Written Answers Nos. 300-310
300. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the number of persons from the European Economic Area and non-EEA persons awarded BIM-approved safety cards with completed standards of training, certification and watchkeeping courses in firefighting and survival skills in 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39484/15]
View answerBIM has provided me with the figures below for all safety training provided by BIM to the seafood sector for 2014 and 2015 to date. These figures include all safety training, including Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping courses in fire-fighting and survival skills. The breakdown requested by the Deputy is not available.
|
- |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Irish |
1,631 |
1,081 |
|
UK |
55 |
54 |
|
EU |
34 |
38 |
|
Non-EU |
34 |
41 |
|
Total |
1,754 |
1,214 |
301. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has acted on any of the recommendations made to him from the safety working group initiated in the wake of the sinking of the Tit Bonhomme fishing vessel in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39485/15]
View answerThe Working Group on Safety, Training and Employment in the Irish Fishing Industry reported back to me in July this year. The working group was a cross Departmental, multi-agency group which also included members from the fishing Industry.
The working group chaired by Lt. Cdr. John Leech, Chief Executive, Irish Water Safety, was set up to examine a range of important issues for Ireland’s fishing industry such as safety standards and training on board vessels, compliance with regulations, recent technical innovations and the fishing sector’s approach to personal safety. The group were also charged with looking at options for making the fishing industry safer and more attractive, economically, as a career option for potential new entrants.
Central to the working group's recommendations on improving safety in the industry, is the need for significant culture change across the fisheries sector. I made an additional €5.6m available to the fisheries catching sector for training and skills development under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020 Operational Programme. This extra funding will be instrumental in addressing recommendations in the report and driving the culture change required to enhance safety across the fisheries sector.
I am happy to inform the deputy that Bord Iascaigh Mhara(BIM) are progressing the Safety Training aspects of the report, including the enhanced training programme which provides Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) to those who complete the course. The group identified the wearing of PFDs as being critical to reducing fatalities at sea.
BIM have also progressed recommendations regarding career structures and some of these developments were showcased at Seafest 2015 (Cork), Ireland's National Annual Maritime Festival. Seafest 2016 which will take place in Galway will also showcase further such developments. In addition they are working with relevant stakeholders on developments in Technical Innovation in Safety Procedures and Equipment, in particular work is progressing to develop a fit-for-purpose First Aid kit for fishers on under 15 metre fishing vessels.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and the Marine Survey Office who were represented on the group have advised me that they are working towards the implementation of the recommendations which are within their remit.
The Deputy should also be aware that the Minister of Finance, published a review of taxation matters as they pertain to the maritime sector including the fishing industry as part of his budget announcement in October 2015, which was an area recommended for attention in the report.
Finally I am satisfied that in the short time since the publication of the report, progress is being made to implement the recommendations contained.
302. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the continuing delay in issuing a payment to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo under the disadvantaged areas scheme; when the payment will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39556/15]
View answerAn application under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May, 2015. Processing of the application has recently been completed. Payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
303. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a payment under the single payment scheme will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; if all payments under the beef genomics scheme have been made; and if he will expedite the matter. [39567/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2014 Beef Data Programme/Beef Genomics Scheme application on 27 March 2014. Under the terms and conditions that govern the Beef Genomics Scheme applicants must be compliant with BVD regulations, i.e. test animals within 20 days of birth and remove animals persistently infected with BVD within seven weeks of a positive test. I view the eradication of BVD in bovine animals as being of prime importance as this disease can affect not only the herd in which the animal is but also neighbouring herds. The person named did not remove the persistently infected animal within the specified timeframe and so is not eligible for payment under the Beef Genomics Scheme.
My Department also received a Transfer of Entitlement Allocation Right and Reference Value application from the above named. Officials from my Department contacted the person named in relation to an issue on the application form received. This issue has now been resolved and this application will be processed to facilitate payment under the Basic Payment Scheme as soon as possible.
304. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a final response to correspondence (details supplied) received by his office on 26 August 2015 will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39581/15]
View answerThe response to the above correspondence issued from my Department on 9th November 2015.
305. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the details of the new suckler grant scheme, which outline that if the land on a holding decreases by more than 20% of the amount set in 2014 the applicant will be disqualified from the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39582/15]
View answerIn relation to the land requirements under the BDGP scheme, it is important to note that the requirement to retain 80% of land refers to 80% of the reference hectares submitted under the scheme, and not 80% of the overall holding. The vast majority of participants in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) will easily meet and exceed the land requirements necessary to receive full payment.
For example, a farmer with 10 calved cows and a stocking density of 0.5 will have access to 20 hectares but will only require 6.66 hectares for the purposes of payment under the Programme. This herdowner would then have to ensure that they submitted each year, on their SPS form, eligible forage hectares to cover at least 80% of 6.66 hectares (5.33) to ensure that they are compliant with the land requirement of the BDGP and remained within the scheme. Even if this farmer had a stocking density of 1 calved cow per hectare, they would have 50% more land than they require.
Based on numbers from the 2014 Beef Genomics Scheme, nearly half of farmers (46%) will have a stocking density of less than 0.5 calved cows per hectare whereas 90% of farmers have a stocking density below 1 calved cow per hectare. The vast majority of farmers come under a stocking density of 1 calved cow per hectare and I believe the relatively high stocking density of 1.5 established under the BDGP should provide a sufficient buffer for situations arising on most farms.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has established procedures to deal with appeals and force majeure for the BDGP. Any participant who may fall into difficulty in renting the required hectarage can rest assured that their situation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a payment which is due under the single payment scheme will issue as soon as possible to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, given that the person is awaiting payment since mid-October 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39602/15]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 16 April, 2015. Processing of this application has been completed. Payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
307. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for his Department's underspend of €95 million against profile at the end of October 2015; the breakdown of this underspend, by scheme or subhead in the Revised Estimates Volume; the steps he will take to ensure a full spend of the Estimate by the end of 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39614/15]
View answerA profile of projected expenditure on a monthly basis is drawn up at the beginning of each year in order to anticipate the Department’s funding requirements and financial management over the course of the year. The profile which is the best estimate of expenditure available at the time is difficult to forecast and may vary significantly during the year for a variety of reasons, such as the level of payments under demand led schemes, the pattern of drawdown of Grants by State bodies, the levels of disease incidences and payment of compensation, etc.
The recent Exchequer returns for my Department show the approximately €95m under-spend relative to profile is comprised of €75m current expenditure and €20m capital expenditure. The table below shows the subheads where the expenditure profile gap is greater than €1m. These account for €93m of the €95m mentioned in the question. I expect this profile- outturn gap to be substantially closed by the year end.
|
Subhead |
Profile end October |
Outturn End October |
Difference |
|
- |
€'000 |
€'000 |
€'000 |
|
A - AGRI-FOOD POLICY, DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE |
162,048 |
148,332 |
-13,716 |
|
B - FOOD SAFETY, ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE AND PLANT HEALTH |
144,120 |
132,631 |
-11,489 |
|
C – RURAL ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE |
219,756 |
162,914 |
-56,842 |
|
D – EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF CLIENT FOCUSED SCHEMES AND SERVICES |
181,649 |
170,670 |
-10,979 |
The forthcoming supplementary estimate process will provide an opportunity for adjustments to allocations to take account of emerging priorities and savings as well as for the provision of additional funding and I will include appropriate proposals in that regard with a view to ensuring the best use of voted resources.
308. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants under the areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payment scheme in 2016; the number of farmers who have received their first payment; the number who have not received their first payment under the schemes in 2015; the steps he is taking to expedite payments; the amount paid out under each scheme in 2015 to date, in comparison to the amounts paid out under the corresponding disadvantaged areas scheme and the single payment scheme at the same time in 2014; if all data will be broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39615/15]
View answerPayments under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 23 September, 2015. To date, payments worth €175,008,363 have issued nationally to 82,242 applicants. The total number of eligible applicants is 102,555.
Under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme, advance payments commenced on 16 October, 2015. To date, payments worth €680,560,743.49 have issued to 107,875 herd-owners. The total number of herd owners who currently have entitlements and who have applied for the scheme is 120, 662.
As the Deputy is aware, a two week extension was granted to this year’s application date for both schemes and the BPS/Greening Schemes are entirely new – this must be borne in mind in any comparison. At this date last year, 84,327 farmers had been paid €178,453,970 under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. The corresponding figures for the Basic Payment Schemes are 113,991 applicants and a total of €547.7m.
Work is continuing in my Department to prioritise the processing of outstanding cases for payment under both schemes. Regular pay runs are in place to pay applicants as cases are cleared for payment. Balancing payments under the Basic Payments Scheme are due to commence on 1 December.
The further detail requested on a county basis by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded directly.
309. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department will issue payment under the 2015 single payment scheme to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39616/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 28 May 2015. Processing of the application under both schemes has been completed. Payments issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in October.
310. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a single farm payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39620/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 12 April, 2015. Processing of the application under both schemes has recently been finalised, and payment has issued to the designated bank account of the person named.
