Written Answers Nos. 224-234
224. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the properties his Department and agencies under its remit leased; the number they leased on upward-only rents and the number of the lessors who were involved with the National Asset Management Agency or with any of the State banks; and the details of each lease. [16602/16]
View answerThe only lease currently held by my Department is Block D, Irish Life Mall, Dublin 1. These premises are currently occupied by the Lottery Regulator. The Lottery Regulator has agreed with the Department to take over the time remaining on the lease.
Details for other bodies under the aegis of the Department are operational matters for the bodies concerned and the Deputy should contact the relevant Director/CEO/Registrar directly.
225. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if and when a medical card will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16634/16]
View answerThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has recently issued to Oireachtas members. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, please contact my Private Office who will follow up the matter with them.
226. 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. [16382/16]
View answerThe applicant applied for Low Emission Slurry Spreading equipment in Tranche 1 of TAMS II. The payments system is being finalised and it is expected the facility to enable claims to be made will be available next month.
227. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the area aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16394/16]
View answerThe 2013 Single Payment Scheme application of the person named was subject to a Ground Eligibility inspection. This inspection identified an over-declaration in area greater than 50% resulting in no payment being due in respect of 2013. This decision was reviewed and upheld by the District Inspector. An initial appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office was partially successful, however this decision was subsequently over-turned by the Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office. My Department understands that the person named has submitted their case to the Office of the Ombudsman for review. I understand that correspondence, including legal submissions, was received by the Agriculture Appeals Office on 10 June 2016 from the Office of the Ombudsman, which now requires examination by the Agriculture Appeals Office to allow the Office of the Ombudsman deal with the complaint. In the event that this review results in a change to the area to be deemed eligible for payment in 2013 my Department will process same as soon as possible and the Basic Payment Scheme entitlement position for the person named will also be adjusted accordingly.
228. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the continued licensing of glyphosate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16419/16]
View answer235. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking with other European Union member states, regarding the re-authorisation of glyphosate before the 1 July 2016 deadline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16562/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 235 together.
Glyphosate is a non-selective systemic herbicide that is applied directly to plant foliage. It was first commercialised in the mid 1970’s and is registered worldwide. Its uses incorporate agriculture, forestry, industrial, home and garden, and semi aquatic areas.
A decision on renewal of the approval of glyphosate for use in plant protection products placed on the market in the EU is due to be made by 30 June 2016. The issue has been discussed by Member State representatives at meetings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed held on 7-8 March 2016 and 18-19 May 2016. A vote has not been taken yet on the EU Commission proposal for renewal of approval.
The Commission’s draft proposal is based on a very extensive evaluation performed by Germany and peer reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Member State experts. The EU peer review process was comprehensive and rigorous and was specially extended to allow for detailed consideration of the report produced in 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation. Following the extended peer review, EFSA concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans. This conclusion was supported by 27 out of 28 Member State toxicology experts, and is in line with the conclusions of other regulatory agencies around the world, including those in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States.
My Department considers that the EU peer review process for glyphosate has clearly identified safe uses and that the regulatory proposal presented contained appropriate measures for implementation by Member States to address concerns that have been raised.
It should be noted that the legal basis for the appropriate chemical hazard classification of glyphosate in Europe, including its carcinogenic potential, will be provided by an assessment overseen by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which is due to begin later in 2016 and run for 18 months.
Ireland has supported Commission proposals for renewal of approval for Glyphosate.
229. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1036 of 17 May 2016, when he will issue a decision and notify a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16490/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes which was received in the Department on 19 May 2015. Payments issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in both schemes in December 2015 and April 2016 respectively.
My Department has received further documentation regarding an amendment form having been submitted by the person named. This documentation and the circumstances surrounding its submission are under review by my Department; a decision will be made shortly on the matter.
An Official from my Department will contact the person directly to clarify the position.
230. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a person (details supplied) who did not qualify for tier 2 under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16492/16]
View answerAn application for Tranche 2 of the GLAS Scheme for the person named was received on the dedicated GLAS online system on the 8 December 2015.
The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for GLAS 2, priority is being given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods.
Farmers had been urged to present the highest standard environmental plans under GLAS 2, and to adopt actions that would promote them from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. Over 80% of applicants in this second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available were approved.
As the application by the person named was ranked as a Tier 3 application it was not selected into the scheme.
A third tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) will open later this year and the person named and any applicant who was unsuccessful in the second tranche will have the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan, in consultation with their advisor, and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3. I would therefore urge all applicants to the third tranche to consider including actions which would promote their plans to higher tiers.
231. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a herd size for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16516/16]
View answerThe person named applied for participation under the Beef Data and Genomics Programme on 28 May 2015. An approval letter issued to the person named on 21 August allocating a reference number of 11 animals and representing a Maximum Payable Area (MEA) of 7.33 hectares.
If the person named wishes to appeal the basis of calculation of the MEA he should do so in writing, including any relevant supporting documentary evidence, to the Beef Schemes Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portloaise. Upon receipt of an appeal officials in my Department will review the case further.
232. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to support sheep farmers, including the rates of support he is considering and if these are open to increase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16527/16]
View answerThe Government is very conscious of the importance of the sheep sector to the rural economy and my Department already provides a number of supports to sheep farmers under both Pillar I and Pillar II of the Common Agricultural Policy. My Department recently secured support for sheep fencing under TAMS II which will, together with the other eligible investments under TAMS, provide a significant support to investments by sheep farmers in their farm infrastructure.
In relation to the proposed sheep scheme consultations are ongoing between officials from my Department and relevant stakeholders.
My Department will shortly make a submission to the European Commission as part of the mid-year Rural Development Programme amendment for 2016 which will include the proposed sheep scheme.
Work is ongoing on the specific details of the scheme. I am however in a position to confirm that it is my intention that the full €25 million committed in the programme for government will be made available for applicants to the scheme.
233. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to extend the pier at Killybegs Harbour in County Donegal, including if he has formally approved it, if he has allocated the required funding, its cost and the start and completion dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16551/16]
View answerKillybegs Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute.
My Department is currently progressing a project for a proposed pier extension at Smooth Point on the new pier at Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre. At this point the project is focused on the feasibility, scoping, costing and the consent preparation stages of the project. Until these stages are suitably advanced it will not be possible to make any definitive decision on whether or not this project will proceed. A sum of €2.5 million has been provisionally allocated for this purpose as part of the Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme 2016.
Killybegs has been attracting increasing levels of fishing, commercial cargo and cruise liner activity and a need has been identified, supported by key stakeholders for additional berthage. The proposed project would provide an additional 120m of sheltered berthage to a depth of -0.9m Chart datum in Killybegs FHC. In addition to facilitating the increased activity it would also enable relocating larger fishing vessels from the Blackrock Pier to the new berthage area.
The project would include the dredging of a quantity of silt, gravel and rock. In 2016 the first phase of the project includes a comprehensive site investigation and detailed design which when completed will give an estimation of final project costs, of course this will only be ultimately determined by market forces following a competitive tender process. No final decision to move the project to works phase has been made at this time.
As the Deputy is aware, all developments in the six Fishery Harbour Centres including this one are subject to available exchequer funding and competing priorities and a final decision to go to works will be made in that context.
A chemical re-evaluation of the sediments was carried out in 2015 and early 2016, as part of the current development proposal. Results currently indicate that at least 85% is suitable for disposal at sea, subject to EPA approval.
My Department intends to submit a Dumping At Sea Application to the Environmental Protection Agency as part of this project in the coming months. Any material that is determined to exceed the environmental standards set for sea disposal will not be dumped at sea. Other options are being considered should this arise, including disposal on land or other remediation measures. The issue of disposal of quantities of contaminated dredge spoil is a matter which is regularly encountered in marine dredging works. A variety of appropriate solutions exist to address such situations.
234. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16555/16]
View answerThe person named submitted two Private Contract Clause applications to my Department seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by purchase as transferee from two separate transferors. The applications to transfer entitlements were not successful as the transferors did not hold an allocation right on the lands that were the subject of the transfer applications. The person named was notified in writing of the outcome and offered the opportunity to submit a request in writing for a review of the decision.
The Agricultural Consultant acting on behalf of the person named subsequently submitted a request for a review of the decision. Following this review the original decision was upheld and the Agricultural Consultant was notified in writing of the outcome. He was also offered the opportunity to appeal this decision to the independent Agricultural Appeals Office. I have been informed that to date, there is no record of such an appeal having been received.
