Written Answers Nos. 168-76
168. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the GLAS scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14663/17]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue presented on the computerised crosscheck of Department databases. Department officials are actively working to resolve this issue with a view to further processing the application for the 2016 payment as soon as possible.
169. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a GLAS payment will issue to a person (details supplied). [14693/17]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue presented on the computerised crosscheck of Department databases. Department officials are actively working to resolve this issue with a view to further processing the application for the 2016 payment as soon as possible.
170. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal (details supplied) made to his Department regarding the GLAS 1 scheme; when a decision will be expected on same; his Department's position on the particular circumstances in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14696/17]
View answerThe Agriculture Appeals Office has confirmed that an appeal from the persons named was received on 10 March 2017. Correspondence issued to the persons named on 15 March to which a response is awaited. The file and a statement on the appeal were requested from my Department, on receipt of which the file will immediately be assigned to an Appeals Officer.
171. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to establish an island of Ireland food label to address the issue of nomad cattle that have spent time in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and therefore cannot be labelled as origin Ireland or origin UK at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14697/17]
View answerThe labelling of food in the European Union is governed by a number of EU regulations which lay down strict requirements including in relation to mandatory country of origin labelling for certain meats.
Under EU rules, labels on meat from cattle born and reared in the Republic of Ireland and exported live to Northern Ireland and subsequently slaughtered there, must include the member state of birth and rearing, and the member state of slaughter.
It is possible to include a voluntary label, but this may not contradict mandatory origin labelling, nor does it obviate the requirement for mandatory labelling. The possibility of a voluntary all Island label has been previously raised with British retailers, who have made clear that they have a longstanding policy to market British and Irish beef separately, with a simple, clear origin label. This means that beef must be sourced from animals originating in one EU Member State i.e. born, reared and slaughtered in Ireland or in the United Kingdom, so that the label can simply indicate "Origin Ireland, or "Origin UK".
While voluntary labelling of this nature has been mooted as a mechanism to encourage a live export trade between the Republic and Northern Ireland, it must be noted that this trade is determined by a range of factors, including the Sterling exchange rate and the supply of cattle in each market, retailer preferences and production cycles.
I met my counterpart from Northern Ireland, Michelle McIlveen MLA on many occasions to discuss issues of mutual interest and of course the north-south trade in cattle and beef has featured in these discussions. Needless to say the focus now is on minimising the effects of the UK’s proposed withdrawal from the EU and on securing arrangements which are best suited to the development of our respective agrifood sectors.
172. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to a report submitted by an organisation (details supplied) to the Directorate General for Competition in the European Commission with regard to the impact of the four movement rule for cattle as a requirement for a bonus payment under the quality payment system and whether this acts as a barrier to the free movement of goods, that is, cattle; if he has been requested for input from the EU Commission in relation to same; his plans to take action to address issues raised in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14698/17]
View answer173. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department at any stage notified the European Commission of its decision, on the grounds of public policy and public health, to restrict the movement of cattle to a maximum of four movements in advance of slaughter; the reason for same; his views on whether this restriction is still necessary and proportionate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14699/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together.
My Department has not introduced any restrictions on the movement of cattle in advance of slaughter.
A Quality Payment System (QPS) for the payment of bonuses in respect of certain categories of cattle at slaughter plants was introduced in 2009 by agreement between Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA). My understanding is that the conditions attached to qualification for this bonus payment include a limit on the number of movements of cattle in their lifetime prior to slaughter. This is a purely private arrangement between both parties and my Department has no role in its design or implementation.
I understand that the only report that my Department is aware of submitted by the named organisation, was sent to the Directorate General for Competition in the European Commission in 2014. I am not aware of any other report since then and I have not received any request for input from the EU Commission in relation to this report.
174. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an application for funding under the 2017 fishery harbour development scheme was submitted by a local authority for a pier (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if so, the reason his Department did not short-list this application for consideration. [14704/17]
View answerRinroe Pier is owned by Mayo County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development rests with that local authority in the first instance.
My Department, however, provides funding for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers, harbours and slipways under the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
My Department did receive an application from Mayo County Council for a Davit Arm System on Rinroe Pier, under the 2017 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. Due to the level of demand, my Department is only considering funding for projects that were deemed high priority by the Local Authorities. The Rinroe project did not meet this criteria and did not meet other necessary criteria, therefore the project was not approved for funding in this round.
The terms and conditions of the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme require that all projects meet necessary criteria to be deemed eligible for inclusion.
Applications submitted by Mayo County Council under future Local Authority capital programmes will be given consideration in the context of the criteria set out, available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities.
175. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of any payments made by his Department, its agencies or any bodies under his aegis, to any broadcasters here in the years 2014 to 2016, inclusive; the broadcaster to which the funds were provided; the reason for the payments; and if there are any reasons for payments to broadcasters in 2017. [14716/17]
View answerPayments made by my Department during the period 2014 to 2016 to National TV and Radio broadcasters are outlined in the following table. These payments typically involve advertising Department schemes and services. The payments were made via MediaVest Ltd. who currently hold the central Government contract for the provision of the majority of our advertising needs. There were no payments to these organisations in the years 2014 and 2015.
|
Station |
2016 Cost |
|
RTE Radio 1 |
€14,268 |
|
Newstalk |
€4,674 |
Regarding the agencies under my remit, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves and I will request the relevant agencies to forward the information directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
176. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of persons in receipt of GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 who have received 85% of their total 2016 payment, by county, in tabular form; the number of persons who have passed all payment approval checks and are awaiting their 2016 payment; the total number of GLAS recipients who have yet to receive payment, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14735/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table.
|
- |
GLAS 1 |
GLAS 1 |
GLAS 1 |
GLAS 2 |
GLAS 2 |
GLAS 2 |
|
County |
Number |
Number |
Number of |
Number |
Number |
Number of |
|
sent for |
with PPV |
Unpaid |
sent for |
with PPV |
Unpaid |
|
|
Payment |
Pass |
Cases |
Payment |
Pass |
Cases |
|
|
Carlow |
245 |
2 |
32 |
115 |
1 |
12 |
|
Cavan |
813 |
16 |
84 |
403 |
2 |
27 |
|
Clare |
1,453 |
26 |
142 |
646 |
2 |
43 |
|
Cork |
1,833 |
40 |
297 |
894 |
4 |
116 |
|
Donegal |
1,661 |
29 |
265 |
859 |
4 |
148 |
|
Dublin |
50 |
1 |
12 |
14 |
1 |
2 |
|
Galway |
2,581 |
52 |
471 |
1,099 |
13 |
201 |
|
Kerry |
1,554 |
32 |
194 |
768 |
4 |
105 |
|
Kildare |
213 |
4 |
34 |
69 |
2 |
11 |
|
Kilkenny |
374 |
12 |
48 |
183 |
0 |
29 |
|
Laois |
315 |
9 |
48 |
179 |
0 |
18 |
|
Leitrim |
912 |
6 |
108 |
383 |
1 |
36 |
|
Limerick |
913 |
14 |
129 |
275 |
0 |
27 |
|
Longford |
466 |
5 |
46 |
328 |
0 |
21 |
|
Louth |
120 |
1 |
28 |
73 |
0 |
7 |
|
Mayo |
2,163 |
9 |
397 |
1,100 |
5 |
228 |
|
Meath |
363 |
3 |
62 |
175 |
0 |
29 |
|
Monaghan |
517 |
2 |
60 |
131 |
0 |
15 |
|
Offaly |
422 |
3 |
51 |
248 |
1 |
31 |
|
Roscommon |
1,361 |
20 |
154 |
507 |
1 |
46 |
|
Sligo |
858 |
4 |
87 |
340 |
1 |
28 |
|
Tipperary |
972 |
12 |
161 |
437 |
3 |
73 |
|
Waterford |
289 |
4 |
71 |
106 |
1 |
25 |
|
Westmeath |
586 |
4 |
64 |
243 |
2 |
19 |
|
Wexford |
636 |
2 |
138 |
236 |
0 |
34 |
|
Wicklow |
278 |
7 |
47 |
126 |
0 |
29 |
|
Totals |
21,948 |
319 |
3,230 |
9,937 |
48 |
1,360 |
