Written Answers Nos. 184-188
184. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a forestry payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19573/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for grant payment was submitted to my Department on 10 April 2013. The application is currently being processed.
185. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to base the single farm payment using activity in year ending 2011 rather than 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19610/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the original Commission proposals, existing payment entitlements in Member States such as Ireland that applied the Single Payment historic model will expire on 31 December of the year before the first implementation of the new CAP regime. It is now recognised that the first year of the new regime will be 2015. Farmers will apply in that year for an allocation of new payment entitlements. The Commission proposals have been the subject of negotiations at official and political level in the Council of Ministers over the past 18 months, culminating in an agreed Council position which was reached at the Council on 18 and 19 March.
Under the proposals agreed by the Council of Ministers, the number of entitlements to be allocated in the first year of the new regime can either be based on the total number of eligible hectares declared in that year or, alternatively, a Member State may decide that the number of entitlements will be confined to the number of eligible hectares declared in either 2012 or 2013. Member States are also allowed to confine the allocation of payment entitlements to those farmers who received a payment under the existing Single Payment Scheme in either 2010 or 2011. Where a Member State exercises this option, the European Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts to determine how entitlements are to be allocated to farmers who apply in the first year of the new regime but who did not receive payment in either 2010 or 2011. Again, it is too early to say whether Ireland will exercise this particular option. I should also point out that the next step in the negotiations involves reaching agreement between the three European Institutions - the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the Commission. Therefore, it is too early to speculate on how the final outcome will affect individual farmers.
186. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay with agri-environment options scheme payments; if his attention has been drawn to the conditions that farmers are facing after the unfavourable weather that has been experienced; and the way he is going to rectify this. [19621/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU Regulations governing the scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all administrative checks must be passed and eligibility conditions met before payment issues. As a result, my Department is obliged to ensure individual payments will not issue until all aspects of a farmer's application are in order, all outstanding documentation provided and all queries resolved.
Outstanding payments under AEOS I and AEOS II are largely due to unresolved queries associated with applications. In most instances, officials in my Department will have contacted the applicants concerned with the intention of issuing payment as soon as possible. There is a specific issue delaying payments under AEOS 2 related to non-productive capital investments. In order to facilitate the 2012 payment, applicants must have submitted a valid claim form if they have selected a non-productive capital investment action. However, a significant number of applicants have either not submitted a claim form or have outstanding queries associated with submitted forms. Officials in my Department have been in contact with all these farmers and are dealing with the responses received with the intention of clearing any backlog as soon as possible.
I am conscious of the importance of these payments to farmers' incomes, especially at this difficult time. My Department is making every effort to assist farmers in regularising their applications and claims for payment. Additional resources have been assigned to dealing with all outstanding queries. Payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as outstanding issues are resolved. I am also conscious that farmers are experiencing difficulties given the current fodder shortage. Payments are being processed as promptly as possible. Some €2.5 million will be paid out in payments over the coming weeks.
187. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will take cognisance of the fact that the private forestry sector is experiencing long delays in getting sites approved for planting; that planting can only occur in the dormant season therefore the operating season is very short and the delays that are having a detrimental effect on the work of the private forestry and nursery sector; if key personnel involved in the planting approval process have been transferred to other roles within his Department and have not been replaced; the action he plans to take to address the problem of long delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19622/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy may note that there has been a significant increase in interest in afforestation this year. To the beginning of April there has been a 34% increase in the number of applications received by my Department for technical approval for planting as against the same period last year. Despite this increased workload, the applications are processed as quickly as possible and the number of applications approved has also increased over the same period last year. To date, an additional 800 hectares have been technically approved for planting in 2013 as compared to 2012. While there have been some issues associated with the availability of personnel, the matter has been addressed and all the relevant outstanding afforestation files are being cleared.
188. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made on an application for a single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19624/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs no land parcels were declared, no payment can issue in respect of this 2012 Single Payment application. Following an internal review, which confirmed the position, the applicant subsequently lodged an appeal which is currently being processed in the Agriculture Appeals Office. The Appeals Office will advise the applicant of the outcome of the process.
