Parliamentary Question No. 372
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount that has been collected early by Irish Co-operatives in milk super levy moneys from October 2014 to March 2015; his plans for redistributing these moneys, should a farmer now wish to avail of the Instalment Scheme for the payment of the 2014 / 2015 Super Levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Joe Carey.
For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 14th July, 2015.
Ref No: 28287/15
REPLY
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine : (Simon Coveney)
There has been a long-standing arrangement under the EU Milk Quota Regulations where milk purc hasers collect any superlevy money due from their suppliers and submit this to their national authorities for onward transmission to the EU Commission. In a normal superlevy year the purchaser is obliged to submit all super levy payments collected by them to my Department before 1 October.
Most milk purchasers facilitate the collection of the payments by withholding a portion of their suppliers’ monthly milk payment during the peak production months. This is to avoid causing any cashflow issues for farmers at the year end. However my Department would not have any details of the numbers or amounts involved because they are a matter between the milk purchaser and its suppliers. My understanding is that some purchasers are making arrangements with suppliers who are availing of the recently announced super levy instalment scheme to refund monies collected which are over and above the value of the agreed first instalment payment but again this is a matter solely between both parties.
The milk purchasers are currently processing and completing the applications in respect of their suppliers who wish to avail of the scheme and tomorrow, Wednesday 15 July has been set as the deadline for the return of these application forms to my Department. After this deadline has passed, my Department will know how many farmers are planning to avail of the instalment scheme and the amounts involved.
Uimhir:785, 812
Ceist Pharlaiminte
Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address a matter
(details supplied) regarding a Student Universal Support Ireland grant; and if
she will make a statement on the matter.
– Terence Flanagan.
Ms Moya Garland, Sutton would like the susi grant income guidelines to be based
on net income and not gross income. Can the Minister indicate if she has plans
to change how grants are calculated so that income thresholds are based on a
person’s net pay and not gross pay?
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views in light of the
significant change to net pay with the specific introduction of pension
contributions, that the gross pay of public servants is still used to determine
qualification for a third level grant for the child of a public servant, and
whether this fact has been factored into the determination of the financial
thresholds for qualification; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
-Joe Carey.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 14th July, 2015.
Reference Number: 28686/15, 28983/15
Freagra
Minister Jan O’Sullivan
I propose to take questions 785 and 812 together.
The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme are
announced annually as part of the Budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds
were included in Budget 2015.
The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally.
In the case of both employed and self-employed applicants gross income, before
deduction of income tax or universal social charge, is assessed with certain
specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded.
Therefore, all income is assessed from the same starting point, eliminating any
distortion which might arise from different spending decisions.
Contributions to pension schemes and pension or retirement products, within the
limits allowed by the Revenue Commissioners, are deducted in determining the
reckonable income of an applicant as set out in the Student Grant Scheme 2015.
Parliamentary Question No. 134
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that the terms and conditions for the Instalment Scheme for the Payment of the 2014/2015 Super Levy as presented by his Department in June 2015, are being followed by all milk purchasers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Joe Carey.
For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 9th July, 2015.
Ref No: 28022/15
REPLY
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine : (Simon Coveney)
As the Deputy is aware, I announced the detailed rules for the Instalment Scheme for the payment of the 2014/2015 super levy on the 18 th June and these rules were issued to all milk purchasers on the same day . The scheme is the national implementation of the Commission’s initiative to facilitate payback of the superlevy bill over an extended three year period on an interest free basis. On the basis of the larger tha n usual superlevy bill faced by farmers I was anxious to implement the scheme here as quickly as possible. My Department consulted widely with both milk suppliers and purchasers and this is reflected in the final scheme design which has been broadly welcomed.
After receiving the detailed rules on 18 June, m ilk purchasers distributed the information on the instalment scheme, in addition to the application forms , to all the suppliers in their area who incurred a super levy liability in the 2014/2015 quota year. Milk producers who intend to avail of the scheme were required to complete the first section of the form and return it to their milk purchaser by the 30 th of June. Milk p urchasers must then complete the second section of the form and have until the 15 th of July to return the completed forms to my Department. This process is currently underway and it is after this date that we will have more information on the level of uptake of the scheme.
Under the terms of the scheme milk producers can pay their super levy liability over three years. Producers who participate in the scheme must have paid at least one third of their super levy liability to their milk purchaser in time for the purchaser to forward the payment to the Department by the 1 st of October 2015. The second and third instalments must be paid by the producer in accordance with the terms of the formal agreement that will be signed by each participating producer. This will require that at least two thirds of the entire levy due from a producer will be paid by the 30 th of September 2016, with the outstanding amount paid by the 30 th September 2017. The repayments will be required in equal amounts in the months of May to September in each of those years.
It should be noted also that the scheme design allows for participation from farmers who are no longer supplying milk to the milk purchaser with whom they incurred the levy as well as allowing for suppliers to switch his or her milk purchaser at any time during the lifetime of the scheme subject to their own milk supply arrangements with their purchaser.
I am satisfied that there are systems in place to ensure compliance with the scheme.
My Department issued a detailed FAQ note at the time of the scheme launch which is also available on our website and which answers most of the main queries. Department staff are also available to answer any queries which co-ops or farmers may have and the helpdesk number is 01-6072857.
Uimhir:204
Ceist Pharlaiminte
Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if it is possible for a family on
Family Income Supplement to avail of a third level education grant despite the
families gross income being in excess of the published cut off limits; and if
she will make a statement on the matter.
– Joe Carey.
* For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 8th July, 2015.
Reference Number: 27890/15
Freagra
Minister Jan O’Sullivan
The rates of grant and the income thresholds for the Student Grant Scheme are
announced annually as part of the Budget. No changes to the rates or thresholds
were included in Budget 2015.
Student grant applications are means tested on gross income from all sources
earned inside and outside the State within a specified reference period. The
means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally. The
assessment of income from the same starting point is deemed to be fair and
reasonable because this approach eliminates any distortion which might arise
from different spending decisions in different households.
In addition to the scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing
exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance
Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who
might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their
financial circumstances.
QUESTION NO: 142
DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Finance (Deputy Michael Noonan)
by Deputy Joe Carey
for WRITTEN ANSWER on 07/07/2015
To ask the Minister for Finance the payments made by the Central Bank of Ireland to Ernst and Young for the years 2011 to 2014 and for 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY.
The table below outlines the payments made to Ernst and Young for the years 2011 to 2014. All figures are inclusive of VAT. These figures have been prepared by the Central Bank on an accruals basis, based on when the costs are incurred and not on when the costs are paid.
| Fiscal Year | Amount |
| 2011 | €2 – €2.5m |
| 2012 | €2 – €2.5m |
| 2013 | €9.5 – €10m |
| 2014 | €11.5 – €12m |
| 2015 | €0 – €0.5m |
DAIL QUESTION
NO. 171
To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he is aware of the long delays in securing Indepencent Verification Agency certification for new vehicles; the number of applications received for such certification; and processed, from January to June 2015; the average length of time taken to process such applications in these months; the steps he intends to take to reduce the processing times associated with securing this certification; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Joe Carey.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 7th July, 2015.
Ref No: 27402/15
R E P L Y
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Mr Bruton)
The responsibility for the EU Directive 2007/46/EC governing motor vehicles type approvals lies with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and its Agency, the Road Safety Authority. The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is the Irish approval authority for this and related Directives.
The processing time reflects the technical nature of the approvals process, the increased registration of new vehicles at the start of the year and at the mid-year registration cycle and, in that context, the requirement on industry to build in an adequate provision for the automotive approvals timescale.
NSAI recognises that the current lead times are the cause of concerns for the industry and has implemented actions to continue to reduce the processing time. In response to the increasing workload, NSAI went to tender for the provision of technical assessors, who commenced in January 2015. However, it was not possible to rapidly increase processing capacity as the sourcing and induction of engineers takes a period of approximately 6 months before they become competent in the approvals process. However, the effect of these new personnel is now beginning to impact on the processing times.
The timelines are also dependent on submission of complete and accurate information accompanying the application. It may be prudent, therefore, for companies to build in a contingency timescale to allow for clarifications and/or the provision of additional information.
In recent weeks, NSAI has also introduced a new IT system to help manage applications and workloads. The new system allows tracking of applications through all stages of the application phase to final completion of approval. The new IT system will, however, be only populated by fully completed application forms – incomplete forms are returned to applicants – thus allowing more completed forms to be processed.
In addition, NSAI is carrying out training of appointed test centres (ATC’s) in order that they can work closely with applicants to clarify the test and inspection requirements which are leading to delays in processing approvals. ATC’s are commercial centres appointed by NSAI – and agreed with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Road Safety Authority – to physically examine and issue test reports for some or all of the technical requirements. These test reports are then used by NSAI to grant approvals.
It is anticipated that these two new initiatives will contribute to an increased throughput of applications.
The NSAI will continue to closely monitor processing times with a view to returning to an optimum lead time target of two weeks.
The Table overleaf provides data on the number of IVA certification applications received, the number of applications completed and the average time taken to process applications, from January to June 2015.
| Total IVA Applications | Received | Completed | Average processing time (weeks) |
| Jan’15 | 589 | 370 | 1.00 |
| Feb’15 | 509 | 424 | 1.61 |
| Mar’15 | 605 | 594 | 2.30 |
| Apr’15 | 529 | 558 | 2.12 |
| May’15 | 505 | 474 | 2.94 |
| Jun’15 | 404 | 423 | 3.04 |
| 3141 | 2843 | 2.21 |