Written Answers Nos. 63-67
63. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Freedom of Information requests, in tabular form, received by his Department in 2015 to date; the number of these where the period of consideration, was completed within four weeks of the receipt of the request; was extended by up to four weeks because the necessary resources to complete the request within the original time frame were not available. [36751/15]
View answerThe following table provides details of the total number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests received by my Department and its Offices from 1st January 2015 to date in the format requested.
There were no occasions where the period of consideration was extended because the necessary resources to complete the request within the original timeframe were not available.
There were 6 occasions where the period of consideration was extended by a period of up to four weeks. However, in each case the request related to such a number of records that compliance within the initial statutory 4 week deadline was not reasonably possible. Accordingly, Section 14 of the FOI Act (Extension of time for consideration of FOI requests) was applied and the necessary notification provided to the requesters in each instance.
Freedom of Information Requests Received by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation from 1 January to date in 2015
|
Total Number of FOI Requests Received |
Total Number of FOI Requests Withdrawn/Withdrawn and dealt with outside of FOI |
Total Number of FOI Requests Transferred to other Departments |
Total Number of FOI Requests where Section 14 of the FOI Act was applied |
Total Number of FOI Requests completed within the 4 week timeframe |
Total Number of FOI Requests Received within the last four weeks and currently being dealt with |
Total Number of FOI Requests where period of consideration was extended because necessary resources to complete the request within the original timeframe were not available |
|
156 |
42 |
5 |
6 |
87 |
16 |
0 |
64. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath did not receive a payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36671/15]
View answerAn application under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 24 May 2015. Payment has not yet issued to the person named as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not yet satisfied the Scheme’s minimum stocking density requirements. Officials in my Department are continuing to work on any such outstanding cases, however, the holding must meet the minimum Scheme requirements before payment can issue.
65. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason samples taken from sheep for genotyping purposes are sent to Edinburgh University in Scotland at a cost of €30 each, rather than being sent to an Irish laboratory at a lower cost. [36678/15]
View answerThe National Genotype Programme was launched in May 2004 and involves the genotyping of sheep to enable farmers select the most scrapie resistant animals for breeding. The programme is a voluntary one and the cost of genotyping is borne directly by farmers. I understand that no Irish based laboratory has offered a commercial genotyping service in this area since 2005.
66. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department requires repayment of €6,545.45, including both annual premium and establishment grant, on a forestry contract (details supplied) from the landowner, when a third party forestry company is in receipt of the actual establishment grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36685/15]
View answerIn relation to any afforestation scheme contract, the following is the situation where a debt arises due to an undue payment:
- The landowner employs a forestry company (forester) to protect his/her interests and this includes submitting an accurate claim on the applicant’s behalf.
- The Minister and the landowner are party to the afforestation contract; the forester is not party to this contract.
- As the Minster’s contract is with the herdowner, all money paid under the contract is to benefit the herdowner. The herdowner gains a forestry plantation as an asset as a result of the money granted to him or her; thus the owner benefits directly from the grants paid.
Any money paid by the herdowner to the forester is a matter between those parties and this includes where grants and/or premiums may be mandated by the herdowner for direct payment to the forester. (A mandate between the herdowner and the forester is an instruction by the herdowner to the Department to redirect his/her payment directly to the forester - the herdowner is still the beneficiary under the afforestation contract.) This means that, while any debt arising under the afforestation contract is a matter between the Minister and the herdowner, any debt arising under any contract between the herdowner and his/her forester is a matter between those parties.
67. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason all Department payments, including payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Clare, are suspended and withheld while a Forestry appeal is ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36688/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 17 April 2015. Processing of the application was recently finalised and payment issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 5 October 2015. However, as the person named had an amount of money outstanding to my Department in respect of Forestry Premium, this amount was netted off against the ANC payment. A request for an appeal has been lodged, and further netting off of any debts has been suspended. Accordingly, the full advance payment due to the applicant under the Basic Payment Scheme has recently issued.
