Written Answers Nos. 680-694
680. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the online claims system for the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme will be activated so that farmers with approvals can claim payment for works completed. [20821/16]
View answerIt is expected that the computer facilities to enable applicants to make claims for payment online will be available in the coming weeks.
681. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the status of an appeal under the 2015 national reserve scheme by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20825/16]
View answerThe person named submitted applications under the ‘young farmer’ category of the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers ’ Scheme. The applications were not successful as the person named was deemed to have commenced farming outside of the eligibility period for ‘young farmers’. The person named was notified of this decision and was offered the opportunity to submit an appeal.
My Department received an appeal from the person named in relation to the National Reserve and Young Farmers’ Scheme applications. This appeal was successful and the person named has been notified of this decision in writing. The applications will now be processed on the basis of the information provided and payment will issue shortly.
682. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20857/16]
View answerOfficials from the Inheritance Enquiry Unit of my Department have written to the legal personal representatives of the deceased applicant requesting the usual testamentary documents and bank account details to which the payments should be released. We await further instruction on the matter and when all outstanding documentation is received the outstanding payments can issue to the estate of the deceased applicant.
Any Payments arising from the 2015 scheme year are due to the Estate of the deceased applicant and not to the person named.
Payments under the 2016 Basic Payment scheme year will commence for all eligible applicants to the on 16th October 2016.
683. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the unacceptable delay in the processing of targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2 capital investment applications and approvals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20883/16]
View answerA suite of six new measures were announced under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II). The scheme was opened as early as possible to allow applications to be submitted as soon as the supporting computer system to facilitate applications was available. The number of applications received under the scheme was significant, with over 2,900 applications in the first tranche, over 2,200 in the second tranche and 2,000 in the third tranche.
As urgent approvals were requested in some cases, 1,100 part approvals in respect of dairy and low emission slurry spreading equipment issued. Full approvals have issued in over 2,400 cases to date and approvals continue to issue on an ongoing basis. In respect of payments it is expected that the payment claim facility will be available in the coming weeks.
684. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will provide grant approval for a farm shed under targeted agricultural modernisation scheme 2 to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20886/16]
View answerThe person concerned is an applicant under the TAMS II Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme. The application is currently being processed. Once it has been determined that all the terms and conditions of the Scheme have been complied with, a letter of approval to carry out the works will issue.
685. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 941 of 25 January 2006 and Parliamentary Question No. 109 of 6 December 2012 if a scheme for the allotment of turbary rights proceeded; and, if so, the reason the owner of the bog was not contacted (details supplied). [20889/16]
View answerThe scheme prepared to deal with the possible disposal of the turbary rights still on hand for the bog in question has not been operated. However, the matter is still under consideration having regard to the legal complexities in this particular case. The individuals named will be contacted if the scheme is proceeding.
686. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether, in the context of the Government guidelines pertaining to the employment of chief executives of commercial State bodies, steps are being taken to advertise, by way of open competition, the important position of chief executive of Horseracing Ireland, as the current holder of the position has already served 14 years as chief executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20892/16]
View answerThe office of the present Chief Executive Officer of Horse Racing Ireland is due to expire in September 2016. The filling of this important post after that date is currently under consideration.
687. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his plans to review the operation of the inspection system and agricultural appeals office in the context of a recent case (details supplied) which found the inspection system employed was procedurally flawed; the number of such decisions and appeals that will be affected by this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20893/16]
View answerThe legal case to which the Deputy refers has not yet reached its conclusion, and as the matter progresses I will be obtaining legal advice as appropriate. Accordingly, issues such as those raised by the Deputy can only be addressed following the completion of the legal process.
688. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the status of the work of the European agricultural fund for rural development, the rural development programme and the European maritime and fisheries fund's seafood development operational programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21019/16]
View answerIreland’s 2014-202 Rural Development Programme (RDP) was formally adopted by the European Commission on 26th May 2015 and contains a suite of extensive measures that address all farming sectors and support community led local development. The Programme is co-funded by the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the national exchequer. EU support for the RDP via the EAFRD will amount to €2.19 billion over the 7-year Programme lifespan and this EU funding will be supplemented by exchequer funding to bring the total support available under the RDP to €3.9 billion. The various measures being rolled out under the RDP include:
- Knowledge transfer discussion groups for beef, sheep, dairy, equine, poultry and tillage sectors;
- Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for Agricultural Advisors;
- The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS II);
- GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings scheme;
- The Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS);
- The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP);
- Locally led schemes such as the Burren Conservation scheme;
- The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS);
- The Area of Natural Constraints (ANC) measure;
- European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs);
- A Collaborative Farming measure; and
- LEADER.
Following its adoption in December 2015 by the European Commission, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme was launched in January 2016. The Programme provides €240 million in development funding to our seafood sector for the period up to 2020. The Programme is co-funded with €147.6 million from the EU and €93 million from the Exchequer.
So far under the Programme, 14 schemes have been initiated to provide support for sustainable fishing, sustainable aquaculture, seafood processing, Fisheries Local Action Groups, seafood promotion, Producer Organisations, marine biodiversity protection, data collection, control and enforcement and blue growth. Further schemes will follow and will aim to support fleet decommissioning, energy efficiency and human capital. I have provided a greatly enhanced budget of €23 million to Bord Iascaigh Mhara in 2016 to implement the many schemes for which it is the implementing body.
689. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if and when he will provide a new grant for the tillage sector, especially for eco-tillage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21038/16]
View answerFormal approval from the EU Commission to an amendment to the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 to provide for the inclusion of a Tillage Scheme under the suite of measures provided under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme has been received. I expect that this scheme will be open to farmers before the end of the year.
690. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the provisions and regulations open to authorities to cull animals that pose a health and safety risk on public roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21050/16]
View answerMy Department’s involvement in a recent event in County Monaghan was limited to the provision of veterinary assistance and related matters on behalf of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy acting as an Officer of the Court.
I am advised that the actions in question, which were exceptional in nature, were undertaken under the overall control of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy acting as an Officer of the Court who has stated publicly that the decision to proceed in the way he did in relation to the cattle was made very reluctantly and was made in the interests of the public safety of the local community.
It should also be noted that the cattle were at the time in the ownership of the Official Assignee. Significant efforts had, I understand, been made to contain the animals, however these proved futile because of their feral nature. In the interests of public safety, the Official Assignee, in consultation with the Gardaí and the Department, considered that the most optimal course of action to be taken was that the animals be euthanised. The protocol agreed between my Department and the Department of Defence was invoked and the animals were subsequently killed humanely by skilled army personnel in line with the agreed protocol.
I am advised that there was no realistic alternative action available to the Official Assignee in the circumstances taking account of the fact that the protection of public safety was the primary consideration at all times.
691. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will make a decision on an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry under the agri-environment options 2 scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21066/16]
View answerThe person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1 September 2011 and was paid for the 2011-2015 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 be completed before any Scheme year payment can issue. The application of the person named was selected for an on-farm inspection which took place on 8 November 2013. During this inspection non-compliances with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme were noted in relation to the Riparian Margins and the Coppicing Hedgerows actions which resulted in a penalty being incurred and a monetary amount was deducted from the 2013 Scheme year payment. The person named was given the option to request a review of the decision to apply a penalty by the Regional Inspector. There is no record of a review request being received in this case.
692. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will instruct Bord Bia to amend its procedures when completing quality assurance audits for beef and dairy farmers to include a sub-section for farmers who want to have organic status and for this audit to be the only requirement to have a certification under the EU organic regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21085/16]
View answerIn accordance with the governing EU Regulations, my Department as the Competent Authority delegates the inspection and certification of organic operators to Organic Control Bodies (OCBs). An organic farmer must be registered with and licensed by an Organic Control Body and is subject to an annual on-farm inspection by the OCB.
Organic producers may also be members of Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes, which include criteria that are not covered by the OCB inspection regime or the EU organic regulations and do not currently check specific organic matters.
The terms and conditions of Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes are matters for that body, having regard to the advice of technical advisory committees which include stakeholder representatives, and subject to the approval of the relevant accreditation body.
However, such schemes are not substitutes for regulatory requirements under EU Law.
693. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a headage grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry on the basis of force majeure. [21088/16]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints scheme was received from the person named on 25 March 2015. During processing of the application 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 and therefore was not eligible to receive payment. An official from my Department will be in contact with the person named to discuss the details of the case.
694. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 190 of 29 June 2016 to outline the evidence of an increase in risk levels associated with instructors providing chainsaw courses other than those who are qualified Coillte Teoranta instructors; the statistics and data supporting these claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21111/16]
View answerCoillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the assessment of risks associated with courses taking place on their land, are the responsibility of the company.
Coillte has, however, confirmed that one of the main reasons for Coillte’s decision not to facilitate requests from private training companies/instructors to provide chainsaw training on their estate is the uncertainty around the accreditation of those performing the training. They further advise that there is a significant inherent risk associated with having novice chainsaw users being trained by private instructors on their land. The increased insurance and health and safety risk also significantly reduces the commercial viability of this business case. The information supporting these assessed risks is an operational matter for Coillte.
