Tuesday, 21 Mar 2017

Written Answers Nos. 1027-1050

GLAS Data

Questions (1027)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

1027. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons in receipt of GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 that have received 85% of their total 2016 payment, by county, in tabular form; the number of persons that have passed all payment approval checks and are awaiting their 2016 payment; the total number of GLAS recipients that have yet to receive payment, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12980/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The information requested by the deputy is set out in the table.

	GLAS 1	GLAS 1	GLAS 1	GLAS 1	GLAS 2	GLAS 2	GLAS 2	GLAS 2
County	Number of	Number sent	Number	Number of	Number of	Number	Number	Number of
	Applicants	For Payment	with PPV	Unpaid	Applicants	sent for	with PPV	Unpaid
			Pass	Cases		Payment	Pass	Cases
Carlow	279	245	0	34	128	115	0	13
Cavan	913	813	0	100	432	403	0	29
Clare	1,621	1,453	0	168	691	646	0	45
Cork	2,170	1,833	0	337	1,014	894	0	120
Donegal	1,955	1,661	0	294	1,012	859	0	153
Dublin	63	50	0	13	17	14	0	3
Galway	3,104	2,581	0	523	1,313	1,099	0	214
Kerry	1,780	1,554	0	226	877	768	0	109
Kildare	251	213	0	38	82	69	0	13
Kilkenny	434	374	0	60	212	183	0	29
Laois	372	315	0	57	197	179	0	18
Leitrim	1,026	912	0	114	420	383	0	37
Limerick	1,056	913	0	143	302	275	0	27
Longford	517	466	0	51	349	328	0	21
Louth	149	120	0	29	80	73	0	7
Mayo	2,569	2,163	0	406	1,333	1,100	0	233
Meath	428	363	0	65	204	175	0	29
Monaghan	579	517	0	62	146	131	0	15
Offaly	477	421	0	56	280	248	0	32
Roscommon	1,535	1,361	0	174	554	507	0	47
Sligo	949	858	0	91	369	340	0	29
Tipperary	1,145	972	0	173	514	437	0	77
Waterford	364	289	0	75	132	106	0	26
Westmeath	654	586	0	68	264	243	0	21
Wexford	776	636	0	140	270	236	0	34
Wicklow	332	278	0	54	155	126	0	29
Totals	25,498	21,947	0	3,551	11,347	9,937	0	1,410

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Data

Questions (1028)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

1028. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons that applied for AEOS that have received their total 2016 payment, by county, in tabular form; the number of persons that have passed all payment approval checks and are awaiting their 2016 payment; the total number of AEOS recipients that have yet to receive payment, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12981/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Under the EU Regulations governing the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.

As all AEOS II 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. This is the same procedure as applied to AEOS 1 participants finishing in that Scheme.

All cases are cleared for payment as outstanding issues are resolved and payment of these cases is made on a weekly basis.

County	Totals	Paid	Awaiting Payment
Carlow	49	41	8
Cavan	244	198	46
Clare	556	469	87
Cork	428	337	91
Donegal	1360	1133	227
Dublin	9	9	0
Galway	1245	1026	219
Kerry	568	467	101
Kildare	39	29	10
Kilkenny	109	80	29
Laois	80	55	25
Leitrim	430	366	64
Limerick	224	172	52
Longford	89	70	19
Louth	41	30	11
Mayo	1399	1155	244
Meath	83	68	15
Monaghan	151	108	43
Offaly	110	86	24
Roscommon	478	401	77
Sligo	335	285	50
Tipperary	245	173	72
Waterford	82	69	13
Westmeath	122	89	33
Wexford	84	51	33
Wicklow	80	63	17
Totals	8640	7030	1610

Greyhound Industry

Questions (1029)

Niall Collins

Question:

1029. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if the Irish Greyhound Stud Book is the property of the State; the annual revenue it generated from 2000 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12994/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Section 26(2) of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, states that the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the controlling authority for the breeding and coursing of greyhounds. The 'Irish Greyhound Studbook' is maintained by the Irish Coursing Club.

The matter referred to by the Deputy is an operational matter for the ICC.

Aquaculture Licence Appeals

Questions (1030)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

1030. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the organisation responsible for the nomination of each of the current members appointed to the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board, ALAB; the date on which they were nominated; the panel in which that organisation is included according to both section 23 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 and associated regulations; the date on which they were last appointed or reappointed by him to ALAB; if he will identify any panel in respect of which there is an outstanding appointment to ALAB; the date on which he requested nominations from each of the organisations in that panel; the associated organisations in that panel that have submitted nominations in respect of that panel and the date on which those nominations were received by him; if a decision has been made not to appoint those parties nominated; the reason no appointment has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13060/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to board members of the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board (ALAB) is set out in the table.

Name	Nominating Organisation	Date of Nomination	Class of Organisations prescribed under section 23 (3) is each board member a representative of	Date of Appointment
Mr Sean Murphy	IFA Aquaculture	16-11-2012	23(3)(a) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are concerned with the promotion of the development of aquaculture or are representative of persons carrying on the business of developing aquaculture;	01-01-2013
Vacant (Lorcán Ó Cinnéide resigned on 1-3-2016)			23(3)(b) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are concerned with the conservation, development and protection of wild fisheries
Mr Brendan Brice	Engineers Ireland	2-9-2015	23(3)(c) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are representative of persons whose professions or occupations relate to physical planning and development	17-6-2016
Prof. Owen McIntyre	The Minister re-appointed Prof. Owen McIntyre in accordance with Section 24(1) (b) of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997. Originally appointed following nomination by an Taisce in 2013	24-1-2013	23(3)(d) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are representative of persons concerned with the protection and preservation of the environment and amenities	17-6-2016
Mr Jim Power	Irish Business and Employers Confederation Limited	5-4-2016	23(3)(e) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are concerned with the promotion of general economic development	17-6-2016
Mr Michael Sweeney	Muintir na Tíre	10-5-2012	23(3)(f) organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are concerned with the promotion of community development	01-01-2013

Board Vacancy

At present, there is one vacancy on the board of ALAB which is in the category covered by section 23 (3) (b) of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997. Section 23 (3) (b) sets out organisations which, in the Minister's opinion, are concerned with the conservation, development and protection of wild fisheries. The vacancy arose due to a resignation of the Federation of Irish Fishermen representative. Statutory Instrument 621/2011 which sets out the prescribed bodies that may make nominations to the Minister in accordance with section 23 (3) (b) of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 specifies the following organisations: Angling Council of Ireland, Federation of Irish Fishermen and the Irish Fishermen's Organisation Ltd. I do not consider that this grouping of organisations adequately represent organisations which in my opinion are concerned with the conservation, development and protection of wild fisheries in so far as the Federation of Irish Fishermen is no longer active and the Irish Fishermen's Organisation Ltd is no longer an organisations that represents the fishing industry at national level. I plan to review, consult and amend Statutory Instrument 621/2011 to ensure that the bodies prescribed are representative of national organisations that are concerned with the conservation, development and protection of wild fisheries. As soon as the Statutory Instrument is amended, I will seek nominations from the relevant prescribed bodies with a view to an appointment being made at the earliest opportunity.

Agriculture Schemes

Questions (1031)

John Brassil

Question:

1031. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will increase the level of funding available for the cashflow support loan for farmers following reporting from banks due in mid-March, in view of the number of applications already submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13114/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The “Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme” was developed by my Department in co-operation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), making €150 million available to farmers at interest rates of 2.95%. One of my priorities has been to address the impact of the change in the sterling exchange rate and lower commodity prices in some agriculture sectors. This Scheme is significant in this regard, providing farmers with a low cost, flexible source of working capital, which will allow them to pay down more expensive forms of short-term debt, ensuring the ongoing financial sustainability of viable farming enterprises.

SBCI uses the €25 million of public funding provided by my Department to leverage the total amount of €150 million and, along with the European Investment Fund’s ‘COSME’ (the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs), is providing the guarantee required to underpin the loan’s flexibility and lower the cost of the loans. The Scheme is administered through AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank and they will report on progress to the SBCI on a regular basis, although no official returns have been made as yet. However all of the banks have confirmed that they have applications up to the amounts available under the Scheme. There may be some residual availability but this will only emerge as applications are processed and loans drawn down.

My Department’s contribution of €25 million includes €11 million from the EU’s ‘exceptional adjustment aid for milk and other livestock farmers’. It was this exceptional aid package which facilitated the Scheme from an EU State Aid perspective, and additional funding is not possible under this particular arrangement. Other sectors, such as tillage and horticulture, were facilitated by national funding under the ‘de minimis’ State Aid rules.

I am very pleased at the very positive reaction by farmers to the Scheme, which has proved that significant demand exists for low cost flexible finance. I hope that the commercial banks will respond positively to this demand by reducing interest rates and providing more flexible terms for cash flow loans in the future. I plan to meet with the Chief Executives of the banks shortly to discuss this and other issues relating access to finance in the agri-food sector.

GLAS Data

Questions (1032)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

1032. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons in counties Cavan and Monaghan who have received GLAS payments since the start of 2017, in tabular form; if they received GLAS 1 or GLAS 2 payments; the number of persons in both counties who were deemed ineligible; the number of persons who remain to be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13137/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The information requested on Cavan and Monaghan GLAS payments is set out in the table. To date no GLAS 1 or GLAS 2 application in Co. Monaghan has been rejected while for County Cavan no GLAS 1 application has been rejected but two GLAS 2 applications have been rejected.

Cavan and Monaghan GLAS payments:

County	GLAS 1 Number of Applicants	GLAS 1 Number sent for Payment	Of which sent for payment 2017	GLAS 1 Number of Unpaid Cases	GLAS 2 Number of Applicants	GLAS 2 Number sent for Payment	Of which sent for payment 2017	GLAS 2 Number of Unpaid Cases
Cavan	913	813	110	100	432	403	72	29
Monaghan	579	517	79	62	146	131	17	15

Coillte Teoranta

Questions (1033)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

1033. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of all Coillte-owned sites in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the previous occasion on which investment took place at these sites; the amount of investment in these sites since 2010, in tabular form; his plans to invest in these sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13140/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Coillte CGA was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management and development of their lands, are the responsibility of the company.

Coillte advise that the company owns 225 properties with over c. 10,000 hectares in the Cavan/Monaghan area. I understand there is both ongoing investment in relation to the management of these properties and also specific investment in relation to the development of forest recreational facilities, with all such investment being operational matters for the company.

Coillte has, however, advised that there has been almost €1.7 million spent between 2010 and 2017 on recreational development and maintenance works in Coillte owned sites in Monaghan and Cavan. The company advised that almost €0.8 million has been spent by their Forestry Division on general maintenance and specific developments and add that a further €0.9 million was invested by Cavan County Council in the Burren project specifically in developing an interpretative centre and associated works including car park and trails.

Coillte advise that the areas that accounted for the majority of the expenditure include:

- The Burren, as already outlined, which relates to the development of an interpretative centre and associated works including car park and trails;

- Killykeen Forest Park which relates to the installation of a new multi-access trail, new cycling trails and signage;

- Dún a Rí Forest Park which relates to trail upgrading, car-park repair and new signage, and

- Rossmore Forest Park which relates to general maintenance across the various facilities.

Coillte also advised that some €250,000 was invested in their telecoms business in the region prior to the sale of that business in 2015.

As regards ongoing investment, Coillte advise that the company has carried out improvements on the 225 forestry properties in the Cavan-Monaghan area since 2010, in relation to which Coillte will send the details directly to the Deputy when the data are compiled.

GLAS Applications

Questions (1034)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

1034. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will investigate a GLAS issue (details supplied) and make the required changes to the mistakenly inaccurate GLAS application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13192/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

A GLAS 3 application on behalf of the person named was submitted on the dedicated online application system. The person named was approved into the scheme for all actions included in his application with a commencement date of 1 January 2017.

It is not possible at this stage to change actions and this was clearly advised at the time of submission of the application.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Questions (1035)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1035. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an AEOS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13195/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named commenced their AEOS contract in 2010. The full payments due have been issued for the 2010 - 2014 scheme years. A first instalment of payments due for the final scheme year of 2015 was paid on 05 September 2016. Issues arose in relation to penalties to the balancing payment for 2016. This matter has now been resolved and the final amount due, less any penalty to be deducted, will be paid shortly.

GLAS Payments

Questions (1036)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

1036. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13199/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full entitlements in respect of the 2015 scheme year.

The 85% advance payment for 2016 has been paid to the person named. The balancing 15% payment for 2016 will be processed in due course according to the regulatory requirements.

Direct Payment Scheme

Questions (1037)

Martin Kenny

Question:

1037. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address matters (details supplied) with regard to the European Commission's figures on direct payments for 2015. [13202/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The report on Indicative figures referred to by the Deputy relates to the 2015 European Financial Year which covered the last year of the Single Payment Scheme (2014). The 2014 Scheme year was governed by the previous regulations which did not provide for a cap on payments and on that basis 64 applicants were in receipt of payments greater than €150,000.

The maximum amount payable to any one applicant since 16 October 2015 under the Basic Payment Scheme (excluding the Greening Payment) is capped at €150,000 per annum and applies from the first year of the scheme in 2015. Ireland actively supported the concept of this maximum level during the CAP negotiations. Under the new Direct Payments Regulations, it was open to Member States to reduce payments over €150,000 by between 5% and 100%. Ireland chose the highest possible reduction, thus effectively capping BPS payments at €150,000.

By opting for this approach, the direct payments system is made fairer and more equitable while at the same time ensuring that the level of redistribution of payments between farmers is not of a scale that could jeopardise the achievement of the Food Wise 2025 objectives.

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Questions (1038)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

1038. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of persons in county Tipperary who have not received 85% of the total 2016 payments for GLAS 1, GLAS 2 and AEOS; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13220/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Some 1,145 farmers in Tipperary are active in GLAS 1 of which 972 have been sent for 2016 payment with 174 remaining to be paid. For GLAS 2 514 are active in the scheme of which 437 have been sent for payment with 77 remaining to be paid.

For AEOS, 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 before payments can issue. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for AEOS 2 participants, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. These checks are on-going and payments are issued on a weekly basis as cases are cleared. 173 of 245 active scheme participants have been sent for payment with 72 remaining to be paid.

Animal Welfare Bodies

Questions (1039)

Noel Rock

Question:

1039. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Government will increase its funding to an organisation (details supplied) to assist the organisation in tackling animal cruelty and allow it to employ inspectors to monitor animal welfare across the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13245/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department has provided funding to organisations involved in protecting animal welfare since 1995 in order to enable these organisations provide a valuable service in the area of animal welfare. Applications for funding from animal welfare organisations are assessed by my Department and awards made on the basis of certain criteria, including the level and type of assistance provided by the organisation in the delivery of care and welfare services to animals and the level of funding raised by organisations from other sources to support welfare activities.

In December 2016 funding of €2,480,500 was provided to 137 animal welfare organisations throughout the country. The organisation in question was awarded funding of €290,000 and its affiliate organisations were awarded funding of €387,000 bringing total funding to €677,000. I am satisfied that this represents a reasonable and substantial level of support having regard to the current budgetary constraints together with the funding provided to the other animal welfare bodies throughout the country. My Department officials also provide considerable administrative support to the organisation in question to assist its Inspectors in carrying out their work in protecting animal welfare.

Funding allocations for 2017 will be considered in light of the overall availability of funding and the level of applications from other welfare organisations.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme

Questions (1040)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

1040. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding negotiations with the EU Commission on specific measures (details supplied); and when he expects these schemes to be rolled out. [13258/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Locally Led Agri-Environment schemes under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme include the Burren Programme, the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Locally Led Hen Harrier and Fresh Water Pearl Mussel projects and the EIP Locally Led Environmental and Climate Projects.

The Burren Programme was introduced as part of the 1st amendment to the RDP which was approved by the European Commission on 23 June 2016. It is now in its second year of operation.

The EIP Locally Led schemes were introduced as part of the 2nd amendment to the RDP which was approved by the European Commission on 25 January 2017. My Department has already moved to implement all these schemes, seeking and assessing tenders for the Project Teams to lead the Hen Harrier and Freshwater Pearl Mussel schemes, and opening the first call for locally-led EIP projects which saw 118 proposals submitted by the closing date.

Agriculture Schemes

Questions (1041)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

1041. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) will qualify for a top-up from the national reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13261/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named did not receive an allocation of entitlements under the 2015 Scottish Derogation measure. He did receive an allocation of entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme National Reserve in 2007. An allocation of entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme National Reserve does not preclude an applicant from benefiting from the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve.

I was glad to announce recently that funding of just over €5 million has been made available to fund a National Reserve in 2017.

In line with the EU Regulations governing the National Reserve, the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’ will receive priority access to the Reserve. A young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when they first submit an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. A new entrant to farming is defined as a farmer who commenced their agricultural activity during the previous two years and did not have any agricultural activity in their own name and at their own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity. These definitions apply to all Member States and my Department has no discretion with regard to their implementation in Ireland. Successful applicants will also be required to meet certain criteria with regard to agricultural educational qualifications and off-farm income. Full details in relation to the application process for the National Reserve in 2017 will be available in the coming weeks and will be widely advertised in the farming media and on my Department’s website. The closing date for applications will be 15th May 2017.

Public Sector Staff Remuneration

Questions (1042)

Alan Kelly

Question:

1042. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that in line with the one person, one salary principle, no public servant who is a member of a State board or agency under the control of his Department is currently in receipt of remuneration in the form of board fees and if any such remuneration is being paid that such payment will be discontinued and payments that were wrongfully paid will be reclaimed. [13273/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department has no public servant that is a member of a State board or agency under the control of my Department currently in receipt of remuneration in the form of board fees. 

Agriculture Schemes

Questions (1043)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

1043. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if due to the demand for the low-cost loan scheme, which resulted in all moneys being allocated within four weeks, he will make more funding available to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13388/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The “Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme” was developed by my Department in co-operation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), making €150 million available to farmers at interest rates of 2.95%. One of my priorities has been to address the impact of the change in the sterling exchange rate and lower commodity prices in some agriculture sectors. This Scheme is significant in this regard, providing farmers with a low cost, flexible source of working capital, which will allow them to pay down more expensive forms of short-term debt, ensuring the ongoing financial sustainability of viable farming enterprises.

SBCI uses the €25 million of public funding provided by my Department to leverage the total amount of €150 million and, along with the European Investment Fund’s ‘COSME’ (the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs), is providing the guarantee required to underpin the loan’s flexibility and lower the cost of the loans. The Scheme is administered through AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank and they will report on progress to the SBCI on a regular basis, although no official returns have been made as yet. However all of the banks have confirmed that they have applications up to the amounts available under the Scheme. There may be some residual availability but this will only emerge as applications are processed and loans drawn down.

My Department’s contribution of €25 million includes €11 million from the EU’s ‘exceptional adjustment aid for milk and other livestock farmers’. It was this exceptional aid package which facilitated the Scheme from an EU State Aid perspective, and additional funding is not possible under this particular arrangement. Other sectors, such as tillage and horticulture, were facilitated by national funding under the ‘de minimis’ State Aid rules.

I am very pleased at the very positive reaction by farmers to the Scheme, which has proved that significant demand exists for low cost flexible finance. I hope that the commercial banks will respond positively to this demand by reducing interest rates and providing more flexible terms for cash flow loans in the future. I plan to meet with the Chief Executives of the banks shortly to discuss this and other issues relating to access to finance in the agri-food sector.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Questions (1044)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

1044. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive their outstanding 2016 AEOS payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13394/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1st September 2011. Payments have issued in respect of 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 take place before payments can issue. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for the person-named, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. It is expected that these checks will be completed shortly and payments due will issue then.

Rural Development Programme

Questions (1045)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

1045. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address calls from an organisation (details supplied) and its 6,000 members for representation on the EU monitoring committee for the rural development programme in order that the needs of small family farms will be heard and met through the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13414/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The request by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association for membership of the Monitoring Committee for Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 – 2020 is currently under consideration.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Questions (1046)

Michael Ring

Question:

1046. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive their AEOS 2 payment. [13420/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1st September 2011. Payments have issued in respect of 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 take place before payments can issue. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for the person-named, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. It is expected that these checks will be completed shortly and payments due will issue then.

Veterinary Inspection Service

Questions (1047)

Brendan Smith

Question:

1047. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if persons who have given long service as temporary veterinary inspectors with his Department will have public service pension entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13450/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Temporary Veterinary Inspectors are engaged as and when required by my Department to assist my

Department's permanent veterinary staff. They are not employees of my Department, rather they are engaged on a contract for services, and therefore they have no pension entitlements with my department.

Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme

Questions (1048)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

1048. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 703 of 19 July 2016, the status of a TAMS application by a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that it has been some time since they applied for this grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13464/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named is an applicant under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS11.

There were a number of issues identified with the original application, all of which have now been satisfactorily addressed. The file was subsequently processed, based on the information provided by the applicant and approval issued for the investment works proposed on 9 March 2017.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Questions (1049)

Michael Ring

Question:

1049. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) will receive the final-year AEOS 2 payment. [13506/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1st September 2011. Payments have issued in respect of 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 take place before payments can issue. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for the person-named, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. It is expected that these checks will be completed shortly and payments due will issue then.

GLAS Payments

Questions (1050)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

1050. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made on a review of a GLAS 2 application submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; when a decision will issue in relation to this review; the reason for the delay in issuing a decision on this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13509/17]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

A full technical and administrative review of this case is nearing completion and my officials will contact the person named in relation to the matter in the near future.