Written Answers Nos. 73-77
73. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will request the Valuation Office to reassess the rateable valuation on the Green Glens equestrian arena in Millstreet, County Cork, given that this is a horse breeding facility which is an exempt development and only hosts equine events three to four times in the year. [45573/15]
View answerI, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform am not empowered by any provision in the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015 to request the Commissioner of Valuation to re-assess the valuation of any property for rating purposes. The Commissioner is independent in the exercise of his duties under the Valuation Acts and the making of valuations for rating purposes is his sole prerogative as provided by those Acts.
However, I am advised that any ratepayer dissatisfied with the rateability of a property, the valuation assessed on a particular property or the method of calculation can, on payment of the prescribed fee of €250, apply to the Commissioner who in accordance with the provisions of section 28 of the Valuation Act 2001 will appoint a Revision Manager to investigate the rateability or the valuation of a particular property. If dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation, the applicant has a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal, an independent body set up for that purpose. There is also a further right of appeal to the High Court and ultimately to the Supreme Court on a point of law.
The basic premise under the Act is that all buildings and lands used or developed for any purpose including constructions affixed thereto are rateable unless expressly exempted under Schedule 4. Agricultural land and farm buildings are expressly exempted under Schedule 4. For the purposes of the Acts, farm buildings are buildings, part of buildings, or other structures, occupied together with agricultural land and used solely in connection with the carrying on of agricultural activities on that land.
Generally speaking equestrian arenas are commercial enterprises and typically include such facilities as stables for horses, a covered riding arena and ancillary buildings to support the enterprise and, as such, do not come under the specific exemptions contained in Schedule 4.
74. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the proposals the Office of Public Works has to carry out essential drainage work in County Cavan; if he is aware of the serious problems caused for households and businesses in parts of County Cavan, particularly in the Crossdoney, Killeshandra and Farnham areas, due to recent severe flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45618/15]
View answerThe specific areas mentioned by the Deputy are within the Drainage District of Cavan County Council. Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed prior to the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The statutory duty of maintenance for these schemes lies with the Local Authorities concerned.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out its own programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500km of river channel and approximately 730km of embankments around the country. These are arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Acts 1945 and 1995, whose purpose was primarily to improve the drainage of agricultural lands to enhance production. The Glyde & the Dee, the Inny and the Boyne Scheme include river channels within County Cavan. In accordance with its statutory requirements, the OPW maintains these completed schemes in proper repair and in an effective condition to the standard of the original scheme. The annual maintenance programme typically involves some clearance of vegetation and removal of silt build-up on an average five-yearly cycle.
The Government's core strategy for addressing those areas at most significant risk and impact from flooding is the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Ballyconnell and Cavan Town are the two Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs) being assessed in County Cavan under the CFRAM Programme. These were deemed to be areas of potentially significant risk and impact from flooding under the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) which was completed in 2011. The County Cavan AFAs are being assessed under the North Western – Neagh Bann (NW-NB) CFRAM study. Further information is available on the study website: http://www.neaghbanncframstudy.ie/
A national public consultation on the draft flood maps is ongoing and will run until 23 December 2015. Details are available on the consultation website http://maps.opw.ie/flood_draftmap_consult/
Local flooding issues are a matter, in the first instance, for each Local Authority to investigate and address, and County Councils may carry out flood mitigation works using their own resources. The OPW operates the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme for projects estimated to cost less than €500,000. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to Local Authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas. Further details are published on the OPW website www.opw.ie.
75. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation following the publication of Innovation 2020, when the first meeting of the implementation body will take place; the number of meetings planned in 2016; the mechanism in place to review progress and ensure targets in the strategy are being met on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45522/15]
View answerThe first meeting of the Innovation 2020 Implementation Group is to take place in early 2016. The Group will meet in three formations with smart agenda setting:
- A primary formation will drive and track implementation of the strategy at an overall level.
- The second formation will mirror the Research Prioritisation Action Group and will have a role in driving and reporting on implementation of various strands of the strategy at a more granular level – this group will identify what needs to be done by which funder/agency/department to deliver on higher level actions in this strategy.
- The third formation will deal with EU issues, incorporating both the role of the Horizon 2020 High Level Group, and broader EU research issues, such as opportunities arising from the European Fund for Strategic Investment.
An implementation plan is being drafted in which the number of meetings of the Group to take place in 2016 will be determined.
A number of high-level national indicators with associated targets to 2020 have been selected to measure success in implementing the strategy. The Innovation 2020 Implementation Group will report annually to the Cabinet Committee on progress in achieving high-level targets and delivering on actions. Monitoring and reporting on key actions will also be delivered through the annual Action Plan for Jobs process.
76. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation following the publication of Innovation 2020, when scientists engaged in basic research will be able to apply for funding; the provisional deadline for applications in 2016; the spend allocated for basic research in 2016 and for each year thereafter; the scientific disciplines which will be accommodated for grant funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45523/15]
View answerInnovation 2020 contains a commitment to supporting the full continuum of research from frontier (basic) research to the creation and development of research-informed innovative products, processes and services. Funding for research is awarded according to the criteria, of which excellence is key, set out in the various funding programmes operated by research funders irrespective of whether the research is basic or applied. The most recent survey of R&D performed in the higher education sector (HERD survey published July 2015) shows that basic research accounted for 51% or €320m of that expenditure in 2012/13.
Under Innovation 2020, a competitive fund to support qualified researchers to undertake project-based frontier research is being developed. Funding will be awarded on the basis of the excellence of the research proposals and assessed through a rigorous and international peer-review process. The parameters for this programme will be determined by the Irish Research Council in 2016.
77. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the changes he has made to regulations on the export of puppies and dogs; if the extended time frame required for inoculating the animals will have a very damaging impact on the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45484/15]
View answerThe most recent changes relating to the export of dogs were introduced as a result of new EU Regulations on intra-community trade in dogs which came into effect on 29 December 2014. Under these regulations, dogs must be at least 12 weeks old in order to be vaccinated against rabies and a waiting period of 21 days post (primary) vaccination is necessary for rabies immunity to take effect. Accordingly dogs may not be under 15 weeks of age at time of export.
The Regulations allow Member States the option of allowing the importation into their territories of dogs, which are less than 12 weeks old and have not received an anti-rabies vaccination or are between 12 and 16 weeks old and have received an anti-rabies vaccination, but 21 days have not elapsed since the completion of the vaccination. The following member states - Austria, Bulgaria Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia - and Switzerland have notified the Commission that they are prepared to accept young pups. The remaining Member States including the United Kingdom do not accept young dogs. Almost all of the 250 dogs that are on average exported from Ireland each week are destined for the United Kingdom.
The Deputy may be aware that immunity from rabies is one of a number of requirements for export of dogs. Other requirements are that dogs must:
- come from holdings or businesses which are registered by the competent authority and are not subject to any ban on animal health grounds (including rabies), and which undertake to have these animals regularly examined, to notify possible disease and to comply with the requirements ensuring the welfare of the animals held;
- be identified by means of a microchip (a transponder readable by a device compatible with ISO standard 11785);
- undergo (within 48 hours prior to the time of dispatch) a clinical examination carried out by an authorised veterinarian, who must verify that the animals show no signs of diseases and are fit to be transported for the intended journey;
- be individually accompanied by a passport completed and issued by an authorised veterinarian;
- be accompanied to the place of destination by a health certificate (model in Part 1 of Annex E to Directive 92/65/EEC as last amended by Commission Decision 2013/518/EU), issued by an official veterinarian of the Member State of dispatch.
The new EU regulations, which are in place almost 12 months, are designed to facilitate the movement of pets throughout the EU. I am satisfied that they will not have a negative impact on the export of dogs.
