Written Answers Nos. 367-381
367. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps that the Meath local enterprise office will take over the remaining months of 2015 to increase the number of net jobs that the office is helping to create in County Meath; if he will outline details of this plan in his response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29095/15]
View answerThe Local Enterprise Office in Meath is the First Stop Shop for anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business. Meath LEO provides services under four main headings:
- Business Information and Advisory Services;
- Enterprise Support Services;
- Entrepreneurship Support Services;
- Local Enterprise Development Services.
The stated vision for Meath LEO in 2015 is to support the start-up and growth of innovative, competitive and profitable small business enterprise in Meath that create sustainable employment and contribute to the growth and development of a successful, robust and diversified economy.
Meath LEO offers a range of supports to anyone interested in starting or expanding a business. The financial supports available include priming grants, business expansion grants and feasibility grants as well as access to loans from MicroFinance Ireland loans. There is a core budget allocation of €469,000 for Meath LEO in 2015 for expenditure on direct grant aid and the delivery of other supports such Start Your own Business courses, Mentoring Programmes, Procurement and Tendering training, Accounting and Book-Keeping training, Financial Management advice, Food Academy Programme, Social Media training etc.
In addition to the normal suite of financial supports Meath LEO is running the competition, Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2015, in the Meath area with an investment fund of €50,000 available to three category winners i.e. Best Business Idea, Best Start-Up Business and Best Established Business.
Meath LEO is also administering the Trading Online Voucher Scheme (TOVS) in the Meath area. This is designed to encourage more small businesses to trade online. The scheme provides individual qualifying businesses with matched funding of up to €2,500 to be used to build or enhance the online trading component of their website. The scheme aims to encourage the development of online engagement by Irish small businesses through the adoption of digital services or skills and as a consequence to reach new markets and expand their export potential and job growth potential.
Meath LEO also provides an enhanced guidance and referral service on local and national supports such as those available from Revenue, Dept of Social Protection, Microfinance Ireland, the Credit Review Office, Skillnets, Fáilte Ireland, NSAI, Education and Training Boards etc.
At the end of 2014 there were 806 jobs in LEO client companies in Meath with a net jobs growth of 154. I am confident that the totality of the service offered by Meath LEO will lead to an increase both in job creation and also in entrepreneurial activity across the County throughout 2015 and beyond.
368. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the current average age of permanent staff employed within his Department and the agencies under his Department's remit; the way this varies from the end of 2008 and 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29200/15]
View answerThe average age of staff currently employed in my Department is set out below, along with the corresponding figures for 2008 and 2011.
|
Staff Employed |
No. |
|
Currently |
48 |
|
End 2011 |
45 |
|
End 2008 |
43 |
The increase on average age reflects the various initiatives the Government introduced in recent years to reduce the public sector pay bill. Central to these has been the moratorium on recruitment to the public sector and the Employment Control Framework (ECF) mechanism administered centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) which placed challenging staff reduction targets for all public sector bodies. Accordingly, recruitment of new staff has been at a minimum and therefore, notwithstanding ongoing retirements, the average staff age figure has increased over the period in question.
In the Budget of October 2014 the Government announced the ending of the moratorium on recruitment. This will allow for new recruitment to the public service (subject to strict pay limits) and is likely to have the effect of reducing the average staff age.
In relation to staffing within the Agencies under the aegis of my Department, I have asked all Agencies under the aegis of my Department to advise me of the relevant figures, and I will communicate that information to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
369. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide his Department's advice to Irish tillage farmers on the use of the glyphosates Roundup and Touchdown as pre-harvest sprays in view of the World Health Organisation's and the United Kingdom Soil Association's concerns of a possible carcinogenic impact on humans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28228/15]
View answerDecisions on the authorisation of an active substance, such as glyphosate, are made at EU level. These EU decisions are derived on foot of advice from the European Food Safety Authority and the Member States. Subsequently, the Member states have competence to authorise individual products containing any EU-approved active substances.
One of the uses currently approved for Glyphosate containing products such as “Round Up” or “Touchdown Quattro” is that of a pre-harvest application facilitating both weed control and harvest management. There is no alternative active substance with similar scope, purpose and indeed, safety profile.
Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 regulates the authorisation, marketing and use of plant protection products and as such each registration must conform to the norms, methodologies and principles contained therein. All uses of glyphosate approved in Ireland (including “Round Up” or “Touchdown Quattro”) are in line with approved uses in all other EU Member States and are only granted if the appropriate risk assessment indicates that safe uses are possible under normal conditions.
Glyphosate is currently registered in all EU Member States and is currently undergoing a scheduled re-review under the EU review programme, with Germany acting as the rapporteur. As part of this process the European Food Safety Authority co-ordinates the review and this includes a comprehensive peer review by all Member States. A conclusion of this peer review will be available in the coming months.
370. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a list of the items eligible for grant-aid under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme II; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28229/15]
View answerUnder the TAMS II investments are available under the following Schemes:
- young farmer capital investments,
- dairy equipment,
- low emission slurry spreading equipment,
- organic capital investment,
- animal welfare, safety and nutrient storage, and
- pig and poultry investments in energy, water meters and medicine dispensers.
A list of the items eligible for grant-aid and their reference costs can be found at the following link on my Departments website:http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingschemesandpayments/farmbuildings/tamsii/TAMSIIReferenceCostsJune2015110615.pdf.
371. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total budget allocation for grant aid under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme II; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28230/15]
View answerThe total allocation for the various on farm investment schemes planned under TAMS II is €395m over the course of the programme.
372. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount that has been collected early by Irish co-operatives in milk super levy moneys from October 2014 to March 2015; his plans for redistributing these moneys should a farmer now wish to avail of the instalment scheme for the payment of the 2014-15 super levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28287/15]
View answerThere has been a long-standing arrangement under the EU Milk Quota Regulations where milk purchasers collect any super levy money due from their suppliers and submit this to their national authorities for onward transmission to the EU Commission. In a normal super levy year the purchaser is obliged to submit all super levy payments collected by them to my Department before 1 October.
Most milk purchasers facilitate the collection of the payments by withholding a portion of their suppliers’ monthly milk payment during the peak production months. This is to avoid causing any cashflow issues for farmers at the year end. However my Department would not have any details of the numbers or amounts involved because they are a matter between the milk purchaser and its suppliers. My understanding is that some purchasers are making arrangements with suppliers who are availing of the recently announced super levy instalment scheme to refund monies collected which are over and above the value of the agreed first instalment payment but again this is a matter solely between both parties.
The milk purchasers are currently processing and completing the applications in respect of their suppliers who wish to avail of the scheme and tomorrow, Wednesday 15 July has been set as the deadline for the return of these application forms to my Department. After this deadline has passed, my Department will know how many farmers are planning to avail of the instalment scheme and the amounts involved.
373. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding destocking payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28299/15]
View answerA query in respect of loss of compensation and consequential losses for sheep destocking following the implementation of the National Commonage Framework plans introduced in 1998 was received by my Department from the person named on 12 March 2015.
A reply issued directly to the person named on 23 June 2015 outlining the process by which the person named benefitted in the calculation of his entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme by virtue of the destocking of part of his sheep flock. Under the provisions of the regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme, farmers, who had their stock numbers decreased due to the impact of an agri-environment measure, could use an alternative reference period (19997/98) for the calculation of their payment entitlements. Under these provisions, the total gross value of his entitlements increased from €5,542.94 to €14,744.93.
My Department subsequently received a further query on 3 July 2015 confirming that the question raised was in respect of sheep destocking and the compensation that was payable through the National Parks and Wildlife Services. Initial investigations indicate that the person named was in receipt of this compensation from 1999 through to and including 2001. My Department is currently trying to establish the reasons why the compensation was not paid to the person named in 2002. When this investigation is complete, my Department will reply directly to the person named.
374. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to include the new Eircode postcode in all schemes and administrative roles operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28308/15]
View answerMy Department has been represented at regular meetings of the Public Sector Forum which is managing the introduction of Eircodes. As soon as Eircodes are introduced, it is planned to adopt a focused approach of getting customers to supply their Eircodes at an early stage which will more accurately identify the postal address of customers, thereby decreasing the risk of non-delivery of mail due to incorrect or inaccurate addresses and facilitating the location of specific addresses by Department officers.
Reference to an Eircode, where appropriate, will be built into future correspondence, scheme documentation and application forms issuing from my Department. Administrative references, such as herd numbers and PPS numbers, will continue to be essential elements in the operation of department schemes.
375. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment criteria for the local authority harbour development and marine leisure programme 2015; how each of the applications submitted by Mayo County Council will be assessed; the score attached to each application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28334/15]
View answerLocal Authorities harbours, piers and slipways are owned by the Local Authorities themselves and responsibility for their repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance.
My Department, however provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities. I allocated €1.6m for the 2015 Local Authority Harbour Development and Marine Leisure Programme.
The assessment process for the Programme is the same for all the applications submitted by all the Local Authorities. Once a project meets the terms and conditions of the programme, assessment is then based on the priority attached to the projects by the Local Authorities, the requirement to have a broad geographical spread, facilitating both the harbour development and marine leisure elements of the programme, and taking account of the funds available.
376. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry was not contacted to apply for a single payment over a number of recent years; if the person's case will be reviewed with a view to reinstating the person's single payment for the years missed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28433/15]
View answerThe person named last submitted an application form under the 2012 Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes. The person named was not entitled to payment on foot of this application as she held no payment entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme and also she did not meet the minimum stocking density requirements under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
My Department did make contact with the person named insofar as it issued a pre-printed 2013 application form and maps of her land parcels to her under separate cover in early 2013. No application was received from the person named under either the 2013 or 2014 Schemes. If the application forms were submitted within the deadlines set out in the governing EU Regulations, it should be noted that, for the reasons already stated, the person named was not eligible for payment under either scheme in those years.
377. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is participating in the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme and who has applied for subsidies in respect of rare breeds, having come into the ownership of these cattle in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28438/15]
View answerNo application for the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) has been submitted in respect of the person named.
The first tranche for applications closed on 26 May 2015 and, as I have already indicated, I will open a second tranche for the submission of further applications in the autumn. The scheme requirements for the Rare Breed action will be reviewed prior to the opening of the second tranche and following an analysis of applications submitted in the initial tranche.
378. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who had an entitlement to a single payment reduced in 2013 as a result of a penalty, in circumstances where that year now becomes the reference year for the basic payment scheme, given that the penalty in the reference year should not be applied into the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28439/15]
View answerThe number of entitlements to be allocated to any one farmer under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 is based on the number of eligible hectares the farmer declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is lesser. The value of those entitlements is based on the total value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 plus the value of any payment received under the Grassland Sheep Scheme in that year.
The person named declared 18.36 hectares of eligible land in 2013 and, if he declared the same number in 2015, will be allocated 18.36 entitlements. In 2014 the person named owned entitlements with a total value of €5,133.00 and this amount forms the basis for calculating the value of his entitlements in 2015.
As the penalty applied in 2013 concerned cross compliance, it will have no impact on the number and value of entitlements allocated to the person named in 2015.
As the person’s Initial Unit Value in 2015 is slightly over the national average value, he experiences a small reduction over the five years of the scheme due to the process of convergence.
379. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Kildare may be included in the beef data and genomics programme, having first bred calves in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28440/15]
View answerThe Terms and Conditions of the Beef Data Genomics Programme provide that 2014 is the reference year for both animals and land. This year was chosen as reference animals and land has already been determined and so would enable earlier payment to participants. However, in certain circumstances such as new entrants to suckler farming, where 2014 is not a representative year, animals and land in 2015 can be used. The person named should contact the Beef Schemes Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise in writing specifying the reasons why he would prefer to use 2015 as his reference year and providing any supporting documentation he deems relevant to his case. An official from my Department has recently been in direct contact with the person named to discuss the matter.
380. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payments under the 2013 single payment scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme following the conclusion of that person's appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28473/15]
View answerMy Department is currently in the process of applying the outcome of the Agriculture Appeals Office’s decision to partially allow the appeal in relation to the 2013 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named. This process will be finalised shortly and any payments due will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
381. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in County Galway who are still waiting for their payments under the agri-environment options scheme and the rural environment protection scheme; when this backlog in payments will be resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28517/15]
View answerREPS4 and AEOS are measures under the 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue.
There were a total of 1,456 eligible applications for the 2014 REPS4 Scheme Year payments in County Galway. To date a total of 1,441 have been paid in full, leaving 15 cases still awaiting their 2014 REPS4 Scheme Year payment.
2,479 AEOS participants have been paid in County Galway with 145 cases that have not been paid to date.
These cases are held for a number of reasons, including the finalisation of Department inspections. In the majority of these cases, Department personnel have been in contact with participants or their planners regarding issues or documentation required to finalise their applications. Once the outstanding documentation has been furnished from participants, processing of the remaining cases will be completed as quickly as possible.
The AEOS cases also include those held up because of the review and investigation of some non-productive capital investment claims. These cases will be processed when satisfactory supporting documentation requested recently by my Department is furnished by the participants.
