Pat Breen
Ceist:530. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11349/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraBasic Payment Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (530)
Freagraí scríofa
An application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 12 May 2015. Full payment due to date under the Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in October and December 2015. A further final balancing payment will issue to applicants who qualify for such payment, following the definitive allocation of entitlements over the coming weeks.
Animal Breeding Regulations
Ceisteanna (531)
Clare Daly
Ceist:531. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to address the animal welfare breaches at a puppy farm (details supplied); and if he will take immediate steps to remove the licence held by this farm. [11353/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Cavan County Council has responsibility under the Dog Breeding Establishment Act 2010 for the licensing and inspection of the premises in question. I can confirm that following a recent TV programme, my Department undertook a joint inspection of the premises with Cavan County Council. This inspection revealed that a number of structural improvements to the premises were required. The owners of the dog breeding establishment have undertaken to implement these improvements and compliance with this commitment will be checked through follow-up inspection.
Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme
Ceisteanna (532)
Seán Canney
Ceist:532. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in respect of a 40% capital investment in a slatted shed under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme; if he is aware that the application was made seven or eight months ago and the person has received no response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11381/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The applicant in question has applied in Tranche 1 under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme in TAMS 11. The administrative checks have been carried out and the technical checks will also be completed shortly with a view to approval issuing within a matter of weeks. All applications within a given tranche have to be examined and then ranked and selected. My Department also had to undertake necessary IT development work before the applications received could be fully examined.
Departmental Properties
Ceisteanna (533)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:533. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual rental value of each vacant property and land holding of his Department. [11413/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department’s property portfolio at the six State owned Fishery Harbour Centres at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Ros An Mhíl and Killybegs consists of a total of 213 properties. Currently there are 11 vacant properties with a commercial rental potential. When being made available, the prevailing rental market value determines the rental return to the Department. The Department has no other vacant properties.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (534)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:534. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a 2015 basic payment scheme balancing payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11472/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person named submitted an application for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme which was received in the Department on 6 May 2015. Payments issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in October and December 2015. A further final balancing payment will issue to applicants who qualify for such payment, following the definitive allocation of entitlements over the coming weeks.
Basic Payment Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (535)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:535. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a basic payment scheme balancing payment will issue to a person (details provided). [11475/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person named submitted an application for the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme which was received in the Department on 8 May 2015. Payments issued to the nominated bank account of the person named in October and December 2015. A further final balancing payment will issue to applicants who qualify for such payment, following the definitive allocation of entitlements over the coming weeks.
Superlevy Fine
Ceisteanna (536)
Peter Burke
Ceist:536. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will facilitate a repayment suspension for the superlevy for dairy farmers, considering the severe cash flow challenges in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11526/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy may be aware, a facility to phase the final superlevy payment over three years was introduced by the EU Commission last year at Ireland’s request. Farmers availing of the facility must pay at least one third of the bill in each of the first two years (2015 and 2016) with the balance to be paid in 2017. The Department implemented the scheme nationally and 3,741 farmers (out of a total of 6,109 farmers who incurred the levy) deferred repayments of €35.6m in superlevy liability, (out of a total national levy liability of €71.2m).
The mechanism required the Exchequer to pay the superlevy liability to the EU in full in 2015, and to recover the levy from farmers over the three years from 2015 to 2017. A wide process of consultation in the design of the scheme was undertaken with farm organisations and co-ops and it was agreed that once the initial farmer instalment was paid in 2015, the optimum repayment model for the balancing payments would involve ten equal instalments from the months of May-September in 2016 and 2017.
These amounts will be deducted by co-ops from a farmer’s monthly milk cheques to coincide with the peak milk supply months of April to August. The co-ops will then forward the money each month to the Department. This approach was also agreed as part of the sanction given by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
As part of the discussions in the run-up to the March Council of Agriculture Ministers, Ireland proposed a further deferral of the payment to 2017 and 2018, to ease the financial burden on liable farmers in 2016. However the European Commission advised that the legal basis for the Regulations under-pinning the scheme are no longer in existence and therefore further amendments were not possible. While Ireland suggested a possible alternative legal approach, it was clear that the proposal enjoyed very little support from other Member States and was therefore unlikely to succeed.
On that basis the focus turned to other measures in the package which can be of assistance to Irish dairy farmers to help them through current difficulties, including the doubling of intervention fixed price buying-in thresholds. I did however raise the matter with Commissioner Phil Hogan in our bilateral meeting last week, as well as at last week’s Council of Minister’s meeting, and encouraged him to reflect again on whether a legal basis could be found to facilitate a further deferral in superlevy repayments for farmers.
Flood Relief Schemes Applications
Ceisteanna (537)
Kevin O'Keeffe
Ceist:537. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under a specific scheme. [11564/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
An application for compensation under the Emergency Flood Damage Relief Measure 2016 was received in my Department from the person named on 16 February. Verification checks of the person’s application are currently being carried out and will soon be completed. Any payment due will then issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
GLAS Payments
Ceisteanna (538)
Timmy Dooley
Ceist:538. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will issue payment to a person (details supplied) under the green low carbon agri-environment scheme for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11585/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
An application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on 21 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015. There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment is due to issue.
Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility
Ceisteanna (539)
Michael Ring
Ceist:539. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the value of the entitlements of a person (details supplied); if the person who is a herd owner is due a final payment for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11591/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme entitlements are established based on the number of eligible hectares declared in 2013 or 2015 whichever is lesser and a fixed percentage of the value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 and any Grassland Sheep payment received by them in 2014. As the person named received a direct payment in 2013 he was eligible to qualify for an automatic allocation right under the 2015 Basic Payment scheme. In 2015 the person named also submitted a Private Contract Clause application to my Department to receive a transfer of 16.44 entitlements from another farmer. He also declared 16.44 eligible hectares of land under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme. The Private Contract Clause application was successfully processed leaving no remaining hectares to establish entitlements based on his owned allocation rights. An Official from my Department has contacted the person named directly with a view to having the matter resolved.
Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments
Ceisteanna (540)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:540. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11615/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person named commenced their AEOS contract on 1 September 2011. Payment has issued in respect of 2011 and 2012 Scheme years. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Issues arose in respect of the LPIS review which have now been resolved. The remaining cross checks are nearing completion and payment is expected to issue shortly.
Dairy Sector
Ceisteanna (541)
Pat Deering
Ceist:541. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to deal with the serious cash flow issues in the dairy sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11620/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am fully aware of the pressures on dairy farmers right now and I am committed to working with all players in the sector here to address these issues and ensure that we have a sustainable dairy sector going forward. As one of the proposers of the Dairy Forum my goal is to ensure that it continues to work constructively as a vehicle for addressing issues of concern to farmers and others in the sector. The Forum has come forward with some good initiatives for farmers already, including an initiative on improving cashflow planning at farm level, which will be rolled out shortly. The price of milk and dairy commodities is determined by a range of factors, including supply and demand at international level. Food commodity markets including dairy markets have been characterised by significant levels of volatility for a number of years and this trend has continued throughout 2015 and into 2016. Factors contributing to this global price volatility include the Russian Ban and the softening of Chinese demand on one side, coupled with increased production among key global producers, including the EU on the supply side. The longer term demographic and demand perspectives remain positive, but there is no doubt that 2016 will continue to be a challenging year.
Dealing with price volatility is a major challenge for the sector. The Single Farm Payment provides some measure of income stability, and EU market support measures will have a role to play. These measures are not enough on their own, however. The sector needs to look at measures to reduce costs on farms, and at the development of new tools, including fixed price contracts, futures markets and more flexible financing arrangements for farmers. I expect all of the stakeholders in the sector, including processors and banks, to play an active role in the development of such instruments.
I very much welcome the EU Presidency conclusions on a package of support measures to address challenges in the dairy and pigmeat sectors agreed in Brussels at Council in March. This follows on from an earlier package of measures agreed in September of last year and takes account of the ongoing difficulties in the sector.
The package includes a number of proposals by Ireland to the Commission in advance of Council, in particular the doubling of the intervention ceiling for skimmed milk powder and butter.
In terms of input costs at farm level, Ireland has called on the Commission to consider temporarily suspending EU import tariffs on fertilisers. I understand that the Commission is examining this request at present. At national level, I will continue to support the work of Teagasc, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation and Animal Health Ireland to increase on farm efficiency and reduce input costs. The EU Presidency conclusions also refer to the possibility of advance payments under CAP, as was done in 2015. In addition my Department recently paid €26.4m in direct aid to dairy farmers, co-funded by the exchequer and the EU, to assist with liquidity and cash-flow issues on dairy farms.
I also welcome the proposal for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and member states to work together with the Commission on the feasibility of an EU export credit tool. My Department will continue to engage with the Irish banking system to ensure there is a full appreciation of the temporary impact of downward price volatility on farm enterprises which are financially sound in the medium term.
I have also recently raised the question of a further extension of the period for payment of superlevy with Commissioner Hogan.
It remains clear that we need to deal urgently and effectively with this temporary problem. We must ensure that EU farmers are protected from the worst impacts of low commodity prices in an appropriate way, but remain well placed to avail of emerging opportunities when markets recover. Ireland is strongly positioned as a competitive producer of dairy, and while conditions are extremely difficult at present, Irish dairy farmers will be well placed to avail of the opportunity presented by market recovery in due course.
GLAS Administration
Ceisteanna (542)
Peter Burke
Ceist:542. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to extend the entrance date for the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme for a further two weeks, given the late spring in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11661/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This matter which I understand relates to the Wild Bird Cover action in the GLAS scheme, is currently being considered by my Department and all scheme participants will be notified of any change following this review.
Food Safety Standards Regulation
Ceisteanna (543)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:543. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an inspection of a milk processing plant for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11662/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
An application for approval as a food business operator from the person concerned is currently under active consideration by my Department. Milk processing plants must meet the requirements set out in detailed EU food safety regulations, which are implemented in Ireland under the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009 (S.I. No. 432 of 2009).
An initial inspection visit to the proposed premises by officials from my Department has taken place , at which the applicant was notified of corrective measures required to meet the necessary standard. The granting of approval to operate will depend on the outcome of the inspection process and the completion of any upgrading required to meet the regulatory standards. The applicant has been apprised of the date of a further inspection, to be carried out shortly.
TAMS Eligibility
Ceisteanna (544)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:544. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the grant assistance available to persons wishing to avail of rain harvesting systems on their farms. [11663/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Grant assistance is available to organic farmers wishing to install rain harvesting systems on their farms. Grant aid of 40% is available for registered licensed organic farmers under the Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS) of TAMS II. A top-up of an additional 20% is available to qualifying young organic farmers. There is also a proposal with the EU Commission to grant aid rain water harvesting systems for all other qualifying farmers as part of the Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020. Formal approval of the required amendment to the Rural Development Programme is expected from the EU Commission shortly.
GLAS Applications
Ceisteanna (545)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:545. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to review an application by a person (details supplied) under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11671/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person named submitted an application for Tranche 1 of the GLAS Scheme but following the Department’s pre approval validation checks. The application was unsuccessful and therefore was not selected for admission to the scheme. I understand that there may be an issue with the original assessment of this application and my Department is currently reviewing the application. Once this review has been completed, the person named will be notified of the outcome.
Land Issues
Ceisteanna (546)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:546. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that the agricultural appeals office report of 30 April 2014 on the Keelderry commonage in County Galway appears to contain wording, context and inaccuracies identical to another report prepared by another person (details supplied) dated 2 November 2013 and based on an inspection on 31 October 2013; if the inspection conducted by his agricultural appeals office was fresh, independent, comprehensive, fair and in depth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11674/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The matter referred to by the Deputy is subject to on-going legal proceedings and therefore I cannot comment on the matter.
Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility
Ceisteanna (547)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:547. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the evidence he requires from an applicant under the basic payment scheme to show that land previously deemed ineligible for what his Department determined to be a lack of agricultural activity in one year is subsequently, in the view of the applicant, eligible for payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11675/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
All land parcels declared on the Basic Payment Scheme application must meet the requirements of an “eligible hectare” as defined in the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. In particular Section 1.5 of the 2016 Terms and Conditions of the Direct Payment Schemes outlines the Eligibility Requirements. In particular it states “In order to be eligible for payment each land parcel must have an agricultural activity carried out on it. An ‘Agricultural Activity’ means: a) The production, rearing or growing of agricultural products, including harvesting, milking, breeding animals, and keeping animals for farming purposes; and b) Maintaining an agricultural area in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation”.
Furthermore it states “In the case of each hectare declared, the eligible area excludes any areas under roads, paths, buildings, farmyards, woods, scrub, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, sand, areas of bare rock, boglands unfit for grazing, sand/gravel pits, areas used for quarrying, areas fenced off and not being accessed, areas ungrazed due to low stocking rates, areas of ungrazed mature heather, rushes or ferns, inaccessible areas, land that is not being maintained in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation by the applicant, areas used exclusively as sports fields, golf courses, pitch and putt courses, areas used for commercial turf production or any other areas of ungrazable groundcover. Deductions are not required for headlands or for landscape features such as hedgerows and drains/ditches. Where you have not previously advised the Department of any of the above exclusions, please outline them clearly on the map provided and return it with your 2016 BPS Application form.”
Where the land is agriculture area and is brought back into compliance with the requirements it can then be deemed eligible for payment.
Land Issues
Ceisteanna (548)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:548. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he accepts that the report prepared by his official (details supplied) on 2 November 2013 on the Keelderry commonage in County Galway was misleading (details supplied); if he accepts that the report of this official is therefore fundamentally flawed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11676/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The matter referred to by the Deputy is subject to on-going legal proceedings and therefore I cannot comment on the matter.
Land Issues
Ceisteanna (549)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:549. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the precise qualification held by two persons (details supplied) to determine the nature of lands, including use, constitution, agricultural capacity and environmental significance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11677/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Deputy would appear to be referring to the involvement of the two named individuals in a matter which is the subject of legal proceedings and therefore I cannot comment on the matter.
Land Issues
Ceisteanna (550)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:550. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a list, including the names and grades of the persons and the times and dates of all entrances to the lands known as the Keelderry commonage in County Galway, from 1 January 2010 to date. [11678/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The matter referred to by the Deputy is subject to on-going legal proceedings and therefore I cannot comment on the matter.