognised in Ireland for the purposes of the EU Scheme of Aid for Producer Organisations in the Fruit and Vegetable Sector.
This scheme provides for payment of EU aid to recognised producer organisations to implement multi-annual operational programmes, approved in advance by the Department. Payment of EU aid is made annually in arrears by my Department, subject to the producer organisation carrying out the approved operational programme, to their continued compliance with recognition criteria and following completion of all required checks by my Department.
In relation to their 2015-2017 operational programme, the Department issued, on 20 January 2015, the budgets approved for each year to the mushroom producer organisation, based on the application submitted in October 2014. The budget for each of these years is the maximum budget that could be approved having regard to the application submitted.
The producer organisation recently confirmed their acceptance of the approved budgets for 2015, 2016 and 2017, as notified by my Department.
103. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Defence if, in discussions with the United Nations, he will consider proposing that Irish troops be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they could play a very positive role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7073/15]
View answerAs of 1st February 2015, Ireland is contributing 432 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Four Defence personnel are serving with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Ireland has participated in this mission since its establishment in 2010. Prior to that, from 2001 to 2010, Defence Forces personnel served with the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the first UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Other recent deployments to Africa have included the assignment of five (5) Defence Forces personnel with the UK Armed forces in Sierra Leone to support the international response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa and a small number of Defence Forces personnel to the Irish Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone under the Emergency Civilian Assistance Team Initiative. In addition, ten (10) Defence Forces personnel have been serving with the EU-led Training Mission in Mali, EUTM Mali, since 2013.
Given Ireland's current level of commitment in overseas peacekeeping operations, notably to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), we are not in a position to make significant long-term commitments to other missions at this time.
The current contribution of some 432 personnel to overseas missions reflects the Government's continued commitment to our responsibilities in the area of international peace and security.
