Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Thursday, 17 Apr 2014

Written Answers Nos. 212-220

Fish Farming

Ceisteanna (212)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

212. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 222 of 3 April 2014, if he will make available the results of the tests on the failed nets and bridles requested by his engineering division in regard to the 2010 escapes in Inver Bay and Clew Bay respectively as his recent response that his Department was satisfied from correspondence received that these matters were receiving necessary and appropriate attention by the operator does not answer this reasonable request for the results of these tests or an admission that these tests were in fact never provided. [18426/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In relation to Clew Bay I can confirm that on 21 April 2011 the operator advised my Department that it had instigated rigorous additional testing. As the operator’s report contains commercially sensitive information concerning third parties it may not be appropriate to release it. My Department has sought legal advice on this aspect.

In relation to Inver Bay, the company’s report also contains sensitive commercial information concerning a third party which may make it inappropriate for release. My Department is also seeking advice on this matter.

Fish Farming

Ceisteanna (213)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

213. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if in the public interest will instruct his officials to make available the marine engineering division and the Marine Institute reports into the recent escape of 220,000 salmon in Bantry Bay when he states these reports form a very important part of the regulatory function but which his Department officials have refused to release to requestors under access to information on the environment regulations even though this legislation provides that requests for environmental information relating to emissions including discharges and other releases into the environment shall not be refused even in circumstances where the relevant environmental information might otherwise be protected. [18427/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The incident referred to by the Deputy is the subject of ongoing detailed examination by my Department.

My Department received a request from a member of the public for the release of certain reports associated with this examination. Following consideration of the request my Department determined that the release of the documents would not be in the public interest under the terms of the Regulation 9(2)(d) of Statutory Instrument 133/2007.

Fish Farming

Ceisteanna (214)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

214. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has in place an adequate inspection programme to ensure that cheap imports of substandard equipment for Irish salmon farms and other aquaculture operations are not being substituted with or without the licensee’s knowledge for certified Irish products leading to component failures on these farms and the consequent escapes of large numbers of fish. [18428/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department’s Engineering Division inspects licensed aquaculture sites on a regular basis. These inspections include the conditions of cages on site.

While I am satisfied that the current inspection regime is satisfactory, my Department is alert to ongoing technological changes which enhance the security of all structures on licensed sites and in this regard my Department is currently preparing a draft protocol for the structural design of marine finfish farms.

Fish Farming

Ceisteanna (215)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

215. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will make open to public consultation the draft protocol for the structural design of marine finfish farms, including its terms of reference, which he states his Department is currently preparing; and if this protocol, when agreed, will be implemented by regulations, as is the case in neighbouring jurisdictions. [18429/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The draft protocol referred to by the Deputy is under ongoing consideration within my Department and a decision on the manner of its implementation has not been made as yet.

Live Exports

Ceisteanna (216)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

216. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue on an application for authorisation to transport live animals by commercial transport submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18435/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

A TYPE 2 Authorisation to Transport Live Animals (Commercial Transport) issued to the person (details supplied) in County Galway on 20 August 2013.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Ceisteanna (217)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

217. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the agri-environment options scheme 3 will issue to farmers; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18436/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The checks are well under way for AEOS 3 and I anticipate that payments for AEOS 3 in respect of 2013 will commence shortly.

Under the EU Regulations governing all 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 that individual payments will not issue until all aspects of a farmer’s application are in order, all outstanding documentation provided and all queries resolved. Queries are being resolved on an ongoing basis and officials in my Department are in contact with the applicants concerned to resolve any outstanding issues.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Ceisteanna (218)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

218. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total payments made to farmers in County Monaghan in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 under REPS and AEOS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18437/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Details of total payments made to participants in REPS/AEOS in County Monaghan in respect of the Scheme years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in tabular form as follows. Payments have not yet commenced in relation to the Scheme year 2014.

Payments made to REPS participants in County Monaghan

2010

€9,265,684.27

2011

€7,506,301.73

2012

€3,971,754.21

2013

€3,632,392.50

Total

€24,376,132.71

Payments made to AEOS 1 Participants in Co. Monaghan

AEOS 1

2010

€231,069.24

AEOS 1

2011

€783,612.90

AEOS 1

2012

€766,966.34

AEOS 1

2013

€677,739.42

Total

€2,459,387.90

Payments made to AEOS 2 Participants in Co. Monaghan

AEOS 2

2011

€89,826.73

AEOS 2

2012

€300,292.37

AEOS 2

2013

€234,583.98

Total

€624,703.08

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Ceisteanna (219)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

219. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total payments made to farmers in County Cavan in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 under REPS and AEOS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18438/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Details of total payments made to participants in REPS/AEOS in County Cavan in respect of the Scheme years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in tabular form as follows. Payments have not yet commenced in relation to the Scheme year 2014.

Payments made to REPS participants in County Cavan.

2010

€12,531,997.49

2011

€10,377,276.88

2012

€5,504,590.91

2013

€5,110,652.15

Total

€33,524,517.43

Payments made to AEOS 1 Participants in Co. Cavan

AEOS 1

2010

€221,278.22

AEOS 1

2011

€843,433.96

AEOS 1

2012

€824,028.43

AEOS 1

2013

€738,978.09

Total

€2,627,718.70

Payments made to AEOS 2 Participants in Co. Cavan

AEOS 2

2011

€176,245.95

AEOS 2

2012

€517,955.88

AEOS 2

2013

€442,513.52

Total

€1,136,715.35

Rural Development Programme Funding

Ceisteanna (220)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

220. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total proposed expenditure under the rural development programme 2014-2020 broken down between programmes, as announced in his consultation paper and broken down between EU and national funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18440/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020 (RDP) will be co-funded from the National Exchequer and the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The agreement reached on the Multiannual Financial Framework provides for a total allocation of EU funding of €2.19 billion (€313m per annum over 7 years) to Ireland for a new RDP. €2.037 billion of the EU funding is allocated to measures to be delivered via the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with the remainder allocated to LEADER funding which is administered by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

The Government has shown its commitment to a strategic investment in Rural Ireland and the agri-food sector by providing matching National Exchequer funding at the rate of 46% to supplement the €2.037 billion EU allocation. In addition to this money, there is also an additional allocation from the current RDP 2007-2013 to be spent in 2014 and 2015. When taken in conjunction with the allocation of funding for LEADER measures, this represents a fund of over €4 billion for investment in rural development measures in the period to 2020.

The recently published consultation document on the new RDP sets out a range of proposed measures for inclusion.

The main areas proposed for support in the new RDP are:

- a substantial new agri-environment/climate scheme (GLAS), which will build on the progress made under REPS and AEOS. This will provide for a maximum payment of €5,000 for up to 50,000 farmers, and a further payment of up to €2,000 for a limited number of farmers who take on particularly challenging actions,

- continued strong support for disadvantaged areas (now Areas of Natural Constraint), to the tune of about €195 million per year,

- incentives for on-farm capital investment (€290 million outlined in the consultation document),

- knowledge transfer and innovation measures, aimed at underpinning farm viability, sustainability and growth through the adoption of best practice and innovative solutions, including in the beef and sheep sectors (estimated at €20m per annum in the consultation document when fully up and running),

- a beef data and genomics measure worth up to €52 million per year aimed at improving the genetic quality of the beef herd, and

- other supports aimed at collaborative farming, artisan producers, organic farming, etc.

The annual expenditure for each proposed measure over the lifetime of the new RDP will be subject to the normal annual budgetary procedure.

The findings from the recent consultation process are currently feeding into the ongoing design work in my Department. The final decisions have not yet been made on the measures to be included in the new Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020, and the precise allocation of funding is being developed as part of the RDP design process.

Barr
Roinn