Written Answers Nos. 812-826
812. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in view of the recent inclement spring weather, the date for the sowing of wild bird cover under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme can be extended; if so, if he will extend this date as due to the condition of the ground it has been unsuitable for ploughing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13367/16]
View answerThe completion date for the sowing of Wild Bird Cover in GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 has been extended from 31 May 2016 to 14 June 2016. My Department issued a text message to all approved GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 participants on the 26 May 2016 informing them of this extension.
813. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 157 of 26 April 2016, when a payment under the young farmers' national reserve scheme will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13375/16]
View answerThe person named submitted applications under the ‘young farmer’ category of the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. All administrative and land checks have now been completed. Payment under the National Reserve and Young Farmers’ Scheme is due to issue within the next week.
814. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the number of greyhounds sold to China, and in particular to Macau Canidrome, from Ireland in the years 2013 to 2015 and to date in 2016; the measures he will introduce to halt this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13377/16]
View answerWhile the export certification process of animals does not specify the breed of the animal, I can confirm that 2 greyhounds were exported to China in 2014 and a further nine were exported in 2016. The position is that, once appropriate animal health and welfare certification requirements are met, dogs, including greyhounds, may be exported internationally. Exporters are also required to comply with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1 of 2005 on the protection of animals during transport.
Officials of my Department have recently met with Bord na gCon, the organisation which is responsible for the governance, regulation and development of the greyhound industry in Ireland, and with the welfare members of the International Greyhound Forum (represented by the ISPCA and the Dogs Trust) to consider the issues surrounding the export of greyhounds. Bord na gCon advises all owners involved in the export of greyhounds to only export to destinations that provide the expected levels of greyhound care and management as defined in the Code. I fully endorse this view.
815. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13388/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for the 2015 Sheep Technology Adoption Programme. Following confirmation of the completion of relevant tasks in the programme, payment issued in April 2016 to the nominated bank account of the person named.
The 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 entitled to a 2015 part-year payment in respect of 2015 eligible actions, covering the three month period 1 October 2015 - 31 December 2015. My Department received a request to withdraw a parcel approved for the Low Input Permanent Pasture action from the approved GLAS application and this has delayed the processing of the payment. In light of the changed situation the application must be re-assessed and payment will issue when this re-assessment is complete.
816. 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 basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13389/16]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme/Areas of Natural Constraint scheme application on 29 April 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Ground Eligibility inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Ground Eligibility inspection. This inspection resulted in findings of an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%. Payments due on this basis, under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme, issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 23 November 2015 and 1 December 2015.
The person named was notified of the inspection decision on 16 November 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.
817. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application under the single farm payment scheme by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13428/16]
View answerThe person named submitted applications to my Department under the ‘young farmer’ category of the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme. All administrative and land checks have now been completed. Payment under the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme is due to issue within the next week.
818. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has received an application for an appeal on a late receipt under the 2015 basic payment scheme by a person (details supplied); if consideration has been given to this appeal; if not, the reason for the delay in making a decision on the appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13429/16]
View answerAn application under the 2015 basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 24 December 2015. As the application was received outside the permitted timeframes, it was deemed to have attracted a 100% late penalty. Following submission of an appeal, the late penalty was waived in this case and payment has issued to the nominated bank account of the person named.
819. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a farm payment by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13430/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 16 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment is due to issue.
820. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a 2015 beef genomics scheme payment. [13442/16]
View answerAn application to participate in Beef Data and Genomics Programme was received from the person named on 19 May 2015. Payment is made to applicants in respect of 2015 following completion of the administrative checks that verify compliance with both genotyping and data notifications. Final processing of this application has now been completed and payment will issue shortly.
821. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under the agri-environment options scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13462/16]
View answerThe person named commenced their AEOS contract on 1 September 2010. Payment issued in respect of 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 all AEOS 1 participants will be receiving their final payments under the scheme, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. Officials are working through these files and payment will be made as soon as possible.
822. Deputy Hildegarde Naughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has not received payment under the GLAS 2015 scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13471/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 11 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment is due to issue.
823. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will be facilitated with a copy of a report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13487/16]
View answerThe person named commenced their AEOS contract on 1 May 2013.
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 be completed before any payment can issue. The application of the person named was also selected for an on-farm inspection which took place on the 23 October 2014. During this inspection non-compliances with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme were noted in relation to the Coppicing Hedgerows and Species Rich Grassland actions which resulted in penalties being incurred. The person named appealed this decision to the Regional Inspector and was partially successful with regard to the Coppicing Hedgerow action. Penalties relating to the Species Rich Grassland action remained.
The officials involved will contact the person named directly regarding the release of a copy of the inspection report.
824. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue under tranche 1 of the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13513/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 13 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment is due to issue.
825. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a person (details supplied) had a reduction in payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13514/16]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was received from the person named on 20 April 2015. Advance and balancing payments issued on 19 October and 1 December respectively. However, no payment under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme issued in 2015 as the person named did not apply for the scheme.
The 2015 value of entitlements is based on a fixed percentage of the total value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 plus the value of any payment received under the Grassland Sheep Scheme in that year. The person named had an entitlement value of €4,662.12 in 2014.
Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme all entitlements are subject to the process of internal convergence whereby the value of entitlements for some farmers will increase over the period 2015 -2019 while for others the value will decrease so that all farmers will reach at least 60% of the average unit value of entitlements by 2019. The national average unit value of entitlements in 2019 is €184.34. As the unit value of entitlements for the person named is €193.41 and is above the national average value of entitlements he is subject to a slight decrease in the value of his entitlements under the internal convergence process.
In 2015 the person named has established 15.86 entitlements giving a total payment including greening of €4,402.27. To date 97% payment has issued to the person and the 3% balancing payment will issue in June 2016.
826. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Riversdale Avenue, Dublin 6, is an urban area for the purposes of section 19 of the Forestry Act 2014; and, if under this Act, a person would need a felling licence in this area. [13633/16]
View answerThe Forestry Act 2014 has not yet been commenced and therefore the provisions of the Forestry Act 1946 still apply. Under section 37(4) (d) of the 1946 Act a person does not require a felling licence to fell trees which are standing within one hundred feet of any building other than a wall or temporary structure.
