Written Answers Nos. 227-249
227. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 17 November 2015, the status of an application by a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45067/15]
View answerAs stated in Parliamentary Question No. 296 of 17 November 2015, a request was received from the person named on 28 October to have a determination made in this case reviewed within the Department. This review has now been completed and the results of the review were issued in writing to the person named on 2 December. The file will now be processed in line with the decision made in that review.
228. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford under the single payment scheme, the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45081/15]
View answerThe person named entered into a Registered Farm Partnership agreement with another person under the 2015 Scheme year. A total 71.51 entitlements have now been established for this Partnership and payment to the value of €23,978.51 will issue in the coming days.
229. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford under the single payment scheme, the reasons for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45082/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 25 May, 2015. Processing of the application under the above scheme has been finalised, and payments will issue shortly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
230. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford under the single payment scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45083/15]
View answerRecords held by my Department indicate that the person named was added to the registration details of the herd number quoted above in 2015. This herd number was previously registered in the name of one other person who established Basic Payment Scheme Entitlement Allocation Rights and Reference Values. In 2015, both parties entered into a Registered Farm Partnership with another person who had also established Basic Payment Scheme Entitlement Allocation Rights and Reference Values in their own right.
Under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme, an application was submitted to transfer each of these sets of entitlement rights by merger into the three names now registered on the above herd number. Processing of these applications have recently been finalised, and payments will issue shortly to the nominated bank account of the Farm Partnership concerned.
231. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why payment did not issue under the areas of natural constraint scheme for 2015 to a person (details supplied) in County Galway, if donkeys that were considered eligible under the 2014 disadvantage area based scheme are also considered eligible under the 2015 areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45116/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May, 2015. Payment has not issued to the person named as the holding concerned cannot be confirmed as satisfying the Scheme's minimum stocking density requirements.
Under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months and to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. While donkeys continue to be considered as a qualifying animal for inclusion in the stocking density calculations, only those donkeys registered in the name of the applicant and in accordance with EU regulation 504/2008 will be considered under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme.
Five donkey passports were received from the person named. Upon examination, three were deemed eligible and two deemed ineligible. EU Regulation 504/2008 requires all equines to be micro chipped and passports obtained by year end or within six months of birth, which ever date occurs later. The person named was notified in writing of these findings on 10 November 2015 and informed of the option to pursue the matter with the Agricultural Appeals Office.
232. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why payment did not issue under the areas of natural constraint scheme for 2015 to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, if donkeys that were considered eligible under the 2014 disadvantaged area based scheme are also considered eligible under the 2015 areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45117/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 28 May 2015. Payment under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme has not issued to the person named as the holding concerned cannot be confirmed as satisfying the Scheme's minimum stocking density requirements.
Under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months and to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. While donkeys continue to be considered as a qualifying animal for inclusion in the stocking density calculations, only those donkeys registered in the name of the applicant and in accordance with EU regulation 504/2008 will be considered under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme.
Three donkey passports were received from the person named. Upon examination two were deemed eligible and one was deemed ineligible. EU Regulation 504/2008 requires all equines to be micro chipped and passports obtained by year end or within six months of birth, which ever date occurs later. The person named was notified in writing of these findings on 4 December, 2015 and advised of the option of submitting further information at this stage.
233. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision on an appeal on a payment under the agri-environment options scheme will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45118/15]
View answerA request to have a determination made by officials in this case reviewed within my Department was received from the person named on 20 November. This review has now been completed and the results of the review were issued in writing to the person named on 10 December. The file will now be processed in line with the decision made in that review.
234. Deputy John Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo, including when it will be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45142/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Schemes was received from the person named on 11 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.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection has now been completed and the results have been finalised. Payments due under the Basic Payment Scheme have issued to the nominated bank account of the person named.
Processing of the Areas of Natural Constraints application has recently been finalised and payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
235. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive farm payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45185/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Private Contract Clause application to my Department. This application has been processed and payment under the Basic Payment Scheme will issue in the coming days.
236. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of parking on his Department's property in Howth in County Dublin; if he has abandoned proposals to introduce paid parking in the vicinity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45198/15]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, owns and directly manages six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Ros an Mhíl, Killybegs and An Daingean.
Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is a working fishery harbour, however it is also a very important tourist and leisure destination with many restaurants and businesses operating on the Harbour.
The question of the introduction of paid car parking on Howth Harbour, as part of an overall review of traffic management arrangements, remains under consideration.
The Comptroller and Auditor General in his Special Report (No 82 of July 2014) and the related Report of the Public Accounts Committee of 24 June 2015 have asked the Department to review the position re pay parking in Howth, in conjunction with other Fishery Harbour Centres with a view to increasing income generation possibilities.
Most importantly, the safe operation of the Harbour is of paramount concern; in this context, traffic management and parking is recognised as an issue, particularly, though not exclusively, during the busy holiday periods.
Traffic and parking management within the Fishery Harbour Centre itself has been an issue for some time, particularly in the light of concerns raised about safety and emergency access by the Coastguard, the Lifeboat service, and An Garda Síochána. In this regard, upgrading works to the car park, including lining of parking spaces, have taken place as part of the harbour's new traffic management scheme. In 2015 I have allocated €115,000 for the continuation of these improvements.
237. 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. [45258/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2015. Processing of the application is currently in progress. On completion of this process, payment will issue directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme provide that a person must be eligible to receive a direct payment under the Single Payment Scheme in 2013 in order to qualify for an automatic allocation right to receive entitlements under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme. The person named purchased entitlements during the 2014 scheme year but as he did not submit a Single Payment Scheme application in 2013 he did not establish an automatic right to receive new entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015.
My Department will contact the person named to obtain further information to establish what options are available to him to activate his entitlements under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.
238. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45261/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 25 May 2015. Processing of the application identified that the holding of the person named had not met the stocking requirements as per the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. An official from my Department has been in direct contact with the person named and is currently awaiting the submission of her flock register. On receipt of the outstanding documentation, the ANC application will be further processed with a view to payment at the earliest possible date.
239. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive payment under the young farmers scheme. [45313/15]
View answerThe person named submitted an application under the 'old young farmer' category of the 2015 National Reserve. His application has been fully processed and payment is due to issue in the coming days.
240. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if payment under the basic payment scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be expedited due to financial hardship; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45320/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 7 April 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.
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 payments due under the Direct Payments Schemes as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
241. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be expedited due to financial hardship; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45321/15]
View answerAn application under the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 7 April, 2015. Processing of the application is currently in progress. On completion of this process, payment will issue directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
242. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive farm payments; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45329/15]
View answerThe closing date for receipt of applications under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was 29 May 2015. No application was lodged by the person named by that date. My Department is currently examining further documentation subsequently furnished under force majeure grounds. An official from my Department has already been in direct contact with the person named regarding this matter.
243. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the basic payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45337/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 8 May 2015.
EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme provide that a person must be eligible to receive a direct payment greater than €100 under the Single Payment Scheme in 2013 in order to qualify for an automatic allocation right to receive entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme. The person named did not hold entitlements greater than €100 under the 2013 Scheme. She purchased additional entitlements in 2014 however this does not provide her with an allocation right for the new Basic Payment Scheme. My Department will make direct contact with the person named to discuss her case and establish if there are any options available to her to establish an allocation right.
244. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a farm payment to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45350/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 26 May 2015. During processing of this application a dual claim error arose which resulted in a greater than 20% penalty and no payment under the Basic Payment. However, following the submission of an appeal the penalty has been overturned and payments due under the Basic Payment Scheme will issue in the coming days.
245. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the implications of a measure (details supplied) in relation to Irish fish bass stocks; if he will oppose the measure in favour of a more common-sense approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45380/15]
View answer246. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the implications of a measure (details supplied) in relation to tourist businesses in County Kerry; if he will oppose the measure in favour of a more common-sense approach; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45381/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together.
The most recent scientific advice for seabass suggests that the stock is in rapid decline and that fishing mortality levels for this stock are four times higher than the level that would ensure Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY).
In January 2015, the EU Commission introduced emergency measures to reduce the fishing mortality in commercial fisheries (pelagic trawling) of this stock. The EU also adopted a new Regulation that introduced a comprehensive prohibition on commercial fishing for seabass by all EU Member States fishing vessels in the Irish and Celtic Seas for 2015. This underpins the conservation actions already taken by Ireland for over 20 years with regard to this vulnerable stock. The EU has also increased the minimum landing size for seabass for 2015 and again Ireland supported this measure.
In terms of the TAC and quota proposal for 2016, the Commission has proposed, and I generally welcome, further conservation measures for this stock including a continuation of the comprehensive prohibition on commercial fishing for seabass by all EU Member States fishing vessels in the Irish and Celtic Seas for 2016. However, we have a concern that the proposal as it stands, while aimed at protecting the stock, may inadvertently harm the highly regulated recreational angling sector in Ireland. The current proposal would ban all angling activity for seabass for the first six months of the year and a one fish per day rule for the rest of the year. Currently Ireland operates a 2 fish per day rule and the rest of the EU applied a 3 fish per day rule in 2016. I fully support the one fish per day limit suggested, however as I agree with the Deputy on the potential harm to our tourism sector, I do not support a complete ban on angling for the first six months of the year. Irish anglers are not the reason that seabass is continuing to decline and Ireland has been at the forefront of conservation measures for this stock for decades. It would in my view be unfair to take such a severe approach to the recreational sector in Ireland given their ongoing efforts to protect the stock. Consequently, I will endeavour, at December Council, to persuade the Commission that a catch and release recreational fishery be permitted to continue during the first six months of the year.
247. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine a project (details supplied) for possible future development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45382/15]
View answerResponsibility for development, and subsequent repair and maintenance of a pier at Cromane rests with Kerry County Council. The parent Department for that Local Authority is the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.
My Department has in previous years, under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided funding to Local Authorities for the development and repair of local authority owned piers and slipways, subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
Any application submitted under the Programme by Kerry County Council in respect of Cromane Pier, in future years, will be considered in the context of the criteria set out, available funding and overall priorities.
248. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that a payment under the single payment scheme is immediately made to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who is in a partnership, as all issues relating to this application have been addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45396/15]
View answerAn application under the Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 8 May 2015 with a further application received under a Partnership number on 25 May 2015. Processing of both applications is currently ongoing, and payment will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named when processing is complete. Officials from my department have been in contact with the person named to outline the position with the case.
249. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports and funding he will make available to the Howth maritime museum in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45422/15]
View answerI am aware of a proposal to locate a Maritime Museum in Howth and my Department has met with the Committee in relation to this issue. My Department administers the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. In addition to funding for Department owned harbours and marine infrastructures, and subject to available funding, the programme also provides funding for Local Authorities for the purposes of the repair and development of piers and harbours under their ownership and for some marine leisure projects submitted by the Local Authorities. The programme does not provide funding for private initiatives.
Properties located at the six Fishery Harbour Centres including Howth are, when appropriate, offered for tenancy under lease agreement by means of an open competitive tendering process in accordance with good practice and public procurement guidelines.
