Written Answers Nos 807-822
807. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the appropriate assessment for the Rutland Natura site in County Donegal will be completed; the conservation objectives set to allow aquaculture licence applications to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26893/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraRutland Island and Sound is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive.
In order to ensure compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, an Appropriate Assessment has to be carried out before any aquaculture licensing determination may be made in respect of aquaculture applications for sites in the bay.
My Department is working with the Marine Institute, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to achieve full compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives through a multi-annual work programme. This programme required the gathering of the necessary baseline data appropriate to the Conservation Objectives of aquaculture sites located within designated Natura areas. This data collection programme, which is substantially complete, together with the setting of
Conservation Objectives, will enable all new and renewal aquaculture applications to be assessed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives. This work is ongoing and a great deal of progress has been made to date. Conservation Objectives have been set for Rutland Island and Sound SAC.
Conservation Objectives have been set for Rutland Island and Sound SAC. The next step in the process is the carrying out of an Appropriate Assessment by the Marine Institute. This is being progressed taking account of the need to facilitate the use of scientific and other resources on a flexible basis across the full range of bays.
The average timeframe for processing each particular application varies depending on location, species, scale and intensity of production, statutory status of sites, potential visual impact etc. Other factors include consideration of any submissions or observations raised during the public consultation period.
My Department continues to make every effort to expedite the determination of all aquaculture applications having regard to the complexities of each case and the need to comply fully with all national and EU legislation.
808. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the current review of the disadvantaged areas payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26894/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraArticle 32 of EU Regulation 1305/2013 requires all member states to implement a new system for designating eligible areas under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme from 2018 at the latest. At present, eligible land under the scheme is designated by reference to criteria such as stocking density, family farm income, population density and the percentage of the working population engaged in agriculture.
Under the new system of designation which must be introduced in 2018, eligible areas will have to be designated on the basis of biophysical criteria. The criteria set out in the legislation are low temperature; dryness; excess soil moisture; limited soil drainage; unfavourable texture and stoniness; shallow rooting depth; poor chemical properties; and steep slope.
My Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently sourcing and analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Officials have also been in contact with the Commission to discuss technical issues arising.
Once this process is complete, the draft data will provide the basis for the identification of eligible areas for ANC. It is envisaged that domestic stakeholders will be consulted as this process develops.
809. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine , further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 335 of 12 July 2016 and 560 of 16 September 2016, if dogs seized on welfare rather than control grounds become the responsibility of the local authority, the authorised officers, the ISPCA or the welfare group carrying out the seizure. [26898/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for deciding on arrangements for dealing with dogs seized on either animal welfare or animal control grounds is a matter for the agencies or organisations which have seized them. My Department understands that the Local Authority in question secured the surrender of the dogs in question and worked with a number of animal welfare groups in re-homing as many of the dogs that could be successfully re-homed. It was not possible to re-home all dogs due to behavioural and welfare issues linked to age and infirmity. An Garda Síochána also assisted in the matter.
810. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all payments owing to a person (details supplied) have been made; and if so, the dates of same. [26929/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has no record of the person named having lodged applications under the Single Payment Scheme since 2010 or under Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 or in 2016. All outstanding payments under the Single Payment Scheme have issued to him.
811. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the negotiations to conclude a management agreement for Lough Foyle area to facilitate the acquisition by the Loughs Agency of aquaculture licensing functions for the lough; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26983/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that the management of aquaculture licensing functions in Lough Foyle gives rise to legal and jurisdictional complexities. Negotiations regarding the jurisdiction of the Lough Foyle area are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I understand these discussions are ongoing.
My Department organises and participates in an inter-departmental working group which is pursuing a way forward in terms of the future management of aquaculture activities on Lough Foyle in parallel to a workable resolution to the complex jurisdictional issues involved. The latter aspect in particular requires careful and detailed consideration to bring about an agreed way forward.
812. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a GLAS payment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27084/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 11 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015.
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.
During this checking process in respect of the 2015 scheme year, an issue was identified with the Traditional Hay Meadow action. Department officials are examining this issue with a view to resolving it and processing the application for payment at the earliest opportunity.
813. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason beekeeping activity does not qualify to participate in the knowledge transfer programme run by his Department considering that it is part of Ireland’s €4 billion rural development programme, 2014 to 2020 (details supplied); if he will amend the terms of this programme to include other agricultural activities such as beekeeping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27113/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Knowledge Transfer Programme in the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020, Knowledge Transfer Groups are being established across the beef, sheep, dairy, equine, tillage and poultry sectors. The preparatory analysis underpinning the RDP identified a range of key issues to be addressed by these groups, such as matters linked to production quality, financial management, environmentally sustainable practices, and animal health and welfare.
However, the scheme design also allows for individual groups to tailor their Knowledge Transfer meetings to topics of particular relevance to their own circumstances. Thus, it is open to groups to include other agricultural activities in the Programme.
It is also of note that support for conservation of bees is included in GLAS (the agri-environment and climate measure in the RDP) and there is also specific support within the LEADER measure of the RDP for marketing and processing support for enterprises such as honey processors where that is in line with the Local Development Strategies produced in each region. The LEADER measure is administered by my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
814. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if access to Land Commission data from pre-Cromwell through Griffith Valuation to the present time for County Galway can be made available online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27118/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSome 8 million records relating to the activities of the former Irish Land Commission are available in paper format only. There are no plans at present to make these records available on line, my Department may consider this at a future date.
815. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a TAMS II grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27144/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application for grant aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme on 22 June 2016.
The procedure is that when all the applications received in a given tranche are checked for administrative issues they are then put through a ranking and selection process. Once an application has passed through the ranking and selection process in a particular tranche, it is then checked for technical issues in the local office before approval issues.
816. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a TAMS II grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27145/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application for grant aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II on the 10 June 2016. When all the applications received in a tranche are checked for administrative issues they are then ranked and selected. Once they have passed through ranking and selection in a particular tranche, applications are checked for technical issues in the local office before approval issues. This process is underway for the third tranche of TAMS II.
817. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for a TAMS II grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27147/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe persons named submitted an application for grant aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS 11 on 23 March 2016. Approval to commence the investment works issued to the applicants on 28 July 2016. To date the applicants have not submitted a payment claim.
818. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal regarding a farm payment by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27148/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application from the person named under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 13 May 2015. Following the Department’s pre approval validation checks the application was unsuccessful and therefore was not selected for admission to the scheme.
The original assessment of this application is currently under review and the outcome of this review will be notified directly to the person named as soon as it is finalised.
819. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for TAMS II funding by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27149/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application as a Registered Farm Partnership for grant aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS 11 on 15 March 2016. The application is currently being examined by the Departments Inspectorate at the Local Office. The person named will be contacted directly following the outcome of this examination.
820. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for TAMS II to build a shed by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27150/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application for grant aid under the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme in TAMS 11 on 23 March 2016. Approval to commence the investment works issued to the applicant on 10 August 2016.
821. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an application for TAMS II by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27151/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named submitted an application for grant aid under the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme as part of TAMS II under the third tranche of the Scheme which closed on 24 June 2016. The application concerned has passed all administrative checks. The procedure is that when all the applications received in a tranche are checked for administrative issues, they are then ranked and selected. If selected in a particular tranche the applications are checked for technical issues in the local office before approval issues. This process is underway for this tranche of TAMS II.
822. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a 2015 GLAS payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27152/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 16 May 2015 and the person named was approved into the GLAS 1 with effect from 1 October 2015.
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.
The application of the person named successfully completed the GLAS pre-payment validation checks in respect of the 2015 scheme year and the full 2015 entitlement was processed and paid on 29 July 2016.
