Written Answers Nos. 230-248
230. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 501 of 17 June 2014, when the annual inspection of the lands in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37710/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas' scheme application on 7 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The basis for the selection of applications for on-farm inspection is governed by EU legislation and there are minimum numbers and types of inspections that must be conducted each year. Please note that the 2014 application of the person named has not been selected for an on-farm inspection.
With regard to the named person’s payments, on completion of the required administrative checks any payments due will issue as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise as a result of such checks, officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
231. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for a reduction in a disadvantaged areas scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37713/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme revealed that a number of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. This resulted in reduction of 0.7 hectares being applied to the area based payments, including the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, where an overpayment of €217.97 was notified to the person named. The reduction of 0.7 hectare was for ineligible features including a river, a farmyard and numerous roads, which were included in the applicant’s claimed area. An over-payment has also being established under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme application submitted by the person named.
The person named was notified of this overpayment by letter of 15 September, 2014 which also advised that if payments are not recouped directly they will be debited from any future payments that may fall due from my Department. This is the normal recoupment policy for debts due of my Department. There is a comprehensive series of mechanisms in place should the person named wish to appeal the reduction in payment.
232. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be permitted to enter the disadvantaged areas scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37782/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraEligible applicants for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme in 2014 must have met (a) a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per hectare in 2011, or have been granted derogation and (b) 0.15 livestock units per hectare in 2014.
The person named is one of a number of applicants under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, whose cases were impacted upon by the requirement to have achieved a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, and who applied for and were refused derogation in this regard. The person named was informed accordingly and was advised of his right to pursue the matter with the Independent Agricultural Appeals Committee.
233. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied) regarding tuna fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37838/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an inter-governmental Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. The Bluefin Tuna stock is currently at only some 20% of its Spawning Stock Biomass. For this reason, ICCAT has implemented a strict management regime with the objective of bringing about a recovery of the stock. Within the EU, quotas were allocated over ten years ago to Member States based on track record. Ireland, which did not have the track record, does not have a quota. It has access to a by-catch quota for Bluefin tuna in the albacore tuna fishery. However, this by- catch quota is also available to other Member States, and cannot be used for recreational and/or sport fisheries.
The Department has, following recent queries, been seeking to clarify the situation regarding recreational fisheries for bluefin tuna with the European Commission. The unequivocal advice I have received from the EU Commission is that a recreational fishery was not legally possible in the absence of a national blue fin tuna quota. We do not have such a quota and it is extremely unlikely that we could obtain one as it would involve reducing the share of the Total Allowable Catch of those Member States that do have quota and for whom bluefin is an important commercial fishery. Member States vessels with quota share, which was made available based on historic track record in the fishery, are permitted to fish for bluefin tuna.
ICCAT (the international Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) is responsible for the management and conservation of tuna. Ireland is represented in ICCAT, along with all other EU Member States by the European Commission. Under ICCAT rules bluefin tuna stocks are subject to a recovery plan due the decline in the stock over the years and catches are very strictly monitored and controlled. There would be no support from any quarter for any action by Ireland that might lead to an increase in bluefin mortality.
My Department is in ongoing discussions with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which has responsibility for angling, and the EU Commission with regard to the possibility of catch and release fishing for bluefin that would not impact mortality and would contribute to scientific knowledge via electronic tagging. However, this is a complicated area both legally and technically and there are many issues that will require examination and clarification before any strong case could be made to the EU Commission, in the first instance.
234. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a single farm payment and disadvantaged areas scheme payment will be made in respect of a person (details supplied|) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37848/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application of the person named has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
235. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on an area based payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [37884/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application of the person named has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
236. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) is not in receipt of their headage payment, single farm payment or calf premium payment. [37893/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application of the person named has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
In the case of the Single Farm Payment, I can confirm that advance payments valued at over €500,000 million are due to commence on 16 October 2014.
The person named applied for the Beef Genomics Scheme/Beef Data Programme on 28 March 20 14 and currently has 41 beef breed animals registered to him. Payments under the 2014 Beef Genomics Programme will commence later this year while payments under the Beef Data Programme are not due to commence until 2015.
237. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an application under the disadvantaged areas scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; when payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37894/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application of the person named has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
238. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding farming chickens and a possible outbreak of salmonella; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37925/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not have any restrictions in place on the placing or growing of chickens on this farm. Any such decisions in this regard are a commercial matter between the company and the farmer. I have asked my officials to make contact with the farmer concerned to ensure that he has a clear understanding of the issues.
239. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the context of recent developments in the beef industry, if further consideration will be given to supervising the meat industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37974/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy role in relation to the beef sector is to create a policy and support environment that will allow it to flourish in line with normal market principles. As the Deputy will appreciate, questions of price are ultimately matters to be determined between the purchasers and the sellers of cattle. It is neither appropriate nor possible for me or any other Minister for Agriculture in the EU, to intervene directly on these issues. Cattle prices are determined by supply/demand dynamics which are in turn influenced by the seasonality of production, the length of the production lifecycle and market conditions such as retail promotions, consumer confidence, competition with other meats and the overall macroeconomic situation. However, the State, through the Competition Authority already has a well established infrastructure for dealing with allegations of anti competitive practices and I do not consider it appropriate to replicate that structure through a new supervisory body in the beef sector.
240. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a disadvantaged areas scheme payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37980/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
241. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the concerns of persons (details supplied) in Bantry, County Cork regarding their farm payments for last year and this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37987/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that a number of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. Following a request for a review from the person named, a visit by a Department official to verify the position was necessary to progress the matter. The person named will be advised of the outcome of this verification visit shortly. If he is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, the applicant can appeal the decision to the independently-chaired LPIS Appeals Committee. The 2014 SPS application and maps received by the person named were based on the position prior to the processing of the appeal submitted by the person named and as such, did not reflect the outcome of the verification visit.
242. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not received their 2013 grassland sheep scheme grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38004/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraProcessing of the application of the estate of the deceased under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the estate.
243. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the scheduled reductions in his Department, or in agencies under his aegis, for spending in 2015 and the areas of spending in which these reductions are scheduled to take place, to show the amount of reductions by theme. [38023/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2015 Estimate for my Department will be considered within the context of the annual gross expenditure ceilings that were provisionally allocated to all Departments at the time of budget 2014 and the comprehensive review of expenditure 2015 - 2017. The Government decision in relation to the expenditure ceilings was taken in order to strike a balance between needs and priorities on a multi-annual basis, to meet the requirements of the overall fiscal commitments which are firmly focused on reducing the General Government Deficit by end 2015 and ensuring that the public finances return to a sustainable path.
The discussions on the 2015 Estimate are under way in the Department and all budget lines in the Vote, both capital and current are being examined as part of that process having regard to the funding constraints for next year. My intention is to ensure that all resources available to my Department will be managed to provide the optimum benefit to economic activity in the agricultural, food, fisheries and forestry sectors, including farm incomes, and to realising the potential which clearly exists for the sectors to continue to contribute to the national economic recovery.
It is understood that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is planning to publish the detailed 2015 Revised Estimates Volume later in the year. As in previous years, it is the practice of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to expand further on the information contained in the Revised Estimates Volume by publishing a more detailed tabular statement of budget figures on its website to coincide with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform’s publication.
244. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on their beef data programme payment appeal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38058/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named registered seven animals under the 2013 Beef Data Programme. Payment in respect of five animals issued on 24 June 2014. Payment for the remaining two animals will issue in the coming weeks.
245. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment of area aid and single farm payment will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38079/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. Processing of the application of the person named has recently been finalised, with payment due to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named. In the case of the Single Farm Payment, I can confirm that advance payments valued at over €500 million will commence on 16 October 2014.
246. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for implementing new schemes such as dairy hygiene support and sheep handling facilities support that were referred to in the past; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38080/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe draft Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014 and includes provision for a suite of on-farm investment schemes. The following investment areas have been identified as priorities to be targeted in the initial stages:
(i) dairy equipment,
(ii) low emission spreading equipment,
(iii) animal welfare and farm safety (specifically beef and sheep handling facilities),
(iv) pig and poultry investments in energy, water meters and medicine dispensers,
(v) organic capital investment; and
(vi) a young farmer capital investment scheme.
The investment areas will subsequently be expanded to cover farm nutrient storage and animal housing. The definitive list of investment items eligible for support will be made available when EU Commission approval for the Programme has been received.
247. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there was no Irish presence at the Singaporean Epicurean, one of Asia's leading food expos (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38109/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAnnually, Bord Bia reviews and assesses new and existing trade fairs using criteria including sectoral priorities and company interest displayed. This is done within a limited budget. Participation at individual trade fairs is an operational matter for Bord Bia and the Deputy may wish to contact Bord Bia directly for particulars.
248. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a disadvantaged areas payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; the reason they have not received same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38115/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application on 15 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm and/or Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for both a cross compliance animal identification and registration inspection and a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection.
The cross compliance inspection identified breaches in relation to cattle identification and registration requirements. This resulted in a 1% penalty being applied against the 2014 payments. The person named was notified of this decision on 19 September 2014. The person named was also informed of the right to seek a review of this decision. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of a review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within three months.
The remote sensing eligibility inspection is currently being finalised with the intention of issuing any payment due as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
