Written Answers Nos. 43-48
43. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment for 2016 to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; if he will issue it in stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8713/16]
View answerThe person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015. GLAS applicants with a start date of 1 October 2015 are eligible for a 2015 part-year payment in respect of 2015 eligible actions, for the three month period 1 October 2015-31 December 2015.
The first instalment of the payment issued to the person named on 23 December 2015. The balancing payment will issue after all required regulatory checks are fully completed. Payments for the 2016 scheme year will commence in the final quarter of the year and will issue in line with governing Regulations in two payment tranches, a 75% payment and a 25% payment.
44. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the low emissions slurry spreading equipment scheme, including when he will finalise it. [8715/16]
View answerThe applicant named has applied in the second tranche of the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme for a slurry tanker with trailing shoe. The application in this case has passed the initial administrative checks. All applications received are examined, validated and then have to be ranked and selected. Approvals will commence when this process is complete.
45. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will make a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) under the Scottish derogation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8718/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for allocation of entitlements under the ‘Scottish Derogation’ measure of the Basic Payment Scheme. Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment scheme, processing of applications involves administrative and on farm checks and verification of land details submitted. The checks are now complete and the application has now been finalised. A letter will issue to the applicant in the coming days to advise him the acceptance of his application and payment will follow shortly.
46. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue the appropriate forms to a person (details supplied) to allow the progression of a grant under the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8724/16]
View answerThe applicant named applied under the Dairy Equipment Scheme of TAMS II for an in-parlour meal feeding system and milk storage and cooling equipment in the first tranche. Part approval issued on 18 December. The outstanding full approval will issue in a matter of weeks. It is envisaged that the payment system will be in place in June to enable the claim for payment to be submitted and processed.
47. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider providing access to young trained farmers every 12 months under the national reserve funding scheme. [8725/16]
View answerIn 2015 the National Reserve fund was based on a 3% cut to the Basic Payment Scheme financial ceiling and provided some €24 million in funding which was the maximum financing rate available under the relevant EU Regulations. When finalised there will be some 6,000 successful applicants under the 2015 National Reserve. Due to the high level of successful applicants under the scheme in 2015, all of the available National Reserve Funding will likely have been utilised.
For 2016 the only source of funding available to the National Reserve will be from ‘clawback’ on the sale of entitlements without land and indications are that the level of funds that will arise from ‘clawback’ during the 2016 Scheme Year will be minimal. The Regulations also provide that Member States may apply a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements in order to provide funding for the National Reserve.
From 2017 onwards the National Reserve will be replenished from unused entitlements, as EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that entitlements that are unused for two consecutive years are surrendered to the National Reserve.
My Department has recently been in consultation with the Direct Payments Advisory Committee, which includes members of the main farming bodies and advisory services, in relation to the 2016 National Reserve. No final decision has been made at this time.
48. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8734/16]
View answerThe applicant named applied in the first tranche of the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme for a mass concrete tank. The application has passed the administrative checks and will be examined by the local office shortly with a view to issuing approval.
