Written Answers Nos. 120 to 128
120. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42100/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May, 2015. Processing of this application has been completed, and payment will issue directly to the nominated bank account of the person named shortly.
121. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the single payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42101/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted a 2015 Transfer of Entitlement Allocation Right and Reference Value application to my Department. Since the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application was submitted to my Department the herd number quoted above was transferred into the name of the person named. In order to facilitate the processing of the transfer application it will be necessary for the person named, in conjunction with the previous herd owner, to complete a Declaration of Undertaking form. An official from my Department has spoken to the person named and has issued the form for completion. Once the completed form has been returned to my Department the application will be processed and payment will issue shortly thereafter.
122. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42102/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 29 May , 2015. Processing of this application is currently ongoing, with a view to finalising for payment at the earliest possible date.
123. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the single payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42103/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the Basic Payments Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2015. Processing of this application has been completed, and payment has issued to the nominated bank account of the person named.
124. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the establishment that grants moneys that have been recouped by the forestry service from individual companies, as these moneys pertain to forestry contracts issued to individual farmers or landowners for each of the years 2011 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42109/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to forestry contracts issued to individual farmers or landowners, such contracts are solely between my Department and the farmer or landowner; the forestry companies are not party to these contracts. Therefore, any recoupment under these contracts was made from the individual landowner and not from the forestry companies.
125. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine an application under the basic payments scheme by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; if the payment will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42120/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 7 May, 2015. Processing of the application has recently been finalised and payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
126. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a scallop entitlement on a licensed fishing boat (details supplied) in County Kerry will be decommissioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42182/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume that the Deputy is referring to the decommissioning of a sea fishing boat. Ireland secured €147.6 million in EU funds from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund which together with the allocation of national funds provides for a €241 million investment programme as set out in the Seafood Development Programme; formal approval by the EU Commission is expected in December. Under the EMFF, decommissioning may only be introduced in respect of fleet metiers identified in the national Fleet Report as out of balance and as submitted to the EU Commission. Under the Programme some €16m has been earmarked for a decommissioning scheme for the 12 to 24m polyvalent vessels impacted by the landing obligation. It is planned to develop a scheme in the early part of 2016 and this scheme will be subject to consultation and approval by stakeholders through the Monitoring Committee for the Programme.
127. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to ensure that the Annelles Ilena, the largest fishing vessel in the world, and the Margiris, the second largest fishing vessel in the world, are in compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, and if independent observers are on board the two vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42188/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraControl of the vessel within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities who monitor fishing activity of all vessels operating the area. The Control authorities have on-going information in relation to the vessels operating in the Irish Exclusive Fisheries zone including their activities and characteristics. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning sea fisheries control are, as a matter of law, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. As Minister, I am precluded from getting involved in operational matters including in relation to law enforcement. In relation to the overall framework for fisheries control in the EU, in October 2009 a new regulation dealing with fisheries controls was adopted. Council Regulation 1224/2009 establishes a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy. Control and inspection is now focused where it is most effective through an approach based on systematic risk analysis. Inspection procedures are standardised and harmonised for all stages in the market chain, including transport and marketing. The Control Regulations were introduced so that there is a common EU level playing field and to provide for an effective range of controls across EU waters.
One of the key elements of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy is the introduction of a phased ban on the discarding of unwanted fish catches. The first part of the landing obligation, the ban on discarding pelagic stocks such as herring and mackerel, came into effect on the 1st of January 2015. The EU Commission adopted a Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1393/2014 on 20 October 2014 which implements a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in north-western waters in line with the recommendation of the North West Waters Member States Group. A Control Experts Group from the North West Waters Regional Group of Member States has been set up and has produced a draft set of recommendations on additional control measures for the pelagic sector in respect of the landing obligation in pelagic fisheries. These draft recommendations have been sent to the Pelagic Advisory Council and the North Western Advisory Council in accordance with article 18 of the CFP basic regulation (EU No 1380/2013) for their observations.
The draft recommendations are being considered by the NWW Member States Group. The measures recommended by the Control experts cover a range of actions including the use of cameras or other remote sensing equipment on all large pelagic vessels, both freezer vessels and our own RSW (Refrigerated Seawater Tank vessels) to support the landing obligation. It also recommends control observers “for individual trips to address dynamically – assessed risks of a more transient nature.” It is important to note that the flag Member State would be responsible for placing control observers on its vessels. I consider that any strengthened control measures must provide tools to both the flag Member State and the coastal Member State to better monitor and control fishing activities. We will continue to work closely with the North Western Waters Member States to identify the control actions that are most useful so that the landing obligation is fully respected.
128. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue under the 2015 basic payment scheme and the areas of natural constraint scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42196/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under the Basic Payment Scheme/Area of Natural Constraint Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 29 May, 2015. Following processing, a commonage evidence issue was disclosed in respect of one of the parcels declared by the person named . An official from my Department has written to the claimants concerned and has been in direct contact with the person named in order to expedite the processing of this application.
