Written Answers Nos 574-585
574. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons in County Louth that have not received 85% of their total 2016 payment under GLAS 1, GLAS 2 and AEOS; the reason for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15999/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU Regulations governing GLAS, AEOS and all other area-based payment schemes, a full check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System must take place before payment can issue. Currently 26 GLAS 1, 7 GLAS 2 and 10 AEOS cases are being worked through on an ongoing basis with all cases that are cleared for payment being paid on a weekly basis.
575. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the KSPCA refused to attend the scene of an incident (details supplied) in Kilkenny city on 26 March 2017 and informed persons calling to report the incident that it was a matter for the Garda, which had advised that it was a matter for the KSPCA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16004/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe incident mentioned is the subject of an ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána who have assured my Department that, if it can be established a crime has been committed, every effort will be made in holding the offender(s) to account.
Incidents of animal cruelty are totally unacceptable and my Department devotes considerable resources to protecting animal welfare and dealing with breaches of animal welfare legislation.
576. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an outstanding GLAS payment for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16019/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full payment in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue presented on the computerised crosscheck of Department databases. Department officials are actively working to resolve this issue with a view to further processing the application for the 2016 payment as soon as possible.
577. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara cén uair a dhéanfar íocaíocht faoi scéim GLAS le feirmeoir i gContae na Gaillimhe (sonraí leis seo); cén fáth a bhfuil moill leis an íocaíocht sin; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [16035/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCeadaíodh an duine ainmnithe isteach in GLAS 1 agus an 1 Deireadh Fómhair 2015 an dáta ar cuireadh tús leis an gconradh. Tá teidlíochtaí iomlána faighte ag an té sin i leith na bliana scéime 2015.
Le linn phróiseas seiceála réamhíocaíochta 2016, tháinig fadhb chun solais nuair a rinneadh cros-sheiceáil ríomhairithe ar bhunachair sonraí na Roinne. Tá oifigigh de chuid na Roinne ag scrúdú na faidhbe seo le súil agus gur féidir tuilleadh próiseála a dhéanamh ar íocaíocht i leith na bliana scéime 2016.
578. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if licences will be renewed for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16123/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application referred to by the Deputy is on behalf of Sneem Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Ltd (which includes the individuals identified by the Deputy).
The relevant sites are located within Kenmare Bay which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive (Natura 2000 site).
All applications in ‘Natura’ areas are required to be appropriately assessed for the purpose of environmental compliance with the EU Birds and/or Habitats Directives. An Appropriate Assessment has been carried out by the Marine Institute in respect of Kenmare Bay Special Area of Conservation. My Department has prepared an Appropriate Assessment Conclusion Statement which outlines how it is proposed to licence aquaculture in Kenmare Bay Special Area of Conservation in compliance with the Habitats Directive. This Conclusion Statement is available on the Department’s website.
In addition to Natura requirements, under EU Environmental Impact Assessment Directives all licence applications must undergo an Environmental Impact Screening Assessment. This requires significant input from my Department’s scientific and technical advisors. All applications, in compliance with the requirements of the applicable legislation, are advertised in order to facilitate public consultation, and submissions or observations received must be considered as part of the licence determination process.
While the Appropriate Assessment is carried out on a bay-wide basis, each licence application within the bay must be assessed individually. Every effort is being made to expedite the determination of this aquaculture licence application having regard to all the complexities involved.
579. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of young persons currently enrolled on green cert courses that will not be eligible for the national reserve, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16141/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current agricultural education requirement for the National Reserve is at Fetac Level 6 or equivalent. My Department does not hold records of the number of young persons who are currently enrolled on such agricultural courses.
There are a number of educational institutions which provide this level of agricultural education, for example agricultural colleges run by Teagasc, privately owned colleges and Universities.
Graduates from these courses do not always necessarily follow a farming career.
580. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 635 of 31 January 2017, the reason incorrect information was provided (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to previous PQ 3945, I can now confirm that payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named in the past week.
581. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there will be an aid package for tillage farmers in the future; and if so, the details of same. [16167/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware I hosted a further Tillage Stakeholders Forum recently which consisted of representatives from all sides of this Sector. Addressing the Forum, I took the opportunity to highlight that one of my priorities has been to address the impact of the change in the sterling exchange rate and lower commodity prices in some sectors, which have caused cash flow difficulties for farmers.
Therefore I was pleased to facilitate the “Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme”, which was developed by my Department in co-operation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and makes €150 million available to farmers throughout Ireland at interest rates of 2.95%. Distributed through AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank, it provides tillage farmers with a low cost, flexible source of working capital and will allow them to pay down more expensive forms of short-term debt, ensuring the ongoing financial sustainability of viable farming enterprises. The loans are for amounts up to €150,000 for up to six years and are flexible with interest only facilities of up to three years. Although there are no official figures as yet on the total drawdown from the Scheme, very strong interest has been reported.
Also the Tillage Investment Scheme under TAMS II opened for online applications on 8 March 2017. The specific areas of investment include Minimum Disturbance Tillage Equipment, Sprayers, Rain Water Harvesting, Grain Storage and Grain dryers. This Tillage Scheme is the latest of the Targeted Modernisation Schemes (TAMS II) to be launched under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. The Scheme is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). All applications must be made on-line, either by the farmer or by an adviser authorised to act on his or her behalf. The closing date for applications under the first tranche of the new scheme will be Friday 30 June 2017.
As an additional support to cash flow on farms, including Tillage farms, that up to last week €1.182 billion has been paid out under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme to 123,821 farmers and payments are ongoing. Payments of just over €201 million have also been made to 93,921 applicants under the 2016 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme.
I can confirm to the Deputy that a wide ranging discussion took place among all the stakeholders who attended the Forum, including on the issue of crop losses as a result of the poor harvest conditions of last autumn. My officials have since then had some further meetings with stakeholders and I will consider further the outcome of those deliberations.
582. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to animal welfare issues relating to puppy mills in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16168/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for legislation relating to dog breeding establishments rests with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. However, officials from my Department work closely with local authority officers on issues relating to the welfare of dogs and, in 2015, engaged with them on joint inspections of dog breeding establishments. In overall terms the welfare of the dogs in dog breeding establishments was found to be satisfactory; however, a number of notices were issued by local authorities with a view to improving housing facilities and reducing the number of dogs kept.
A detailed list of statistics on the 2015 local authority inspections, notices issued and detailed information can be found at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/search/archived/current/sub-type/dog-control/type/statistics?query
The figures for 2016 are being compiled at present and will soon be published at the same location.
Officers of my Department continue to work closely with local authority officials to ensure the optimum animal welfare standards.
583. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of full-time and part-time staff hired since 1 January 2017 in his Department and in each State agency under his auspices; the number of these staff hires which were recruited specifically to work on Brexit-related issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16180/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has hired 55 full-time staff since 1 January 2017.
Following the UK referendum in June 2016, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine established a dedicated Brexit Unit within its EU and International Trade Division. This Unit now forms part of a newly formed Brexit and International Trade Division. It is comprised of three staff working full-time on Brexit issues, reporting to a full-time Head of Division, who in turn reports to an Assistant Secretary General deeply engaged in Brexit issues in addition to discharging other responsibilities. The Unit co-ordinates the ongoing analysis, consultation and engagement activities being undertaken by a large number of administrative, technical and veterinary staff, through an internal Brexit Response Committee comprised of 16 people drawn from the wide range of Divisions affected by Brexit (including, for example, Meat and Milk Policy, Animal Health and Welfare, Food Industry Development, Economics and Planning, and Seafood Policy and Development). It also feeds into the whole-of-Government co-ordination being undertaken by the Department of the Taoiseach.
Staff hires within State agencies under my Department's auspices are a matter for the State Bodies themselves once they remain within their budget set in their Delegated Sanction.
584. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an outstanding 2016 GLAS payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16184/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full payment in respect of the 2015 scheme year.
The 85% advance payment for 2016 has also been paid to the person named. The balancing 15% payment for 2016 will be processed in due course according to the regulatory requirements.
585. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a vacant building (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16190/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe property referred to by the Deputy is under Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s (BIM) remit and is not part of my Department’s property portfolio in Dingle Fishery Harbour Centre. Currently my Department is using part of the property as a storage area with BIM’s agreement.
Any decision regarding the disposal of the building is a matter for the Board of BIM.
