Written Answers Nos. 130-139
130. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he has taken to protect public jobs in rural Ireland (details supplied) which are within the discretion of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12663/15]
View answerPolicy responsibility for public sector jobs is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, T.D., and I have no policy remit in relation to this matter.
The specific situation referred to by the Deputy relates to the Department of Social Protection and is also outside my remit.
From the point of view of improving the spread of jobs created by the enterprise sector across the regions, the Government recently announced details of the Action Plan for Jobs: Regional initiative which will seek to build on the strengths and assets of each region to maximise enterprise growth and job creation. My objective is that six Regional Action Plans, including one for the Border region, will be launched by July, with two remaining Strategies in development at that stage.
The Action Plan for Jobs: Regional initiative will provide up to €250 million in additional funding over five years to support regional enterprise development. This includes the roll out of a five year, €150 million property investment programme by IDA Ireland to attract foreign direct investment into the regions.
In addition, up to €100 million will be available from Enterprise Ireland through three new competitive calls which will be announced over the coming months. Tangible jobs impact, enterprise start-up and scaling are amongst the criteria against which applications will be measured. Innovative collaborations among different regional agencies or stakeholders will also be favourably weighted.
The context of this exercise is the national target of sustainable full employment by 2018. This will require a net increase in employment of 160,000. The aim will be to achieve a balanced share of this growth in jobs across all regions.
131. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a list, in tabular form, of all contracts and tenders awarded by his Department to a company (details supplied) since 1 January 2004, including any such awarded singularly or as a joint bid or consortium including said company; if he will indicate which Department, agency or semi-State company was the contacting party in each case; the value in each case; the purpose of each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13113/15]
View answerIn the absence of a complete list of such business interests via joint bid or consortia etc. being available, it is not possible to give a definitive response to the Deputy's question. However, I am not aware of any contracts entered into or tenders awarded by my Department to the named company, singularly, as a joint bid or consortium during this period.
The awarding of contracts by any of the Agencies operating under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the Agencies themselves and their individual Accounting Officers to account for and not a matter for which I or my Department has any direct decision-making authority.
I have asked all Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of any such contracts entered into or tenders awarded to the named company and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
132. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views that to ensure compliance with Regulation 27 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, he should have considered the appropriate assessment process prior to making significant reference area reductions on the Cloghaun, Kilbeg, Kilnagappagh, Gortnaglev, Derrybrien West and Keelderry commonages, located in the Slieve Aughty special protection area (details supplied) in County Galway, in view of the precautionary principle, and with specific reference to Regulation 27 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12510/15]
View answerUnder the provisions of the governing EU Regulations, in particular, Regulation EU No 1307/2013, my Department is only entitled to make payments under the Basic Payment Scheme, and the Greening Payment on land that meets the requirements of the Regulations. The determinations referred to were carried out to ensure that the regulatory requirements would continue to be adhered to in the processing of applications under the Direct Payment Schemes. The determinations made do not impact on the designated habitats in any way. As a significant element of the exclusions relate to the lack of any agricultural activity being carried out by claimants on the land they are declaring for payment purposes, it is open to the claimants to restore this land to an eligible status for payment purposes by commencing an agricultural activity on the land in question. It is also noted that payment can be made under the GLAS Scheme on those areas which are not currently eligible for payment under the Basic Payment and Greening Payment Schemes.
133. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of pieces of legislation that were submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny by his Department since 2011; his plans to allow pre-legislative scrutiny for any upcoming pieces of legislation from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12406/15]
View answerMy Department has submitted one piece of legislation for pre-legislative scrutiny since 2011, namely the Horse Racing Ireland Bill which is currently being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Council. It will submit future proposed legislation for pre-legislative scrutiny in accordance with the Pre-legislative Consideration Standing Order introduced in November 2013.
134. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason payment under the grassland scheme has not issued to persons (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12429/15]
View answerAn application under 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme was received from the persons named on 23 April 2014. Processing of the Grassland Sheep Scheme application has recently been completed with payment due to issue directly to the nominated bank account of the persons named shortly.
135. Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme for 2014 will issue in respect a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12457/15]
View answerAn application under 2014 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 7 April 2014. Processing of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application was completed on time with payment issuing at the earliest possible date, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 24 September 2014.
136. Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the disadvantaged area scheme for 2014 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12458/15]
View answerAn application under 2014 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 25 April 2014. Processing of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application was completed on time with payment issuing at the earliest possible date, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 24 September 2014.
137. Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme for 2014 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12459/15]
View answerAn application under 2014 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 27 March 2014. Processing of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application was completed on time with payment issuing at the earliest possible date, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 24 September 2014.
138. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 283 of 10 March 2014, the specific criteria used by his Department's inspectors in making a percentage reduction on a land parcel, where it is determined that parts of the said parcel are not subject to an agricultural activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12460/15]
View answerEU Regulations governing the Direct Payments Scheme and other area-based schemes require my Department to ensure that all eligibility requirements are complied with. In conducting inspections my Department's officers must ensure that in the first instance the land declared for aid is eligible and secondly that an agricultural activity is being carried out on all of this land.
Where an inspecting officer identifies that part(s) of a parcel is not subject to an agricultural activity, the officer will exclude such areas as being ineligible. These areas can include areas under buildings, cattle pens, concreted and gravel areas, areas of farm roadways, areas that are fenced to exclude animals and areas that are inaccessible. Inaccessible areas can include areas that animals cannot access, areas that are too wet which animals chose not to enter and areas under dense scrub.
Where areas are identified, which animals can and do access and which have grazable ground cover present, but the total area is not available for grazing due to outcropping rock, areas of scattered scrub, etc., the inspecting officer is required to apply a percentage reduction to exclude the area not available for grazing, where it is not practical to measure each individual area involved.
139. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be accepted as a new entrant for allocations from the national reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12469/15]
View answerDepartment records indicate that the person named above has been farming since 2001. In accordance with relevant EU Regulations to be eligible under the New Entrant priority category of the National Reserve an applicant must meet the following conditions:
- S/he is participating in the Basic Payment Scheme in the year in which s/he applies to the National Reserve;
- S/he must have commenced the present agricultural activity in the 2013 calendar year or any later year;
- S/he did not have any agricultural activity in his/her own name and at his/her own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity;
- S/he must submit an application for the Basic Payment Scheme not later than two years after the calendar year in which they commenced their agricultural activity;
- S/he has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent. Alternatively s/he must commit to commencing such a course by 30th September 2016;
- S/he has a gross off-farm income that does not exceed €40,000 in one of the tax years 2013 or 2014.
As the named person commenced his farming activities in 2001 he, unfortunately, falls outside the scope of the New Entrant category of the National Reserve. The individual may, however, be eligible to apply for an allocation of entitlements under the Scottish Derogation, where he can show that he has never previously held entitlements and can provide verifiable evidence that in 2013 he was involved in dairy, beef, sheep or arable production. The Scottish Derogation will be open for applications in early April of this year and the Terms and Conditions of same will be available at that time.
For further information, the individual in question can contact my Department directly at 0761 064 438 or CAPDirectPayments@agriculture.gov.ie and my staff will be glad to provide assistance.
