Written Answers No. 268 - 282
268. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding planning permission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17736/16]
View answerSheep fencing investments in TAMS II in general does not require planning permission. However, if the proposed sheep fencing (whether new or replacement) is in a Special Area of Conservation, a National Heritage Area, a Special Protection Area or a Natura 2000 habitat, any upland or seaside area that has not been previously fenced or enclosed, then planning permission or a declaration of exemption from the relevant local authority is required at time of application for sheep fencing measures under TAMS II.
269. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of rules on replanting forestry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17744/16]
View answerRules regarding replanting and setbacks in general are set out in the Department’s suite of environmental guidelines as well as in the Code of Best Forest Practice. These documents can be found online at the following addresses;
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/environmentalinformation/-
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/publications/codeofbestforestpractice/
Under the Forestry Act 1946 licences are issued for the felling and replanting of lands. The environmental guidelines and Code of Best Forest Practice set out the standards which demonstrate that the criteria for sustainable forest management have been achieved. Each site is assessed on a case by case basis taking into account the sensitivities of the site and proposed replanting. The felling licence that issues is in accordance with these particular guide lines and may refer to specific prescriptions such as set back distances, fencing and species selection. Obligations around replanting must therefore be in accordance with general practice of good forestry. Officials from my Department will be happy to discuss this further with the Deputy if that is helpful.
270. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average annual payment farmers were able to draw down under the rural environment protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17751/16]
View answerAverage annual payments under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS4) from 2008 to 2015 are set out in the following table.
|
SCHEME YEAR |
AVERAGE PAYMENT |
|
2008 |
€ 4,301.27 |
|
2009 |
€ 4,691.72 |
|
2010 |
€ 6,016.15 |
|
2011 |
€ 6,162.39 |
|
2012 |
€ 5,716.85 |
|
2013 |
€ 5,660.29 |
|
2014 |
€ 5,509.94 |
|
2015 |
€2 ,817.51 |
271. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on providing grant aid for anaerobic digestion on farms; the grant aid currently available for bioenergy production for farmers under Common Agricultural Policy funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17752/16]
View answerIreland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will deliver funding of some €4 billion to the agricultural sector and rural areas generally over the lifetime of the Programme. The Programme’s content and design was formulated in light of previous experience and performance and reflects the outcome of extensive stakeholder consultation and does not include support for anaerobic digesters or bio-energy production on farms. Both anaerobic digestion and bio-energy production were previously funded under the RDP and nationally but uptake was unsatisfactory and interest in the schemes generally poor.
Under the Rural Development Programme 2000-2006 a Pilot Waste Processing Facilities Scheme made funding available for the installation of anaerobic digesters on 10 Irish farms. Of the 10 applicants who were approved under the scheme, two applications were finalised and drew down the grant available and a further two cases have been given an extension to the end of 2016 to complete the work.
The Bio-Energy Scheme commenced in 2007 on a nationally funded pilot basis and continued to be nationally funded until 2010. The scheme was co-funded under the RDP 2007-2013 for the years from 2011 to 2014. The Bioenergy Scheme 2015 provided once off capital grants up to 40% subject to a maximum of €1,040 per hectare to facilitate the establishment of willow for use in renewable energy production. Previous schemes had covered both willow and miscanthus. Grant aid was payable in respect of ground preparation, seed purchase and planting costs. Uptake on the Scheme was poor and attracted only four applications. The 2015 Scheme was nationally funded. The continuation of the scheme of support for the growing of bio-energy crops is currently under review.
On the broader issue of support for renewable energy, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources leads in terms of Ireland’s renewable energy policy and oversees the Renewable Electricity Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes. These Schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. The schemes operate by guaranteeing a minimum price for renewable energy generation over a 15 year period. The technologies supported include onshore wind energy, hydroelectricity, landfill gas, waste-to-energy and biomass technologies, including anaerobic digestion. Electricity and heat produced from anaerobic digestion (AD) are supported under the REFIT 3 scheme.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is currently examining the design and cost of introducing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) to encourage the development of Ireland’s abundant and indigenous renewable energy resources. This scheme will examine the economic viability of supporting a range of new renewable energy technologies in Ireland - including Anaerobic Digestion - and will help to further reduce energy-related emissions.
272. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of applications received to date under tranches 1, 2 and 3 of the TAMS II schemes, in tabular form; the number of applications that have received part approvals thus far; the number of applications that have received full approvals thus far; the number of applicants that have received payments to date; the number of payments that have not issued yet; when outstanding payments will be issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17753/16]
View answerThe details that are available in relation to the TAMS II Scheme as requested by the Deputy are as follows. Please note that Tranche 3 will be closing on 24 June. Not all applications received have passed the eligibility conditions. As applications are processed outstanding issues are queried with the applicants. Approvals continue to be processed as speedily as possible.
The Claims processing facility will be available next month.
|
Applications Received Tranches 1,2 and 3 (to date) |
Applications given Full approval |
Applications given Part Approval |
|
5,975 |
1,468 |
1,107 |
273. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the allocation under the rural development programme in the years 2014 - 2020; the expenditure incurred in the years 2014 and 2015; the allocation for 2016 for a number of categories (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17754/16]
View answer274. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a breakdown between total expenditure incurred in the years 2014 and 2015, in tabular form; the annual amount of funds originally allocated to a number of schemes (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17755/16]
View answer275. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a breakdown in the 2016 Estimates for the allocation of funds, in tabular form, under a number of schemes and programmes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17756/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 273 to 275, inclusive, together.
The Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 is co-funded by the EUs Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the national exchequer. EU support for the RDP via the EAFRD amounts to an aggregate sum of €2.19 billion over the 7-year programme lifespan. This EU funding will be supplemented by exchequer funding bringing the total allocation to some €4 billion. My Department is currently compiling the detailed breakdown of the allocation and of expenditure as requested by the Deputy and will forward this information directly to him.
276. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make an allocation for 2016 and 2017 for young farmers under the national reserve scheme; when he will announce the conditions for such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17757/16]
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 shortly there will be some 6,000 successful applicants under the 2015 National Reserve. As all of the National Reserve funding has been utilised, there is no funding available to cover the operation of a 2016 National Reserve.
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.
The operation of a National Reserve for 2016 would require the re-opening of the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme for applications as, under EU Regulation, applicants to the National Reserve must also submit a valid Basic Payment Scheme application for the year in which they submit the National Reserve application. As the closing date for Basic Payment Scheme applications has now passed, farmers have finalised arrangements regarding the declaration of land for the 2016 scheme year which would have implications for potential National Reserve applicants. The re-opening of Basic Payment Scheme applications at this stage would likely delay the processing of such applications for 2016, with the consequent potential for delay in payments. Furthermore at this stage many young farmers may have entered arrangements to lease in entitlements in 2016 in order to avail of the Greening payment and Young Farmers’ Scheme payment.
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 2 consecutive years are surrendered to the National Reserve. While I am very supportive of the provision of a National Reserve, decisions in relation to the Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding arising from unused entitlements and ‘clawback’ has been established.
277. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment for a person (details supplied) under the green low carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17776/16]
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.
278. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that a herd number is issued to a person (details supplied) without further delay in order to allow their farming activities to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17784/16]
View answerThe application for a herd number from the person concerned, which was received from the person named on 20th April 2016, is being processed. Processing of the application has been delayed, in part due to the high volume of applications received at this time every year arising from the closing date for the Basic Payment Scheme. The Inspecting Officer attempted to make contact with the applicant on 20th of June to arrange an inspection but was informed that the applicant was away on holidays and would not be available for another week. The Inspecting Officer will endeavour to make an appointment with the applicant on her return, for an inspection at a later date.
279. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 2 June 2016, if funding has been allocated to the Irish Pig Society to provide compensation to smaller scale pig producers, following on from the pigmeat compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17786/16]
View answerThese payments are the final tranche under the package agreed at EU level in September of last year, which allocated €0.5m for the pig sector for Ireland. The Government subsequently matched this funding to provide an overall aid package of €1 m.
As previously stated my Department is considering the allocation of some funding under this package to the Irish Pig Society to further their work in representing smaller scale producers.
My Department is currently engaging with them and finalising details for possible payment before the date specified by the Commission of 30 June 2016.
280. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an existing 40% TAMS II application will be transferred to a 60% application, without having to make a new application, and lose another three months in a case (details supplied) [17831/16]
View answerThe applicants in question have already been approved on the 16th June 2016 for rewiring, yard lights, head scoop, mobile cattle crush and a calving gate under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS II. They have made a separate application under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme for animal housing, a tank and a circulation pipe which if approved will be payable at the 40% grant rate.
If they wish to change to a 60% grant rate they will have to make a separate application under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme. The current tranches close on Friday the 24th of June 2016.
281. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 983 of 17 May 2016, when an application will be processed (details supplied) under the TAMS II; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17861/16]
View answerThe application in this case is currently being processed by the local office and it is anticipated that, subject to the final checks being passed, approval will issue within the next two weeks.
282. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a herd number for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17868/16]
View answerAn application to register the herd number in the individual’s name was received in the Regional Veterinary Office on 24 May 2016. However, as the application was incomplete it was returned to the applicant on 1 June 2016.
To date the completed application has not been returned to my Department for processing.
