Written Answers Nos. 280 - 293
280. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if Kerry bog ponies will be included in the calculations for restocking of the hills in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49187/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe position is that Kerry Bog Ponies will not be included in the calculations for restocking of commonages. The National Parks and Wild Life Service have undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of commonages and established a minimum and maximum ewe equivalent figure for each LPIS parcel within a commonage. The ewe equivalents are restricted to suitable ovine and bovine breeds.
281. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers, broken down by county, that are receiving less than €10,000, between €10,001 and €25,000, between €25,001 and €40,000, between €40,001 and €50,000 and more then €50,00 respectively in single payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49224/12]
Amharc ar fhreagra282. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers, broken down by county, that have entitlements for single payment per hectare of less than €200 per hectare, between €201 per hectare and €300 per hectare, between €301 per hectare and €400 per hectare, between €401 per hectare and €500 per hectare and more than €500 per hectare, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49225/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 281 and 282 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has carried out extensive modelling to assist in the assessment of the potential impact on Irish farmers of different payment distribution proposals. This modelling has used the 2010 SPS payments database as a guide to current payment levels, but the analysis is conducted, and the results presented, in a different format to that requested by the Deputy in his question.
My officials are currently working on an expansion of the modelling exercise that will generate data from the 2010 database in the format requested, but this work will not be completed in time to answer the Deputy’s question. In the interests of consistency, I would ask that the Deputy await the completion of this exercise, following which a detailed response will issue directly.
283. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the positive implications for Ireland of the recent agreement reached on securing €6 billion under the EMFF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49226/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission published its’ proposals for a new financial instrument for the period 2014 – 2020, the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund, in December 2011. The fund will help to deliver the ambitious objectives of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and will assist fishermen in the transition towards sustainable fishing, as well as coastal communities in the diversification of their economies.
At the October 2012 Fisheries Council, the Cyprus Presidency secured agreement on a “partial” general approach on the financial instrument the EMFF. Ireland will endeavour to achieve a general approach of the Council during its Presidency in the early part of 2013 with a view to securing a political agreement between the Council and EU Parliament by the end of the Irish Presidency. All the proposals are subject to negotiation and adoption through the co-decision process involving both the EU Fisheries Council and the EU Parliament.
In the context of the EMFF Proposal, the EU Commission set down indicative figures for the Fund, however, funding made available will only be finalised following determination of the EU budget which is being discussed at the Leaders Summit later this month.
The new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will be structured around 4 pillars, a) Smart, Green Fisheries, b) Smart, Green Aquaculture, c) Sustainable and Inclusive Territorial Development and d) Integrated Maritime Policy.
Of key importance to Ireland is a reasonable and fair share of the EMFF funding available. Ireland is supportive of the proposal in relation to the provision of funding for aquaculture, seafood processing, measures that support job creation and the rebuilding and conservation of stocks. Ireland welcomes the new elements proposed in the partial general approach including giving Member States the option of funding restructuring/decommissioning of the fishing fleet, engine replacement in limited circumstances and support for young fishermen.
284. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the gross and net additional expenditure savings that his Department is seeking to achieve in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49235/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe budget allocations for 2013 will be considered in the context of the gross expenditure ceilings that were allocated to all Departments for the period 2012 - 2014 under the Government’s Medium Term Expenditure Framework. The Government’s decision on the expenditure ceilings was taken in order to strike a balance between needs and priorities in all Government Departments on a multi-annual basis, to meet the requirements of the overall fiscal commitments which are firmly focused on returning the public finances to a sustainable path and to reduce the General Government Deficit by end 2015. Budget 2013 will be framed in this framework.
The preparations for the 2013 Estimate are currently underway and all budget lines in my Department’s Vote are being examined critically as part of that process. Under the expenditure ceilings, the funding allocation for my Department has been reduced by €114m in 2013 compared with 2012. Very difficult choices will have to be made again in order to remain within the reduced allocation.
The schemes and services operated by the Department are subject to a range of external factors such as demand from beneficiaries, market and economic factors, animal disease incidence, and the pace of completion of capital investment and research projects as well as the need to adhere to important issues of governance, legal and contractual obligations, including compliance with national and EU operational rules and requirements. I will be taking full account of the competing priorities when compiling and allocating the funding available for 2013.
285. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide in a tabular form the total list of quasi-governmental organisations and agencies under his remit; if he will provide a list of quasi-governmental organisations and agencies under his remit that have been abolished since March 2011 or are scheduled to be abolished and the date on which they are due to be abolished; the date on which the body was created; the name of the body; the 2012 budget for the body; the number of employees of the body in 2012; the names of any outside consultants hired by the organisation since March 2011 and what future plans he has for the body. [49305/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently 12 State Bodies that fall under the aegis of my Department:
1. Aqua Licensing Appeals Board
2. Bord Bia
3. Bord na gCon
4. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)
5. Coillte
6. Horse Racing Ireland
7. Irish National Stud
8. Marine Institute
9. National Milk Agency
10. Sea Fisheries Protection Authority
11. Teagasc
12. Veterinary Council of Ireland
My Department has neither established nor abolished any quasi-Governmental organisation or agency, since March 2011 apart from the Beef Policy 2020 Activation Group which was established in February 2011 and then dissolved in June 2011 following the presentation of its report to me.
286. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of compensation paid in 2011 in respect of all animals that were slaughtered as part of the disease eradication programme broken down by disease type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49321/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments of compensation made by my Department under the various disease eradication programmes in 2011 were as follows: Bovine TB: €16.5m, Brucellosis: €47,100, BSE: €40,197, Scrapie: €224,823.
I am very pleased to be able to say that there has been a significant and progressive reduction in the incidence of these diseases in recent years, with the result that expenditure on compensation under the various disease eradication schemes has fallen from €27.69m in 2008 to €16.8m in 2011.
287. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their payment for disadvantaged area aid payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49335/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraProcessing of the application concerned has recently been completed and payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will shortly issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
288. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in issuing payment to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; the reason the map has to be digitised when it was submitted online by their Teagasc advisor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49336/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraProcessing of the application concerned has recently been completed and payments under the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will shortly issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
289. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 474 of 2 October 2012, the position regarding a reduction (details supplied). [49343/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe REPS 4 agri-environment plan commenced on 1st June 2008 and the person named received full payments for the first three years of the contract.
Following an inspection in August 2011, the applicant was deemed to be in joint management and joint ownership with another REPS 4 participant. A review of this case was conducted by my officials and it was decided to allow both to retain separate herd numbers, with the REPS payments under one of the herd numbers deemed an overpayment. Accordingly, a letter issued on 7th September 2012 indicating the total amount of the overpayment to be recouped was €23,562.84 with interest to be charged at the rate of 3% per annum in accordance with EU regulations. An arrangement to recover the amount due on a four year instalment basis of €491.13 per month was notified to the person named and officials in my Department undertook to contact the person named regarding the overpayment situation.
Officials in my Department are currently reviewing the file of the person named following the receipt of an amended REPS plan. Once this examination is completed, a final decision will be notified to the person named clarifying the amount of the overpayment which must be repaid to my Department.
At that stage, officials in my Department will enter into negotiations with the parties concerned regarding the repayment of the debt including the offsetting of other scheme payments against the amount owed.
290. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that his Department imposes stocking rates that are appropriate to the quality of lands being farmed (details supplied) in County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49354/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to avoid land abandonment, DAS seeks to compensate those farming in agriculturally disadvantaged areas. The Scheme encourages sustainable use of agricultural land in less favoured areas and takes account of environmental protection requirements. The Scheme as operated by this Department defines DAS land under the following:
- Less Severely Handicapped Lowland and Coastal Areas with Specific Handicaps: (payable at €82.27 per forage hectare);
- More Severely Handicapped Lowland: (payable at €95.99 per forage hectare);
- Mountain Type Grazing: (payable at €109.71 on first 10 forage hectares or part thereof and €95.99 per hectare on remaining forage hectares).
It can be seen from the above classifications and rates payable that due recognition is given to the varying degrees of disadvantage which farmers face, depending on the area of the country in which they farm. Furthermore, the area of the country classified as disadvantaged represents approximately 75% of farmland; this designation ranges from whole counties being designated as disadvantaged, some counties being partially designated, to those counties with no designated land. In the case of the two counties mentioned, Leitrim and Meath, the entire of County Leitrim is classified as disadvantaged (the entire county being classified as More Severely Handicapped), while a very small portion of County Meath is classified as disadvantaged (approximately 14%), the areas classified as disadvantaged being defined as Less Severely Handicapped, in the main, with a small area defined as More Severely Handicapped.
In recognition of the physical and natural constrains occurring in areas designated as disadvantaged, farmers area required to maintain a very low minimum stocking density on their holdings; under the 2012 Scheme the requirement is to maintain a minimum stocking density per forage hectare of 0.15 livestock units for a minimum retention period of six consecutive months, in addition to which applicants must maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare over the 12 months of the Scheme year. This minimum stocking requirement equates with a stocking level of one ewe per hectare. In most areas, where the farmers are predominantly involved in livestock production, the average stocking density is well over 1.0 livestock units per hectare (lu/ha) and in many of these areas over 2.0 lu/ha.
Furthermore, provision is made for those farmers whose adherence to recognised environmental protection plans (REPS, etc) oblige them to maintain a stocking density lower than 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare; in such cases this Department accepts the lower stocking level as meeting the requirements of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
291. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding Irish aquaculture licences (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49368/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EU Habitats Directive placed an obligation on Member States of the EU to establish the Natura 2000 network. The network is made up of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) established under the EU Birds Directive, and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), established under the Habitats Directive itself. Ireland’s contribution to the Natura 2000 network was created under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997 (S.I. 94 of 1997 as amended by S.I. 233 of 1998 and S.I. 378 of 2005). These regulations transposed the EU Directives into Irish national law. The designation of individual ‘Natura’ sites has taken place on a rolling basis since establishment.
The requirement for additional information, arising from the ‘Natura 2000’ process, rests, in the first instance, with the State. As I have previously advised the Deputy, the State is engaged in a process leading to full compliance by Ireland with the EU Birds/Habitats Directives.
292. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide in tabular form the number of public servants in receipt of annual gross public sector pensions of between 0 to 10,000 euro, 10,001 to 20,000 euro, 20,001 to 30,000 euro, 30,001 to 40,000 euro, 40,001 to 50,000 euro, 50,001 to 60,000 euro, 60,001 to 70,000 euro, 70,001 to 80,000 euro, 80,000 to 90,000, 90,000 to 100,000 euro, 100,001 to 110,000 euro, 110,001 to 120,000 euro, 120,001 to 130,000 euro, 130,001 to 140,000 euro, 140,001 to 150,000 euro, 150,001 to 160,000 euro, 160,001 and above; and if these figures include local authorities, vocational educational committees, commercial semi State companies, non-commercial State agencies/bodies public sector retirees. [49819/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll civil service pensions are paid by the Paymaster General’s Office and the Minister for Public Expenditure is providing these details. The parallel information in respect of the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the bodies themselves.
My Department is responsible for the payment of pensions to a number of former employees of bodies under the aegis of the Department which are no longer in operation. The information in respect of these pensions is set out in the Appendix.
Appendix
|
Pension amounts range € |
Bord na gCapall |
Cork & Dublin District Milk Boards |
|
0 - 10,000 |
9 |
15 |
|
10,001 – 20,000 |
1 |
56 |
|
20,001 – 30,000 |
2 |
27 |
|
30,001 - 40,000 |
0 |
4 |
|
40,001 – 50,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
50,001 – 60,000 |
1 |
0 |
|
60,001 - 70,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
70,001 - 80,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
80,001 - 90,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
90,001 - 100,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
100,001 – 110,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
110,001 – 120,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
120,001 – 130,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
130,001 – 140,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
140,001 – 150,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
150,001 – 160,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
160,001 and above |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
13 |
102 |
293. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently availing of the free child care place for four year olds; the cost of the scheme; the approximate cost of extending it to entitle parents to two years of free child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49253/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining the universal free pre-school year.
In the current pre-school year approximately 65,700 children are availing of the ECCE programme. This figure will increase as late entrant applications to the programme are submitted and processed. €175.8 million has been provided in 2012 to cover the cost of the programme.
I am aware of the need to further develop the early childhood care and education sector. However, any development that involved expanding the pre-school year would require considerable additional funding. It is estimated that an additional year's free pre-school provision would cost in the region of between €124 to €180 million, depending on the cohort of children supported.
I am also very conscious that work is continuing on improvement of quality within the pre-school year and all of the available evidence indicates that the quality of the provision is key to good outcomes for children. I would therefore hope to invest further in quality before expanding the programme.
Future developments relating to early years care and education will, of course, be considered during preparation of the new National Early Years Strategy 2012.
