Written Answers Nos. 106-14
106. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to refer the possible takeover of a meat plant (details supplied) in County Kildare by a company to the Competition Authority in view of the dominant position that would be held in the industry by a small number of processors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39688/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of recent media speculation around the possible takeover of a meat plant in County Kildare. I note that the same story was also reported in various media outlets this time last year however, as yet, I am not aware of any formal agreement in this regard. Mergers and acquisitions involving companies within the State who have turnover of over €40 million must be brought to the attention of the Competition Authority as a statutory requirement. The notification of merger or acquisition is published on their website and they then have a review process which they then undertake.
It should also be noted that if the Competition Authority become aware of a merger or acquisition which is below the thresholds set out in the Competition Act 2002, they can ask the parties to make a voluntary notification or can use the powers provided under Sections 4 and 5 of the Competition Act 2002 to review the agreement.
As well as the mandatory review based on turnover threshold and the provisions in Sections 4 and 5 of the Competitions Act, any member of the public may contact the Competition Authority with regards to Anti-Competitive Behaviour, Cartels or concerns over Mergers and Acquisitions.
The Deputy will be aware that from 31 October 2014, the Competition Authority will merge with the National Consumer Agency to form the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The powers and reporting requirements for mergers and acquisitions as well as the ability of members of the public to report concerns will not change following the set up of the new body.
107. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will be made under the disadvantaged area scheme to persons farming an area (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay with these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39689/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraPayments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme began issuing, on target, on 24 September. I can confirm that following processing of outstanding issues in respect of the commonages in question, the applications of the claimants concerned have recently been finalised with payments due to issue shortly, directly the nominated bank accounts of the applicants involved.
108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Cork, actively farming for seven years and who has submitted an area aid application for the past two years and has at present no entitlements will be automatically allocated same in 2015; their proposed value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39697/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named did not receive a direct payment under any of the eligible schemes in 2013 and therefore does not hold an automatic allocation right to receive entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015. The Scottish Derogation allows for the allocation of entitlements to persons who never held entitlements, either owned or leased, but who actively farmed in 2013. This provision is currently the subject of discussion with the EU Commission. Until such time as those discussions are finalised, it is not possible to comment on the number or value of entitlements that may be allocated to the person named.
109. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total funding approved by his Department this year for the repair of storm damage to piers and other similar works; the amount paid to date by his Department to reimburse local authorities for such work; if prepayment of funds to local authorities has taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39699/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding, where exchequer funds allow, for the development and repair of Local Authority owned piers and slipways under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. On 20 March this year, as part of the Governments overall co-ordinated response to the damage caused by the winter storms, I approved a total of €8.5 million in funding for the repair of the public pier, harbour and slipway network linked to fisheries and aquaculture.
Funding of €7 million was approved for 111 projects to repair Local Authority owned storm damaged harbours, piers and slipways and €1.5 million for remediation work at four Department owned, non-Fishery Harbour Centres.
It is not possible at this stage to provide information on the amounts of funding expended, as the funding allocated is not drawn down by the local authorities until completion of the relevant works. Accordingly a definitive figure is relation to actual expenditure would not be available until close to year end.
As all projects are subject to pre and post-works inspections by this Department’s Engineers, pre-payment is not an option. Local Authorities are not reimbursed until the project is completed.
The following information was provided under Standing Order 40A
2014 Storm Damage Programme
On 20 March this year, as part of the Government's overall co-ordinated response to the damage caused by the winter storms, I approved €7 million in funding for Local Authority owned storm damaged harbours, piers and slipways.
The following conditions apply to projects approved under the once off 2014 Storm Damage Programme run by my Department.
- Funding by the Department to be at 90% of the qualifying expenditure for the year if less than the approved project cost.
- The works must be completed during 2014.
- Each project is subject to pre and post inspections by Department Engineers.
- Applications for payments of grant have to be accompanied by the necessary backup documentation.
- Claims must be submitted by the Local Authorities no later than 1 December 2014.
In order to expedite the submission of claim forms and thus the payment of claims my Department contacted all Local Authorities on the 25* September 2014 requesting submission of claim forms for any completed projects. This correspondence has thus far resulted in the submission of 12 claim forms totalling a grant amount of €509,012. However, the bulk of claims for the €7m approved projects would not normally be expected from the Local Authorities until closer to the 1 December deadline for the Local Authorities to submit their claims.
All projects are subject to post works inspections, payment of claims is also subject to receipt of the necessary back up documentation from the Local Authorities. This validation process is underway for the claims received, to date no payments have been made under this Programme. Payments will be processed without delay when local authorities submit claims and when inspections are completed.
110. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to prevent jellyfish attacking fish farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39701/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is not aware of any recent damage to farmed fish stock arising from high densities of jellyfish. My Department has requested the Marine Institute to forward a short report on possible mitigation measures, if any, which might be appropriate in the event of such incidents occurring on a sustained basis.
111. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of persons on State boards and committees appointed by him; the number of these that are women and the number that are men, broken down by board and committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39705/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information sought by the Deputy is outlined in the following tables. Please note that in the case of a number of appointments to boards within my Department’s aegis, members are nominated by representative bodies and are not at the sole discretion of the Minister.
|
State Body |
Number of Board Members |
% of Females on the Board |
No of Females appointed since taking office |
|
Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board |
7 |
28% |
2 |
|
Bord Bia |
15 |
20% |
3 |
|
Bord Iascaigh Mhara |
6 |
Nil |
0 |
|
Bord na gCon |
7 |
14% |
1 |
|
Coillte |
9 |
22% |
2 |
|
Horse Racing Ireland |
14 |
21% |
3 |
|
Irish National Stud |
7 |
14% |
1 |
|
Marine Institute |
9 |
11% |
1 |
|
National Milk Agency |
14 |
Nil |
0 |
|
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority |
3 |
33% |
1 |
|
Teagasc |
11 |
9% |
1 |
|
Veterinary Council of Ireland |
19 |
26% |
5 |
|
Statutory Committee: Bookmakers Appeal Committee |
5 |
Nil |
0 |
|
Committee |
Number of Committee Members |
% of Females on the Committee |
No of Females appointed since taking office |
|
Animal Remedies Consultative Committee |
9 |
56% |
5 |
|
COFORD Council |
14 |
7% |
1 |
|
Commonage Implementation Committee |
6 |
Nil |
0 |
|
LPIS (Land Parcel Identification System) Appeals Committee |
5 |
Nil |
0 |
|
Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth Development Task Force |
29 |
24% |
7 |
|
Internal Audit Committee |
6 |
17% |
1 |
|
Organic Focus Group |
17 |
24% |
4 |
112. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extra cost that would be involved in 2014 to double the rate of payment of the DAS-ANC payment in designated mountain areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39706/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following rates of aid are payable under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Mountain Type Grazing: €109.71 on first 10 forage hectares, or part thereof, and €95.99 per hectare on remaining hectares up to 34 hectares; More Severely Handicapped Lowland: €95.99 per forage hectare up to 30 hectares; Less Severely Handicapped Lowland: €82.27 per forage hectare up to 30 hectares; Coastal Areas with Specific Handicaps: €82.27 per forage hectare up to 30 hectares.
If the rate of aid payable on Mountain Type Grazing was doubled, the additional funding required would be approximately €30 million.
113. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a tender has issued for the provision of cattle tags in the past few weeks; if it has not, when it is planned to issue such a tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39707/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Request for Tenders for the provision of Bovine Animal Identification Tags and Birth Registration Documents that was published on 29 May 2012 indicated that the term of the contract would be for 2 years with the option to extend the contract on the same terms and conditions, for two periods of 12 months. The initial term of the contract with the approved tenderer covered the period 1 November 2012 to 31 October 2014. My Department has recently exercised the option to extend this contract for a further 12 month period to 31 October 2015 and if considered appropriate for a further 1 year period following this date.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have provided for a 6 year Beef Data and Genomic Programme in the draft Rural Development Programme (RDP) submitted to the EU Commission on 3rd July. The proposed Beef Data and Genomics Programme is intended to deliver an accelerated improvement in the quality and environmental sustainability of the beef herd through the application of genomics technology. As part of the delivery of this measure, it is currently envisaged that the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation will publish a Request for Tenders for the provision of tags before the end of 2014. These tags will be used for the collection of a DNA sample, from animals selected under the measure, for the purposes of genotyping.
The draft RDP is currently the subject of discussion with the European Commission whose agreement is required before the scheme and the RDP can come into force.
114. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assistance available under the Rural Development Plan, RDP, 2007-2013 for afforestation including premiums; the proposals under the RDP 2014-2020 broken down between farmers and investors; the reason for the change in policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39708/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFinancial support for the 2006-2013 Forestry Programme was 100% exchequer funded under EU State aid rules and was not co-funded under the Rural Development Programme for that period. It is intended that the same funding mechanism will apply to the new forestry programme covering the next programme period of 2014 – 2020. EU State Aid approval is required and this means that Ireland’s new Forestry Programme will be judged by the EU Commission against the new Rural Development Regulation. Under the previous Rural Development Regulation (1698/2005) there was a distinction made between farmer and non farmer where a higher rate of premium applied to farmers. Under that regime only 6% of planting was undertaken by non farmers during the 2006 – 2013 period. The new Rural Development Regulation (1305/2013) does not make such a distinction between farmer and non farmer in terms of the afforestation premium rate. Under proposals for the new Forestry Programme a target of 46,000 hectares has been set for new planting. In order to help meet this target, a single rate of premium has been proposed which aims to encourage more non-farming land owners to plant their land.
