Written Answers Nos. 249-257
249. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding milk fines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23431/17]
View answerThe Super levy Instalment scheme was introduced in 2015. This scheme was offered by the EU Commission to Member States to implement on a voluntary basis to allow producers who had incurred super levy debt to spread the cost over three years (2015–2017) interest free. This repayment schedule took the form of a 33% lump sum in 2015 and the balance to be spread over five equal instalments in 2016 and 2017 over the peak production period of May to September. Ireland was one the few MS with a super levy bill to introduce the scheme.
At the end of the milk quota regime in April 2015 Ireland exceeded its quota by 4.4%, resulting in a super levy bill of €71 million for 6,400 Irish farmers. Each Member State was obliged to settle the liability in full in 2015 with the EU Commission and could then re-coup the money from its farmers as per the scheme. My Department chose to implement the scheme on the basis that it would minimise the burden on the sector during a period of planned expansion here as well as helping with the immediate cash flow difficulties for farmers faced with such a bill.
In 2015 2,700 producers opted to pay their full levy (€16.7 million) to my Department up front with €18.9m collected from the remaining 3,700 producers by 1 October 2015. These 3,700 producers are the participants in the instalment scheme and 2015 was the first year of their three-year repayment phase. My Department introduced the scheme of phased recoupment from farmers who had the option of joining the scheme and spreading their repayment over three years.
This scheme was financed from Exchequer funds and so my Department is responsible for ensuring that the funds advanced to the Commission on behalf of farmers are recouped on behalf of the taxpayer. The person in question incurred a superlevy fine because they supplied almost double their assigned quota in the 2014/15 quota year.
In any event, given that the milk quota regime ended on 31 March 2015 and all superlevy liabilities due to the EU Commission were paid by Ireland on 1 November 2015, it is not possible at this stage to have any super levy liabilities recalculated for individual producers. There is no mechanism within the relevant EU Regulations implementing the scheme to cancel any of the liabilities.
250. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by his Department on renting car park spaces in each of the years from 2011 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23443/17]
View answerThe table outlines the amount spent by my Department on renting car park spaces in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017.
|
Year |
Amount Paid (excluding VAT)
Total |
|
2011 |
11130.01 |
|
2012 |
3779.97 |
|
2013 |
3779.97 |
|
2014 |
4298.97 |
|
2015 |
3779.97 |
|
2016 |
3779.97 |
|
2017 |
1951.20 |
251. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent by bodies and agencies under the aegis of his Department on renting car park spaces in each of the years from 2011 to 2016, inclusive, and to date in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23459/17]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. The twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department have been requested to provide the details directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
252. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received under TAMS 2; the approvals issued for this; the payments claims lodged and the number of cases approved for payment in 2016 and to date in 2017, by county, in tabular form; the number of persons who have been approved for TAMS 2 who have yet to receive payment in 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23477/17]
View answerThe total number of applications received to date under TAMS II is 11,809 and 8,414 approvals have issued. 1,398 payment claims have been received and 866 applicants have been approved for payment. Approvals are issued and applicants are paid on an ongoing basis on receipt of an online payment claim and following checks in the local office. The breakdown by county basis is detailed in the table.
|
County |
Applications Received |
Approvals Issued |
Claims Lodged |
Approved For Payment |
|
Carlow |
139 |
104 |
12 |
9 |
|
Cavan |
473 |
313 |
37 |
19 |
|
Clare |
380 |
290 |
50 |
44 |
|
Cork |
1782 |
1339 |
245 |
137 |
|
Donegal |
626 |
373 |
22 |
19 |
|
Dublin |
41 |
25 |
3 |
2 |
|
Galway |
875 |
578 |
104 |
70 |
|
Kerry |
852 |
595 |
110 |
52 |
|
Kildare |
180 |
113 |
23 |
7 |
|
Kilkenny |
584 |
458 |
90 |
70 |
|
Laois |
311 |
240 |
42 |
29 |
|
Leitrim |
188 |
119 |
18 |
9 |
|
Limerick |
582 |
461 |
77 |
41 |
|
Longford |
162 |
111 |
15 |
13 |
|
Louth |
129 |
81 |
9 |
2 |
|
Mayo |
471 |
296 |
46 |
24 |
|
Meath |
363 |
245 |
35 |
23 |
|
Monaghan |
415 |
281 |
41 |
16 |
|
Offaly |
273 |
193 |
26 |
18 |
|
Roscommon |
485 |
312 |
41 |
21 |
|
Sligo |
178 |
115 |
21 |
12 |
|
Tipperary |
945 |
750 |
176 |
147 |
|
Waterford |
389 |
299 |
54 |
26 |
|
Westmeath |
293 |
209 |
33 |
22 |
|
Wexford |
509 |
390 |
55 |
26 |
|
Wicklow |
184 |
124 |
13 |
8 |
|
Totals |
11809 |
8414 |
1398 |
866 |
253. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on an application for grant aid by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23483/17]
View answerThe person named applied for a TAMS grant under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme on 12 January 2017. The application has passed all administrative checks and has been forwarded to the local office for further technical checks. The local office will be in direct contact with the applicant to address any outstanding issues in relation to the application this week.
254. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the case of persons in the Silvermines area of County Tipperary who have lost production due to residues; if compensation will be arranged to offset their significant losses until the problem is resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23512/17]
View answerMy Department continues to work with individual farmers in the area to assist with production issues and to tackle underlying problems on their farms. The Department understands that there has been a full resumption of milk deliveries from all of the farms concerned.
An Inter-Agency group will also review, and if deemed necessary revise the active management measures to be taken in the area in order to avoid problems such as those being experienced by the herdowners in the future.
255. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will expedite the GLAS 2 payments for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23519/17]
View answerThe person named was approved into GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of the 1 January 2016.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process issues were identified with the land parcel data required for the GLAS actions selected. Department officials are actively working to resolve these issues with a view to further processing the application for payment at the earliest opportunity.
256. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the scheme operated by the Office of Public Works regarding flood relocation does not cover the relocation of farm operations (details supplied); and his plans to compensate farmers whose land has been severely affected by flooding in recent years. [23520/17]
View answerThe Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Mr. Seán Canney T.D., recently announced the introduction of a once-off targeted Voluntary Homeowner Relocation Scheme.
As part of the announcement the Minister outlined that further examination is ongoing by the OPW, Local Authorities and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in evaluating, on an individual basis, if any alternative remedial works can be undertaken to protect those at risk farm buildings that flooded again last Winter in order to inform the feasibility of any future once-off targeted scheme for Voluntary Farm Building Relocation.
257. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding Coillte-owned forestry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23528/17]
View answerCoillte CGA was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of their lands, are the responsibility of the company.
The matter was, however, raised with Coillte who advise that it erects fences around new plantations for as long as the young plants require protection from straying animals, which is usually for a period of four or five years. The company advise that the area to the north and to the east of this property, which is the subject of this question, was planted in 2001 and is now established and free growing, while the area to the west of this property is a commonage bog. The company suggests that, if the land owner makes direct contact with Coillte, a meeting can be arranged on site to look at the possibility of carrying out some works for a dyke along the boundary.
