Timmy Dooley
Question:233. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive farm payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3137/16]
View answerBasic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (233)
Written answers
An application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 13 April 2015. Processing of the application under both schemes is complete and payments have issued to the nominated bank account of the person named.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (234)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:234. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment to persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3148/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 29 May 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on farm inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The 2015 Basic Payment Scheme/Areas of Natural Constraint application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. This inspection resulted in findings of an over-declaration in area between 3% and 20%. Under the Terms and Conditions of these schemes, this resulted in the 2015 payments being based on the found area having been reduced by double the difference between the area found and the area declared. The person named was notified of this decision on 7 December 2015.
The person named has appealed this decision and this request is currently being examined. The person named will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (235)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:235. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the final balance of the overall payment due has issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal under the 2015 basic payment scheme and the greening scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3157/16]
View answerWritten answers
An application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 28 May 2015. Processing of the application is complete and payment has issued to the nominated bank account of the person named.
Under the regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme, the final 3% of the payment will not issue until after all entitlements have been definitively allocated under the scheme at the end of March, 2016.
Afforestation Programme
Questions (236)
Michael Colreavy
Question:236. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his target for land availability for afforestation by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3165/16]
View answerWritten answers
Afforestation targets are set out in the forestry programme launched last year. The aim of this new programme is to plant almost 44,000ha of new forests over the period 2015-2020. The scheme itself has undergone significant changes from the scheme which operated under the previous programme. These changes which include for example an increase in the annual premium rate by 20% across the board are designed to encourage more landowners to convert their land from agriculture to forestry. In terms of setting afforestation targets by county my Department has avoided doing this as the scheme is demand led and therefore it would be difficult to determine future planting levels at county level.
Public Service Reform Plan Measures
Questions (237)
Jim Daly
Question:237. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the lifetime of this Government the number of proposals managerial staff in any agency or managerial body under his remit put forward to alter the roll-out of public services that were delayed, postponed or abandoned as a result of non-co-operation by trade union representatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3166/16]
View answerWritten answers
With regard to State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, this is a matter for the bodies themselves.
GLAS Payments
Questions (238)
Brendan Griffin
Question:238. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3188/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 January 2016. Therefore the person named is not due a 2015 GLAS part year payment. The first payment due to the person named is in respect of the 2016 scheme year and this payment will be processed in the final quarter of this year.
Single Payment Scheme Payments
Questions (239)
Willie Penrose
Question:239. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 418 of 26 May 2015, if he will now take steps to ensure that a person (details supplied) in County Longford receives payment under the single payment scheme and other payments due for 2015 without any further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3189/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named received payment on 10 June 2015 in respect of the 2013 Single Payment Scheme. After a long process, entitlements have now been established under the Basic Payment Scheme and payment under the 2015 BPS will issue shortly.
Agriculture Scheme Eligibility
Questions (240)
Willie Penrose
Question:240. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that a person (details supplied) County Westmeath who has secured the necessary green certificate qualification is awarded due entitlements further to an application under the national reserve scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3193/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted applications under the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. Payments under the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme commenced in mid-December and as publicised at that time will continue into January/February. These applications have been finalised and payment is expected to issue shortly.
Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments
Questions (241)
Michael Ring
Question:241. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payment under the agri-environment options scheme. [3218/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1 September 2011 and has been paid for the 2011-2014 scheme years.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System must take place.
These checks have now been completed and it is expected that payment will issue shortly.
Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments
Questions (242)
Paul Connaughton
Question:242. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the agri-environment options scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3224/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named commenced their AEOS 1 contract on 1 November 2010 and has been paid for the 2010-2014 scheme years.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System must take place. As it is their final scheme year re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed.
These checks have now been completed and it is expected that payment will issue shortly.
Beef Genomics Scheme
Questions (243)
Paul Connaughton
Question:243. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the beef genomics scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3225/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted an application under the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDP) 2015-2020 on the 13 May 2015.
EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on the spot inspections, be completed before any payments issue. These checks have been successfully completed and payment for the person named will issue shortly.
Agriculture Scheme Eligibility
Questions (244)
Paul Connaughton
Question:244. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the young farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3226/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted applications under the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. These applications have been finalised and payment issued on 26 January 2016.
Agriculture Scheme Eligibility
Questions (245)
Paul Connaughton
Question:245. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Galway who commenced farming in 2009 is eligible under the young farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3227/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted an application under the 2015 Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. Under the EU Regulations governing the administration of the young farmers Scheme, a young farmer must be setting up an agricultural holding for the first time in his/her name or have set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the BPS application. According to records held by my Department the person named commenced farming in 2009 which is outside the eligibility period for the Young Farmers Scheme. A letter has issued to the person named advising him of this decision.
The 2015 National Reserve included a specific disadvantage category to cater for farmers commonly known as ‘Old Young Farmers’. Under this category farmers who met all other National Reserve young farmer priority category eligibility criteria, but who commenced farming in 2008 or 2009 and had not benefited under Installation Aid, were eligible to apply for an allocation of Basic Payment Scheme entitlements from the National Reserve. The person named did not make an application under the 2015 National Reserve.
Agriculture Scheme Payments
Questions (246)
Paul Connaughton
Question:246. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the young farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3228/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted a 2015 Private Contract Clause application to my Department seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease as transferee. Issues regarding changes to the herd number of the transferor in this case are being resolved to allow this application to be finalised to facilitate payment under the Basic Payment Scheme as soon as possible.
The person named has also submitted an application to my Department under the Young Farmers Scheme. Once payment under the Basic Payment Scheme has been made, the application to the Young Farmers Scheme will be finalised with a view to payment issuing as soon as possible thereafter.
Agriculture Scheme Payments
Questions (247)
Paul Connaughton
Question:247. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the young farmers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3229/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted applications under the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. These applications have been finalised and payment issued on 26 January 2016.
Fishing Industry
Questions (248)
Jim Daly
Question:248. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he is taking to alleviate the shortage of available crew in the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3235/16]
View answerWritten answers
The report of the Government’s inter-departmental Task Force on Non-EEA Workers in the Irish Fishing Industry, which I chaired, recommended the establishment of a sector-specific Atypical Worker Permission system which will provide a structured and transparent framework for the employment of non-EEA workers within defined segments of the Irish commercial sea-fishing fleet.
The Atypical Working Scheme is administered by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of the Department of Justice and Equality. It is planned that the new arrangements for non-EEA workers in the Irish fishing industry will be operational very shortly.
The Task Force recognises the importance of employment in the fishing industry to Ireland’s coastal communities. Therefore, in recommending that the number of Atypical Worker Permissions under the new Scheme, which applies to non officers, be capped at 500, the Task Force was cognisant that any mechanism designed to assist with the employment of non-EEA workers should not impact unduly on the employment of local populations in coastal communities. The Task Force based the cap on employment data from the Marine Survey Office and BIM and took account of the longstanding sea-fishing boat licence condition that at least 50% of the crew on Irish fishing vessels are EU nationals.
BIM is the State agency responsible for developing the Irish seafood industry. This includes providing training for workers in the fishing industry and delivering on Government targets for the creation of sustainable jobs including the Action Plan for Jobs coordinated by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. BIM delivers a range of courses, such as safety skills and navigation and the training required to qualify as a skipper or second hand of a commercial fishing vessel, thus allowing crew members the opportunity to progress in their careers in the fishing industry. BIM also offers support to entry level individuals who are interested in a seagoing career.
Investment in human capital is vital to the future competitiveness, economic performance, and safety of the seafood sector. The introduction of a certification system to cover crew training and qualification on board fishing vessels is identified as one of the actions in Food Wise 2025, the strategy for the sustainable growth of the agri-food sector over the next decade.
Furthermore, the Seafood Development Programme also provides for funding to support training and employment as provided for in the ‘Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth’ strategy, which sets out a roadmap for the Government’s vision, high-level goals and integrated actions across policy, governance and business to enable Ireland’s marine potential to be realised.
Agriculture Scheme Payments
Questions (249)
Dara Calleary
Question:249. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive a payment under the area aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3238/16]
View answerWritten answers
The person named submitted a 2015 Transfer or Entitlements Allocation Right and Reference Value application to my Department seeking the transfer of allocation rights and values by inheritance. My Department has written to the applicants regarding documents required to further process the application. Once the required documents are received the application can be processed to facilitate payment under the Basic Payment Scheme.