Written Answers Nos. 94 - 101
94. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that the inspection criteria and his inspectors’ interpretation, methodology and procedures cannot be relied upon, as stated recently by the appeals office in his Department, as the exclusions provide no quantification or description for the deductions made in relation to an applicant (details supplied) in County Laois. [41416/15]
View answerThe findings of the Appeals Officer in relation to that specific case are not a general finding that inspection criteria, inspectors’ interpretation and methodology cannot be relied upon.
Furthermore the appeals officer from the independent Agricultural Appeals Office noted that the matter of the findings was not a finding in relation to eligibility of the area but rather on whether the applicant was carrying out an agricultural activity. The relevant extract from the Appeals Office decision from August 2015 states: “Both sides provided evidence at the oral hearing as to the nature of the growth that exists on parcel G30106047, and while there are obviously roadways, active turbary and quarry areas, I must rely on the inspection reports provided by the Department and those reports provide no quantification or description on which to rely for the deductions made within parcels G30106047, G30106046 and G30106057.” Most importantly the decision adds “In any event the question at appeal is whether or not these parcels met the 2012 eligibility requirement for you [sic - use] of agricultural activity as defined.” Therefore the areas of the parcels were not to be determined by the Appeals Office but rather whether the applicant carried out an agricultural activity.
95. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive outstanding payments; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41855/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)/Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) application to my Department on 29 May, 2015. Payment under the ANC scheme has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named. Final processing of the BPS application has recently been completed and payment is due to issue shortly.
96. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue under the areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payment scheme for 2015 to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41856/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Schemes was received from the person named on 26 May 2015. Processing of the application under both schemes has recently been finalised and payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
97. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has received a payment under the agri-environment options scheme 3; the exact position in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41902/15]
View answerMy Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for amounts different to those actually paid by the participants.
Funding provided under the scheme comes partly from the EU and partly from the National Exchequer. There is a requirement and obligation to ensure that the expenditure claimed by scheme participants reflects the reality of what took place. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.
The person named above was written to on 11 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim for expenditure incurred. A reply to this letter was received on 3 July last. In their reply a lesser amount of expenditure than the original claimed amount, was verified. In accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No. 65/2011 a reduction of the difference between the claimed amount and the eligible amount must be imposed.
A further check was then carried out on all measures that were paid under the Scheme to the person concerned. This check revealed a further over payment on an action. A letter informing the person concerned about this over payment and also about the penalty to be imposed was issued on 17 November last. The letter also informed the person concerned of their right to have the decision in relation to the penalty reviewed.
The file is now being processed based on the above and outstanding payments will be made shortly.
98. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has received a payment under the agri-environment options scheme; the exact position in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41903/15]
View answerMy Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for amounts different to those actually paid by the participants.
Funding provided under the scheme comes partly from the EU and partly from the National Exchequer. There is a requirement and obligation to ensure that the expenditure claimed by scheme participants reflects the reality of what took place. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.
The person named above was written to on 15 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim for expenditure incurred. A reply to this letter was received on 7 July last. Further information was supplied by the person named on 5 August.
My Department officials carefully examined the application in light of these replies; this examination indicated that the amount claimed had not been satisfactorily verified and that the amounts claimed were greater than the costs in verified cases. A letter informing the applicant of this determination, and of the proposed penalty to be imposed, was issued on 14 October. This letter also offered the applicant an opportunity to have the determination reviewed within the Department and to submit additional information if he wished not later than 30 October.
Following the letter of 14 October from my Department, further communication has taken place with the herdowner, and a response is awaited.
Payments have been fully made for 2013. However, 2014 payments were suspended pending the outcome of the above examination.
99. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in issuing a 2015 basic payment to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41906/15]
View answerTo establish Basic Payment Scheme entitlements under the new CAP reform, the eligible land declared under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme, the 2014 value of owned entitlements and the 2015 eligible hectares declared under the Basic Payment Scheme needs to be taken into consideration.
As the ownership of this herd number changed into the company named above in 2014 and all the entitlement value was leased into the company in 2014, it was necessary to perform two entitlement transfers in 2014 and 2015 to ensure all three reference points were available to the company named in order to establish entitlement rights under the new CAP reform. This is currently being processed and payment will issue as soon as possible.
100. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on electronic identification tagging for cattle; his plans to introduce it in the near future; if he will pass on to farmers, in total or in part, in the form of reduced disease levies, the saving to his Department that would result from this introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41908/15]
View answerEU Regulation No. 653/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council provides for the introduction of electronic bovine identification on a voluntary basis. Under this legislation, Member States are permitted to introduce compulsory electronic identification of cattle with effect from 18 July 2019 and are obliged to have facilities in place to provide for the use of electronic identifiers (electronic tags or electronic bolus) as an official means of identification with effect from the same date.
My Department will facilitate the introduction of electronic identification (EID) of bovines in accordance with the requirements of the aforementioned EU Regulation. There are no provisions in the Regulation in relation to the mandatory introduction of electronic identification of bovines in advance of 18 July 2019. Nevertheless, my Department already provides for the use of EID tags in the current contract for the supply of bovine tags on a voluntary basis but there is very low demand (approximately 1% of herd keepers) for cattle EID tags which cost approximately €1 more than the conventional tag.
In view of the foregoing, I have no plans to introduce mandatory EID for bovine animals. However my Department will keep the position under review in the context of consultation with all the stakeholders and developments at EU level. It is difficult to project the precise exchequer savings, if any, that would accrue following the mandatory introduction of EID. The purpose of the disease levies is to contribute towards the cost of the disease eradication programme and it would not be appropriate to link reduction in farmer disease levies to the mandatory introduction of EID in the bovine herd.
101. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the roll-out of the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme on commonages; the number of commonage plans that have been submitted to his Department; the average percentage of farmers in each commonage who are participating in the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41911/15]
View answerThe total number of commonages represented in applications received under tranche 1 of GLAS comes to just under 2,700, representing well over half of all commonages in the country. Some 4,000 individual farmers are involved, which indicates that on average about 30% of shareholders across all commonages have opted to join GLAS. In addition to those who have opted to join GLAS, a similar number of shareholders are already managing their commonage lands under the earlier agri-environmental scheme AEOS. Many of these farmers intend to see out their AEOS contracts before joining GLAS, confident in the knowledge that they will receive priority access to the new scheme when they do decide to join. A phased recruitment to both GLAS and to the various Commonage Management Plans was specifically anticipated in the scheme design, and specific provision has been made to accommodate these farmers on that basis.
All in all, I believe we have made excellent progress in this area under Tranche 1 of GLAS and the uptake to date is an important step towards the establishment of greatly enhanced management regimes for these upland areas. I would expect that the second tranche of GLAS, which closes on 7 December, will contain a further significant number of commonage applications.
Turning to the question of Commonage Management Plans, there is no requirement for any such plans to be submitted until next year. My Department has already laid out the detail of what is to be included in these plans and is currently finalising the provision of functionality on the online GLAS system which will allow Commonage Management Plans to be submitted in electronic format. I would not expect to see the first plans submitted until early 2016, with most coming in later that year.
