Written Answers Nos. 424 to 440
424. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in respect of a 2013 single payment and a disadvantaged areas scheme payment. [37645/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application for the 2013 Single Payment Scheme which was received in my Department on 18 April 2013. No application was received for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. In 2013, the person named held 13.19 Single Payment entitlements . However, their application contained only eligible land equal to 12.83 hectares. The application has been fully processed with payments issuing on 12.83 Single Payment entitlements. The payments issued in two moieties on 16 October 2013 and 2 December 2013 to the nominated bank account of the herd owner. No appeal has been received to date regarding the 2013 Single Payment Scheme.
425. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) from County Donegal can expect to receive payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme and the single payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37679/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 21 May 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payments due under the Direct Payments Schemes as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
426. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive farm payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37747/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 26 March 2015. Processing of the application is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
427. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to reintroduce the installation aid for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37749/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are no plans to reintroduce installation aid for young farmers. Young Farmers are catered for within the new TAMS schemes whereby they can avail of an increased grant rate of 60% compared to the standard rate of 40% for a range of investment items which will help them to meet the capital costs associated with the establishment of their enterprises.
428. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who have, to date, been officially informed that they have been accepted into the green low carbon agri-environment scheme; the date from which all contracts in tranche 1 will be operable; the average payment per year, approved for the farmers notified to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37775/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAlmost 27,000 farmers applied for GLAS in tranche 1. The issuing of approval letters to approximately 24,500 participants has commenced. This process will be completed in the next few days. Of these, some 90% will receive a 1 October 2015 commencement date and the other 10% will receive a 1 January 2016 commencement date. The 10% are farmers who are currently in REPS or AEOS. The remaining applications (almost 2,500) have validation queries raised on them, which are being examined systematically by my Department. I expect the vast bulk of these will be processed very shortly.
The information sought on the average payment will not be available until the pre-payment validations are completed later this month.
429. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the allocation in the rural development plan 2014 to 2020 for the new green low carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37776/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is the Managing Authority for Ireland’s Rural Development Programme. The Programme is co-funded by the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the national exchequer. The GLAS Scheme is the main agri-environment measure under the RDP. The total expenditure envisaged for GLAS over the lifetime of the scheme is some €1.4 billion.
430. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assistance available from his Department to farmers, who are over 40 years of age, to build a shed to hold fodder; if no assistance is currently available, if he plans to provide it in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37778/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraGrant-aid is available to all farmers under TAMS II for silage-storage facilities, such as new silage pits and the resurfacing of existing silage pits, but not for other fodder-crops. It is important to appreciate that the TAMS suite of measures is required to target a limited number of priority objectives and cannot function as a general farm-investment scheme. However, grants for the construction of fodder sheds (hay and straw sheds) are available under the Organic Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II, which specifically targets the organic sector and provides for a wide range of investments designed to foster the growth of organic farming in Ireland.
431. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the qualifications or criteria that an entity or company must have or satisfy, to be eligible to deliver the next local action fishery programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37781/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 25 June 2015, my Department submitted an Operational Programme under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to the European Commission for its consideration and adoption. Following a period of negotiation of that draft Programme since June, I anticipate that the Commission will adopt the Programme in November. The Programme will then be published. The Operational Programme will set out details in section 5 of the process that will be followed for selection and approval of Local Development Strategies (LDS) to be implemented by FLAG groups with the support of the Operational Programme and the mandatory criteria that will be applied for consideration of expressions of interest and for evaluation of draft LDSs. Pending the adoption of the Operational Programme by the Commission, it would be premature to discuss details further at this stage. I will arrange for a copy of the adopted Programme to be laid before the Houses as soon as it is available.
432. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of active participants in the beef data and genomics scheme; the number of farmers who have submitted samples; the number of these who have submitted all their samples; the number of animals involved; the number of applicants who have submitted their survey forms by post and online; the latest date for submitting samples and surveys to ensure payment in 2015 under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37786/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 27,378 active participants in the 2015 Beef Data and Genomics Programme. Of the active participants 18,121 applicants have returned some tissue samples of which 15,983 herds have returned all required samples. This amounts to 208,995 genotyping samples submitted to the laboratory for testing.
A total of 14,470 applicants have submitted their survey forms by post and a further 3,935 applicants have completed their surveys online – therefore an overall total of 18, 405 participants have submitted survey data.
Payments will commence in mid-December to applicants who have returned their samples and survey forms. Applicants who have met these requirements will be paid in the first tranche of payments in mid December. Payments will be made on an ongoing basis thereafter as herds become eligible.
433. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a property (details supplied) in County Dublin will be available for tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37788/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraProperties within the Fishery Harbour Centres, including Howth, are, when appropriate, offered for tenancy under lease agreement by means of open competitive tendering process in accordance with normal public procurement guidelines. Maintaining a fair and transparent process where all interested parties are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in such competitions is a priority. The property referred to by the Deputy is occupied and currently not available for tender.
There can be properties within the Fishery Harbour Centres which may appear vacant, however some such properties can technically/legally be occupied and therefore are not in a position to be considered for tender.
435. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive farm payments; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37836/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn order to be eligible for payment under the Basic Payment Scheme/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme applicants must hold entitlements and are required to submit an annual application. In 2015 , no application was received in respect of the person named under either scheme.
436. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37848/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May 2015. Processing of the application has recently been finalised and payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
437. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare regarding an appeal of a penalty under the single farm payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37849/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Agriculture Appeals Office has confirmed that an appeal was received from the person named on 15 September 2015. The file and a statement on the appeal have been received from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the appeal has been assigned to an Appeals Officer. The Appeals Officer will be in direct contact with the person named regarding the appeal. When all of the facts of the case have been fully considered a comprehensive decision letter will issue.
438. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a farmer (details supplied) in County Clare will receive payments under the single payment scheme and the areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37856/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the Basic Payments and Areas of Natural Constraints Schemes was received from the person named on 14 April 2015. Processing of these applications has recently been finalised and payments due under both schemes will issue shortly.
439. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views regarding the matter of loans to individual farmers from banks and financial institutions for the past three years, for which returns are available; the amount of total loans that are available; in view of concerns regarding falling commodity prices, if he has requested the banks to act cautiously, as some banks are concerned at the level of loans and what they perceive to be trouble in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37866/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Bank publishes figures on a quarterly basis for credit advanced to Irish-resident small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). New lending and outstanding loans in the primary agriculture sector for the three years to the end of June this year, are as follows (in €millions):
|
Agriculture |
Sep-12 |
Dec-12 |
Mar-13 |
Jun-13 |
Sep-13 |
Dec-13 |
Mar-14 |
Jun-14 |
Sep-14 |
Dec-14 |
Mar-15 |
Jun-15 |
|
New Lending |
138 |
165 |
149 |
144 |
119 |
173 |
151 |
141 |
135 |
173 |
161 |
151 |
|
Outstanding |
3,953 |
3,808 |
3,880 |
3,886 |
3,945 |
3,793 |
3,856 |
3,401 |
3,421 |
3,259 |
3,266 |
3,354 |
Lending into the sector has been fairly consistent over the last three years, averaging €150 million per quarter. The amount of loans outstanding has reduced from €3,953 million in September 2012 to €3,354 million at the end of June 2015.
Teagasc and Bank of Ireland launched a report earlier this year, “A Review of the Financial Status of Irish Farms and Future Investment Requirements”, which indicated that, relative to the EU average, Irish farms have low debt and high asset values. The average level of debt on all farms (farms with and without debt) in 2013 was €24,000. Dairy farms had the highest level of debt at an average of approximately €62,000 for all dairy farms. However, 34% of dairy farms have no debt at all – the average debt on the 66% of dairy farms that have loans outstanding is €94,000.
As part of the regular contact that I maintain with them, I recently met with the CEOs of the three main banks to discuss issues relating to the sector. All consider the sector to be vitally important to them and have specialised offerings to farmers, especially young farmers. I have stressed the need for them to be flexible in the context of increased income volatility and they all informed me that they are aware of the challenges facing farmers in this regard.
As well as the offerings from the main banks, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) was established by the Government to deliver lower cost, long-term, innovative and accessible funding to Irish SMEs, by offering tailored flex ible products, through its ‘on-lending partners’ (currently AIB & Bank of Ireland). Their products include ‘Agriculture Investment Loans’ , available for investment by agricultural SMEs, including farmers, involved in primary agricultural production, the processing of agricultural products or the marketing of agricultural products. Of the almost €45 million of SBCI loans approved and drawn down since March, a third has been accessed by the agricultural sector.
440. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Galway will receive payments for 2014 and 2015 under the agri-environment options scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37873/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for amounts different to those actually paid by the participants. Funding provided under the scheme comes partly from the EU and partly from the National Exchequer. There is a requirement and obligation to ensure that the expenditure claimed by scheme participants reflects the reality of what took place. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.
The person named above was written to on 11 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim. A reply to this letter was received on 19 June last.
My Department officials carefully examined the application in light of this reply; this examination indicated that the amount claimed was different to the verified costs. A letter informing the applicant of this determination, and of the proposed penalty, was issued on 14 October. This letter also offered the applicant an opportunity to submit additional information if he wished and to have the proposed determination reviewed within the Department.
