Written Answers Nos 180-189
180. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the projected cost of monitoring a company (details supplied) in County Monaghan; if the cost is to be covered by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4896/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has maintained engagement, at senior level, with the company concerned, since the start of the intensive investigation carried out by the Department and the FSAI into the source of equine DNA in beef burgers. The current findings of the official investigation do not show any evidence that the company deliberately used equine meat in their production process.
Under food legislation, the company has primary responsibility for the quality and standards of production at the plant and has carried out its own investigation. In the context of possible resumption of production the company has decided, in addition to deep cleansing of the plant, to change its management and to source its raw material from Ireland and the UK. It has also accepted that my Department would intensify its verification role at the plant with permanent Department presence for an initial period of six months, involving also a DNA sampling regime.
The details of the arrangements have not yet been finalised and it is not possible at this time to give an accurate estimate of the cost involved. Aside from the cost associated with permanent on-site Department presence, the cost of laboratory analysis of samples from this company during the course of the investigation has already been quite significant and further costs will arise in that regard. It is envisaged that the cost of the sampling will be recouped from the company.
181. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason payment of disadvantaged area scheme 2012 has not issued to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4912/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named is one of a number of applicants under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, whose cases are impacted by the requirement of a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare and who applied for and were refused derogation in this regard. The person named subsequently availed of the option to appeal to the independently chaired DAS Appeals Committee. The Committee has adjudicated on this appeal and the person concerned has been notified of the unsuccessful outcome, in writing, on 13 December 2012. As advised in the letter, it is open to the person named to pursue the matter with the Office of the Ombudsman.
182. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue on an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4930/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was advised by letter dated 17 September 2012 of the right to submit an appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office regarding a decision made in relation to a suckler welfare scheme application. Appeals to the Agriculture Appeals Office must be submitted in writing within 3 months of the notification of the decision under appeal. As an appeal has not been received to date, this case is deemed to be closed.
183. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara cén uair a dhéanfar íocaíocht faoin scéim um chosaint na timpeallachta Tuaithe do 2012 le duine (sonraí curtha ar fáil); cén fáth a bhfuil moill leis an íocaíocht seo; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [4959/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThosaigh an duine ainmnithe REPS 4 i mí Aibreáin 2008 agus fuair sé íocaíochtaí do na céad cheithre bliana dá chonradh. Is beart é REPS 4 faoin Scéim Forbartha Tuaithe 2007-13 agus tá sé faoi réir Rialacháin AE ina n-éilítear go ndéantar seiceálacha riaracháin ar gach iarratas a chomhlánú sular féidir aon íocaíochtaí a eisiúint. Tá an próiseas seo ag teacht chun críche i leith an duine ainmnithe agus tá súil agam go ndéanfar na híocaíochtaí a eisiúint go luath.
184. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be issued with their 2012 agri-environment options scheme 1 payment; the reason for the delay in issuing payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4962/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1 November 2010 and full payments totalling €806.77 and €4,840.83 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. 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 payment can issue. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of 2012 and full payment totalling €4,840.83 has issued to the person named in January 2013.
185. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be issued their 2012 agri-environment options scheme 1 payment; the reason for the delay in issuing payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4963/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1 September 2010 and full payments totalling €595.63 and €1,822.48 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. 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 payment can issue. These checks have been successfully completed in respect of 2012 and full payment totalling €1,822.48 has issued to the person named in January 2013.
186. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be issued their 2012 disadvantaged area scheme payment; the reason for the delay in issuing payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4964/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the person named appealed to the DAS Appeals Committee, he was among a high percentage of applicants who submitted supporting documentation with their appeals which had not previously been submitted to my Department. This necessitated further examination by my Department before the necessity to refer the appeals in question to the Appeals Committee could be confirmed. In this case, the additional documentation was sufficient to allow the appeal. Accordingly, processing of the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application was recently finalised, and payment issued on the 17 January 2013 to the nominated bank account.
187. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide detail of any Health Service Executive correspondence with crèche facilities in the Dublin North West area related to the payment of subsidised crèche places and any alterations to the funding arrangements for HSE places in local crèche facilities. [4940/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.
188. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the approximate number of persons employed in the preschool child care sector; the way this has varied over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4986/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra189. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the take up rate for the free pre-school year in early childhood care and education; the way this has varied over the past five years; her plans for developments within this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4988/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The programme was introduced in January 2010. Approximately 53,000 children, or 83% of the eligible age cohort, availed of the programme in this first "short" year. In the school year 2010-2011, the first full year of the programme, in the region of 63,000 children, that is approximately 94% of the eligible cohort, availed of the free pre-school provision. In the school year 2011-2012 in the region of 66,000 children, or approximately 93% of the eligible cohort, availed of the programme.
In the current school year 2012-2013, some 66,000 children have enrolled for the free pre-school provision at this time and this figure may increase as eligible children can still enter the programme. It is not possible, from the information available to me, to determine the percentage of the eligible cohort that this figure represents, but it is again anticipated this figure will be well in excess of 90%.
Pobal, which administers the childcare support programmes on behalf of my Department, compiles an Annual Survey of the Early Years Sector. According to its 2011 Annual Survey, there are in the region of 4,300 childcare services participating in the ECCE programme and approximately 3,133 of these services responded to the question relating to the number of staff employed. The results, which did not distinguish between those working with children enrolled for the ECCE programme and other children in the childcare service, show that some 17,123 staff in the 3,133 services that responded were working directly with children.
Prior to 2011, the Pobal survey was compiled on the basis of responses from services funded under the National Childcare Investment Programme and the Community Childcare Subvention Programme, and was part of the contractual requirement of its recipients. In 2011, however, the questionnaire was circulated to a wider group of early years services to include all services participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education programme and in the Childcare Education and Training Support Programme. In addition, the questionnaire was presented to recipients as a piece of research rather than a contractual requirement. This change in methodology (the distribution to much larger numbers, the move to anonymous completion and the removal of the contractual obligation to complete the questionnaire) means that the results are not comparable with previous years.
