Category: Agriculture - John Deasy T.D.

No bioenergy scheme grant recipients in Waterford in four years

18/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of County Waterford recipients there have been under the bioenergy scheme in each of the past four years; and the average grant payment per successful application from the county over that period.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
In the past four years, there have been no BES recipients situated in Waterford.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme take-up in County Waterford, 2012-2014

18/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of successful applicants under the disadvantaged areas scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average payment to these recipients.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
The number of farmers paid under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme in County Waterford and the average amount paid under the 2012 to 2014 scheme-years is as follows;

Waterford farmers who've got grants under the Dairy Equipment Scheme

16/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of County Waterford recipients of the dairy equipment scheme over the past four years who have been from County Waterford; and the cumulative amount of grant aid received by farmers from the county under this scheme during that period.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
The information requested in respect of grant recipients of the dairy equipment scheme from County Waterford is set out in the table. The scheme was introduced on 4 March 2011.

Beef Data Scheme applicants in Waterford, and average payment

16/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants from County Waterford who received payments under the 2014 beef data programme; and the average amount paid per recipient from the county.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
Payments under 2014 Beef Data Programme will not commence until June 2015 as all participants in the Scheme will not be able to provide all of the required data before that date. Payments amounting to €175,330 were made to 350 Waterford applicants respect of 2013 Beef Data Programme , with an average payment of €350 per participant.

Waterford tree growers grant-aided under Woodland Improvement Scheme

16/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney the number of grant recipients under the woodland improvement scheme who were from County Waterford in the past three years of its operation; and the average grant aid they received.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
The details requested in respect of recipients of grants under the Woodland Improvement (Thinning and Tending) Scheme payable in respect of lands in Waterford are as follows:

Forest Roads Scheme recipients from County Waterford, and average grant

16/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of grant recipients under the forest roads scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average grant to these applicants.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): The details requested in respect of recipients of grants under the Forest Roads Scheme payable in respect of lands in Waterford are as follows:

Forestry environment protection scheme payments in Waterford

16/12/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recipients of grants and payments under the forestry environment protection scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average annual payment to these recipients.

REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): The details requested in respect of recipients of grants and premiums under the Forest Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS) payable in respect of lands planted in Waterford are as follows:

As eligibility for payment of FEPS payments was linked to participation in REPS, the fall-off in numbers in the Scheme was attributable to the ending of REPS in 2009.

Prosecutions under Nitrates Directive

17/9/2014

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for the; Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of prosecutions that have been made in Waterford County and nationally since the promulgation into Irish law of the nitrates directive.

REPLY (Sept 17, 2014)
Minister Alan Kelly:
The Nitrates Directive is given legal effect by the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, known as the ‘Nitrates Regulations’. Local authorities, acting under the general supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), are the competent authorities for enforcing the Nitrates Regulations. The EPA collates and publishes data on enforcement activity.

To date, no prosecutions have been taken by Waterford County Council under these regulations. A total of 27 prosecutions have been initiated nationwide since 2007.

A significant number of non-compliance issues are resolved without the need for judicial sanction. Where instances of non-compliance are recorded during farm inspections, the EPA has instructed local authorities to take appropriate enforcement actions. Local authorities are also obliged under the Nitrates Regulations to cross-report non-compliances to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who may impose a financial penalty on a land owner’s agricultural payments.