Written Answers Nos. 72-80
72. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the areas of natural constraints scheme and the basic payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34959/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 7 May 2015. Processing of the application under the ANC Scheme is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the ANC application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
In relation to the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening Payment, I am pleased to confirm that advance payments will commence to issue in Ireland on 16 October 2015, which is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. In addition, I can confirm that the level of the advance payment is set at 70% for 2015 rather than the normal 50%. The increase in the advance payment for 2015 is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors. Payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will commence in respect of applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors from 16 October 2015.
73. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the basic payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34967/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May 2015. Processing of the application under the ANC Scheme is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the ANC application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
In relation to the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening Payment, I am pleased to confirm that advance payments will commence to issue in Ireland on 16 October 2015, which is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. In addition, I can confirm that the level of the advance payment is set at 70% for 2015 rather than the normal 50%. The increase in the advance payment for 2015 is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors. Payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will commence in respect of applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors from 16 October 2015.
74. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the areas of natural constraints scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34971/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 13 May 2015.
EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
Advance payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will commence issuing to eligible applicants from 16 October 2015.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection is currently being finalised with the intention of issuing any payment due under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
75. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment of headage for 2015 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34972/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Schemes was received from the person named on 25 May 2015. Processing of the ANC application is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
In relation to the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening Payment, I am pleased to confirm that advance payments will commence in Ireland on 16 October 2015, which is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. In addition, I can confirm that the level of the advance payment is set at 70% for 2015 rather than the normal 50%. The increase in the advance payment for 2015 is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors. Payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will commence in respect of all applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors from 16 October 2015.
76. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34974/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 10 April 2015. Processing of the application under the ANC Scheme is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the ANC application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
77. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the disadvantaged areas scheme for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34994/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 20 May 2015. Processing of the ANC Scheme application has recently been finalised, with payment under the ANC scheme due to issue shortly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
78. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered a ban on bee imports due to the danger to the Irish bee population from disease in imported bee stocks. [35008/15]
View answerA number of options to limit or ban imports of bees have been considered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, however none of these options have proven to be viable.
The EU has strict bee health certification requirements which apply to the international trade in bees. In accordance with Article 3 of Council Directive 92/65/EEC European Union Member States must not prohibit or restrict for health reasons the international movement of bees once all requirements set down in EU legislation have been met.
79. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding will be made available for a project (details supplied) in County Cork; when work will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35014/15]
View answerBallydonegan Pier is owned by Cork County Council, and responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the harbour rests with the Local Authority.
My Department however, provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned harbours under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
Under the 2015 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, my Department has allocated €48,750 in grant aid to Cork County Council for the works referred to by the Deputy. These works are being carried out by the Council and I would direct the Deputy to the Local Authority for an update on the progress of the project.
80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the up-to-date position on his efforts to bring about a fair deal for owners of hen harrier designated lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35041/15]
View answerThe Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is currently developing a Threat Response Plan (TRP) for Hen Harriers. That Department has also established an Inter-Departmental Steering Group, incorporating representatives from key Departments, to assist in the development of the Plan. The TRP is focusing on a number of key pressures which have been identified as impacting on the conservation of the species, the three main pressures being forestry, agriculture and windfarm development. In this regard the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has established a Consultative Committee, comprising relevant representatives from the forestry, agriculture and wind farm sectors, to contribute to the formulation of the Plan and discussions are now progressing, with further information to be provided by the results of the 2015 National Hen Harrier Survey. The intention of the TRP will be to bring clarity to farmers, forest owners and other landowners about future land management activities in the SPAs, by setting out the measures identified as being necessary to preserve, maintain or re-establish suitable Hen Harrier habitats.
In relation to forestry, it is envisaged that the TRP will determine, inter alia, the circumstances in which afforestation, if any, might be accommodated in Hen Harrier SPAs without impacting on the conservation of the species. In the meantime, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is not in a position to grant approval for any afforestation projects in those areas, until the TRP has been completed and measures identified as being necessary to preserve, maintain or re-establish suitable Hen Harrier habitats have been determined.
In addition, under GLAS, the new agri-environment measure introduced by my Department as part of the Rural Development Programme for the period 2014-2020, significant funding is available to farmers with areas identified for hen-harrier conservation actions. All such farmers are guaranteed priority access to the scheme under Tier 1 and can draw payment of €370 per hectare up to the scheme maximum of €5,000 per annum. In addition, all such farmers are guaranteed access to GLAS +, which offers a further €2,000 on top of the normal payment, if the area being managed is sufficiently large. Finally, I am also committed to introducing a separate scheme for hen harrier under the planned ‘locally-led’ measure, which will explore new ways of managing hen harrier habitat.
