Results 33,661-33,680 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: If members so wish we could arrange a meeting to discuss the disadvantaged areas scheme. I would be happy to take the committee through the details. We could then consider the choices in terms of how we can make savings. It is possible that we may not have to make savings but at least the choices will be on the table so that people understand how we reached our decisions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: I can also provide the figures on staff numbers which were sought earlier.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: If one were to pay out as much as we are currently paying out, which is about €25 million, one would have to add on €12 million on what would be paid next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: AEOS is a €20 million scheme per year. Next year, AEOS starts from March because of the processing time and so forth. The scheme’s payments will not cover the year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Most of the cost of AEOS 3 for next year will be paid in the following year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Most of the AEOS expenditure next year will be on AEOS 1 and 2 which we have already factored into this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: That would be a ballpark figure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: This is the kind of conversation we are having.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: There are many ways of making those savings.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: I did not say that. I said I will not know until the end of the year whether it is €15 million or €20 million. It is possible that instead of making savings of €30 million, it may be somewhere between €15 million and €20 million. We have to see what the final drawdown is, as well as what the appeals and derogation processes turn up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is difficult to be accurate because many of the schemes we operate are demand-led schemes. Under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, we have to wait for applicants. If people do not draw down the money from a processing grant, we do not spend it then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Those profiles are changed as appropriate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: It will be in the previous year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Let me explain that. On that question first, if we do not make the savings we had hoped to make on DAS, we will be paying out everything that we would have been paying out on DAS but we will have to make those savings from other areas this year. We have had to re-jig our figures through the year, as we saw those savings or non-savings materialising. We have had to factor that in. In other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Over the last five years. One can twist and turn these figures whatever way one wants. In terms of the savings we are being asked to make versus other Departments next year, our figure is 8.5%. My colleague is calculating the savings in respect of some other Departments and I will give the members those figures. My job is to minimise the amount of cuts we have to make in our Department,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: With the Chairman's permission, I wish to explain why there is a specific structural problem on the capital side. It is important that members understand why the expenditure ceiling is so rigid. We started last year with a ceiling for capital expenditure of €150 million. Forestry alone accounts for €110 million, which includes all forestry premia, at as cost of between...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: Members should be aware that I am obliged to leave at noon. I am happy to answer Deputy Ó Cuív's question, but I am anxious to emphasise that I am under a time constraint. I have no intention of departing under questioning but I must leave at noon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Expenditure Allocation 2013: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Oct 2012)

Simon Coveney: No. The various Departments are required to implement different percentage cuts.