Results 21,181-21,200 of 34,777 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: We will come back to that in a moment. I want to make one or two other points. I notice in the Department's report, under land mobility measures such as the early retirement and installation aid payment schemes, that the Department paid out €10 million in 2014 on the early retirement scheme. This decreased to €7 million in 2015. Obviously, some of the people availing of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Does Mr. O'Driscoll have that type of information?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: We do have it for the non-contributory pension. If a person has assets, he will not get it. However, if he has contributions, he need not divest. We had that system before.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: It would be interesting from a planning point of view. The numbers of farmers who are over 55 years does not tell us anything about the quantum of farming or how many are farming land. A far more relevant measure is the amount of farm land being farmed in the country that is held by people in the various age categories, rather than the number of farmers. Does Mr. O'Driscoll understand my point?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Will Mr. O'Driscoll see what he can send us?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Let us come back to the issue of Bord na gCon. Will Mr. Gleeson give us an update?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: That is fair enough. In meetings between departmental officials and Bord na gCon would this have been flagged to the Department? Does Mr. Gleeson understand my question? Was the Department aware that this was pending, even if the board of the track in Harold's Cross was not aware that it was pending?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Of course. The matter was contentious.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Mr. Gleeson can send us a note on that. I wish to make one last point before I call Deputy Burke. Obviously, there is an issue with the 2015 audited accounts and they are nearly here. Far more important is the question of the 2016 management accounts. Getting the 2015 accounts alone will not be much good. The Estimates for this year are going through the Dáil at the moment....

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: I understand what the Deputy is saying. The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the policy committee on this area. That committee might take the view that it is more under its remit, since it is a matter of current policy, rather than a matter for the Committee of Public Accounts. At issue is a decision for the future. Perhaps we should convey our views to the Joint...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: That is fine. The point is well made. I will call Deputy Cullinane next.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: It related to production in Ireland and demand worldwide.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Mr. O'Driscoll mentioned harbours. We dealt with correspondence at a meeting earlier today about the issue in Howth which has come up previously. I am sure Mr. O'Driscoll is more aware of the background, but it has been suggested to us that applicants must submit a bank draft with their proposal in the amount they consider to be the appropriate amount of rent to secure the lease of a...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Does the Department have many vacant properties at the six or seven harbours?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Which harbour is that at?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: I ask the Secretary General to explain how somebody inquires about leasing a property, has to submit a banker's order with the application and says how much he or she is going to pay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Is it part of the tender process that someone submits proof of ability to pay?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: I ask Mr. O'Driscoll to explain the difference between lease and licence.

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Will the Department have to compensate people if it wants them to vacate or will they get squatters' rights?

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Chapter 7 - EU Refunds and Levies in the Agriculture Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Seán Fleming: Okay. I call Deputy Aylward.