Written Answers Nos. 356-368
356. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payments for 2013 under the single payment scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme, following the conclusion of an appeal. [23206/15]
View answerIn order to comply with EU requirements, the 2013 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. The inspection identified discrepancies between the areas declared and the area found resulting in an over-declaration in area of greater than 50%. Based on the terms and conditions of the schemes this resulted in no payments being due under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the application of an administrative fine to be offset against any future EU payments. The person named was notified of this decision on 16 December 2013. The person named sought a review of this decision and the outcome was to uphold the original inspection decision. The person named was notified of this outcome on 25 February 2014. The person named submitted an appeal to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office and an oral hearing was held. The outcome of the appeal process was to partially allow the appeal and the person named was notified of this decision by the Agriculture Appeals Office on 13 January 2015.
My Department is currently examining this appeal decision and will be seeking clarification from the Agriculture Appeals Office. The person named will be notified when this examination is completed by my Department and the 2013 applications will then be updated appropriately and any payments due will be processed.
357. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an appeal for a 2013 penalty in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23212/15]
View answerA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that a number of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. Following an appeal from the person named, a visit by a Department official to verify the position was deemed necessary to progress the matter. This check confirmed the 2013 area over-declaration was in excess of 20% in the case of both the Single Farm Payment and the Disadvantaged Area Schemes and, therefore, no payment is due to the person named under the 2013 Single Payment and Disadvantaged Area Schemes. The person named had received payments on 16 October 2013 and 2 December 2013 under the 2013 Single Farm Payment Scheme and a payment under the 2013 Disadvantaged Area Based Scheme, which are deemed overpaid and will be netted-off future payments made by my Department. A letter detailing the outcome of the verification visit issued to the person named on 3 March 2015. In the event that the person named was dissatisfied with the outcome of the verification visit the decision could have been appealed to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee within 3 months of the notification letter. To date no such appeal has been received.
358. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the compensation available to farmers who have recently had an outbreak of tuberculosis on their farms. [23223/15]
View answerThe main compensation scheme for farmers whose herds are affected by TB is the On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme which provides, in general, for compensation for cattle removed as reactors to be paid on the basis of current “Market Value”. The maximum amount payable in respect of any individual bovine animal removed under the scheme is €2,800, except in respect of one pedigree stock bull per breakdown where a ceiling of €3,500 applies. Both amounts are inclusive of the salvage value paid directly to the farmer by the slaughter plant. In addition to valuation payments, herdowners who experience a disease breakdown may also qualify for compensation under the Income Supplement, Depopulation or Hardship Grant Schemes, subject to the terms and conditions applying in each case. Payments under these schemes are designed to compensate herdowners for income losses or additional costs incurred by farmers who have animals removed as reactors. Total expenditure on compensation paid to farmers in 2014 under the TB eradication scheme amounted to €15.2m. Additional information on the compensation schemes can be found on my Department’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie
359. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants who have applied, to date, under the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme, by county, and indicating the number of applicants who have commonage; the expected latest date for approval of these applications; the percentage payment that it is expected to be paid to applicants this year for the portion of the year they are in the scheme; the expected proportion of applicants who will be expected to receive a payment this year; the average annual payment that applicants under the scheme have applied for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23226/15]
View answerAt the outset, I would like to welcome the fact that almost 27,000 applications were submitted in the first tranche of GLAS applications, which is very much in line with the projections I made when launching the scheme. All GLAS applications will now be assessed and approved in line with the priority environmental assets and pre-determined selection criteria. Until this process is completed it is not possible to make accurate payment projections but I have included €20 million in the current estimates for GLAS payments in 2015 and I expect the average full year payment to be in the order of €5,000. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application and I anticipate contracts will commence in October and run until the end of 2020. It is expected that the majority of those who clear administrative checks will receive a first instalment of 75% of the eligible payment for the period October to December by end of year.
A full breakdown of the applications received is supplied as follows:
|
County |
Submitted |
Submitted with Commonage |
|
Carlow |
299 |
53 |
|
Cavan |
961 |
24 |
|
Clare |
1684 |
85 |
|
Cork |
2347 |
327 |
|
Donegal |
2043 |
670 |
|
Dublin |
66 |
13 |
|
Galway |
3250 |
701 |
|
Kerry |
1853 |
610 |
|
Kildare |
305 |
5 |
|
Kilkenny |
473 |
9 |
|
Laois |
393 |
16 |
|
Leitrim |
1067 |
141 |
|
Limerick |
1130 |
16 |
|
Longford |
536 |
9 |
|
Louth |
160 |
36 |
|
Mayo |
2681 |
809 |
|
Meath |
481 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
611 |
0 |
|
Offaly |
505 |
1 |
|
Roscommon |
1585 |
31 |
|
Sligo |
978 |
112 |
|
Tipperary |
1233 |
96 |
|
Waterford |
393 |
64 |
|
Westmeath |
680 |
1 |
|
Wexford |
859 |
34 |
|
Wicklow |
362 |
71 |
|
26935 |
3934 |
360. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who are, at present, in the rural environment protection scheme 4; the agri-environment options schemes 1; 2; and 3; the number that left each scheme this year; the completion date for participants in each scheme if they see out their full contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23227/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:
|
Scheme |
Numbers in scheme now |
Numbers left scheme in 2015 |
End date of scheme |
|
REPS |
845 |
3 |
31/12/15 |
|
AEOS 1 |
7,459 |
1 |
31/12/15 |
|
AEOS 2 |
5,889 |
3 |
31/12/16 |
|
AEOS 3 |
5,783 |
0 |
31/12/18 |
362. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date that the tendering process will begin for properties in Howth Fishery Harbour in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23273/15]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that two properties at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre were made available by competitive public tender yesterday, 15th June. Details of the competition can be viewed on my Department's website. My Department will continue to review its property portfolio at Howth with a view to making further properties available for tender in due course.
363. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will clarify the detail of an alleged overpayment in a 2012 disadvantaged areas payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if this alleged overpayment has been appealed; if so, the outcome of same; if he is satisfied that his Department has not already recouped this overpayment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23309/15]
View answerA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that one of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. However, while the person named was notified of this decision and of his right of appeal, to date no such appeal has been received. It remains open to the person named to appeal, should he so wish. These area reductions resulted in a reduction between 3% and 20% to the area payable under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, which resulted in an overpayment of €143.97 being generated on 26 May 2015, which will be recovered against future payments made by my Department.
364. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in counties Longford and Westmeath who have signed up for the beef genomics scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23320/15]
View answerMy Department has received 785 Beef Data and Genomic Programme applications from Longford and 884 from Westmeath. The initial validation process on all applications is being finalised and I expect that approval letters will shortly issue.
365. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department currently on a sabbatical or career break, broken down by zero to six months, six months to 12 months, one year to two years, two years to three years, four years to five years and five years or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23397/15]
View answerThe staff currently on career break in my Department is broken down by period of time by both staff number and the Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):
|
Period |
Number |
FTE |
|
0-6 months |
6 |
5.5 |
|
6-12 months |
4 |
3.5 |
|
1-2 years |
9 |
7.6317 |
|
2-3 years |
8 |
6.8 |
|
3-4 years |
3 |
3 |
|
4-5 years |
4 |
3.5 |
|
5 years + |
9 |
7.4 |
366. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, in tabular form, broken down by year the total photography costs for his Department since coming into office inclusive of costs incurred from the use of the ministerial allowance; if he will provide the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; and if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23413/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is available in the Ministers’ Information Centre on my Department's website at www.agriculture.gov.ie.
367. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, in tabular form, broken down by year, the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department since coming into office; if he will provide the list of uses of the external public relations firm, internal Department policy with regard to employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23429/15]
View answerMy Department does not employ external public relations firms. Public relations advice is provided by my Department’s Press Office.
368. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount spent on external information technology consultants by his Department in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23445/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy can be found in the following table.
Since 2011 my Department has awarded two ICT consultancy contracts, based on the EU open procurement process:
- In 2013 a contract for ICT security consultancy services was agreed with NTA Monitor for a period of two years. The service consists of quarterly independent assessments of my Department’s ICT security measures and a biannual independent security review of my Department's ICT infrastructure. This is required for EU accreditation purposes in order to maintain my Department’s status as the EU-accredited paying agency in Ireland. In addition, services for independent internet-facing application security testing are provided for. We are currently in the process of re-tendering for this work in accordance with EU procurement procedures.
- My Department is also heavily reliant on high quality Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to both assist with the effective and efficient administration of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based single payment and agri-environmental schemes and also in carrying out our animal health and farm inspection obligations. Following an open public tendering procedure held in 2012, my Department awarded a contract to Compass Informatics to carry out a review of the operation of the Department’s GIS systems and to produce a technical report on how to ensure that these systems continue to serve my Department well into the future. The final report was completed as scheduled and a number of the recommendations have been implemented.
The total amount spent on external IT consultants in each year is as follows:
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 to date |
|
€ |
74,279 |
73,597 |
48,387 |
42,152 |
18,382 |
16,279 |
