Written Answers Nos. 651-664
651. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20490/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 26 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 which is expected to issue shortly.
652. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) under the areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20491/16]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May 2015. Following successful processing, payment issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 9 October 2015. This payment was subject to a recoupment of outstanding debts arising from an over-claim of area under the 2014 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and ANC scheme. The area claimed under ANC and BPS 2014 has since been reviewed, resulting in partial repayment of monies recouped from the 2015 ANC payment. These payments issued directly to the person named in late May and late June 2016.
653. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) whose single farm payment was reduced in 2013 is entitled to be reimbursed for moneys not paid in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20507/16]
View answerThe application of the person named has been subject to a number of reviews and appeals. On foot of this process, officials in my Department are currently re-examining the application with a view to finalisation. In the event that any monies are due as a result of this re-examination, arrangements will be put in place to process payment to the person named as soon as possible.
654. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on a review of a decision on a green low-carbon agri-environment scheme by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20522/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for Tranche 1 of the GLAS Scheme. Following the Department’s pre-approval validation checks the application was unsuccessful and therefore was not selected for admission to the scheme. I understand that there may be an issue with the original assessment of this application and my Department is currently reviewing the application. Once this review has been completed, the person named will be notified of the outcome.
655. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the earliest date that the areas of natural constraint islands payment can be made; if he can arrange for grant aid to be paid earlier to help island farmers who face unique challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20523/16]
View answerPayments under the 2016 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and Areas of Specific Constraints (Island) can only commence once the rigorous set of checks and controls required by EU regulation are completed. Payments for the 2016 scheme are scheduled to begin issuing in the third week of September and are among the earliest in the European Union. This is also in line the timelines agreed in the Farmers’ Charter. Payments under the ANC Scheme must also adhere to EU Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013. This regulation sets out that from 2018 payments under Rural Development Programme schemes such as the ANC Scheme can only commence after 16 October.
656. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a 2015 basic payment scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry. [20524/16]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 12 May 2015. Full payment due to date under the Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in early June 2016.
657. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a GLAS balancing payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20525/16]
View answerThe person named has been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015 and has received the first instalment of his 2015 part year payment on the 23 December 2015. The balancing payment will issue at the earliest opportunity, after all required regulatory checks on all applications are fully completed.
658. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of pre-financing by programme his Department has applied for with regard to the current phase of EU funding programmes; the amount that is likely to be reimbursed to the European Commission; the reasons this money will be reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20572/16]
View answerIn relation to European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme the Article 134 of the Common Provisions Regulation (1303/2013) provides for payment by the European Commission of certain pre-financing amounts. No application is required of Member States. The re-financing is paid automatically by the Commission on an annual basis once a Programme is adopted. Article 134 provides for initial pre-financing in 2014, 2015 and 2016 of 1% of the total EU funding for a Programme but that amount was increased to 1.5% in 2014 and/or 2015 where a Member State was receiving EU financial assistance. As Ireland’s programme of assistance ended in 2014, Ireland was eligible to receive 1.5% in 2014 and 1% for 2015 and 2016.
Similar provisions in relation to the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 are laid down in Article 35 of Regulation 1306/2013 on the Financing, Management and Monitoring of the CAP.
The full programme period planned EU contribution to these programmes and the pre-financing received to date is shown in the table.
|
Programme |
Full programme period planned EU contribution |
Pre financing received 2014-2016 (1.5% + 1% +1%) |
|
Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 |
€2,190,592,153 |
€76,670,725 |
|
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme |
€147,600,000 |
€7,631,022 |
|
Total |
€2,338,192,153 |
€84,301,747 |
The respective amounts would fall to be reimbursed to the Commission only in circumstances where insufficient expenditure was incurred over the course of the Programme to support a valid claim for that amount. Actual expenditure under the Programmes in 2014 and 2015 already exceeds these amounts so it is not envisaged that any of the pre-financing will be reimbursed to the Commission.
659. 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20588/16]
View answerThe person concerned is an applicant under the TAMS II Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme. A letter of approval to carry out the investment works under the Scheme issued on 21 June 2016.
660. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of payments to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20589/16]
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 eligible for 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.
661. 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 basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20590/16]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for the Basic Payment Scheme which was received in my Department on 25 May 2015. During processing of this application, over-claims were identified in respect of two land parcels declared. The person named was notified of these over-claims on 16 December 2015. The application was subsequently fully processed and payment issued with penalties applied to the nominated bank account in December 2015. An appeal has been examined in which the applicant did not accept the Reference/Maximum Eligible Area on one particular land parcel. This appeal has been upheld. The application will now be further processed and any outstanding payment will issue shortly.
662. 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 basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20591/16]
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%. The person named was notified of the inspection decision on 16 November 2015.
The person named sought a review of this decision. As part of the review process a further inspection was undertaken and this inspection increased the eligible area in respect of one parcel. This resulted in the payment due to the person named under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme being recalculated and outstanding monies due issued in May 2016. The remaining ineligible areas are currently being reviewed and a decision on the outcome will issue shortly.
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.
663. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment for 2015 under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20592/16]
View answerAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on 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 as the 2015 GLAS balancing payment which is expected to issue shortly.
664. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a payment to a person (details supplied) under the basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20593/16]
View answerAn application under the 20 15 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme/Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was received from the person named on 18 May 2015. The person named has been paid under the 2015 BPS. In relation to the ANC scheme, on processing it was identified that the holding of the person named did not meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. The person named unsuccessfully appealed this finding to my Department. He has subsequently appealed the decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office. This appeal is currently ongoing.
