Results 21,901-21,920 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts Data (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The details the Deputy requested are listed in tabular form as follows. Statutory Instruments S.I. No. 7 of 2016 Sea Fisheries (Conservation and Rational Exploitation of Hake) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 S.I. No. 8 of/2016 Sea Fisheries (North Western Waters Landing Obligations) Regulations 2016 S.I. No. 27 of 2016 Control on Animal Vaccines (Amendment) Regulations 2016. S.I. No. 31...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Fleet Protection (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 introduced a new fleet licensing policy aimed at ensuring equity and transparency and also introduced an independent appeals process. The Act transferred the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing to the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in section 3 of the Act and Ministerial Policy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Recruitment (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Department is not currently involved in any recruitment process where equine science forms part of the educational requirement, nor is such recruitment planned in the immediate future. Most of the Department’s recruitment is undertaken by way of the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and all posts, including relevant educational requirements, are advertised on that Service’s...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The REPS4 file for the person named was selected for an inspection and during the course of the inspection, the Inspector noted 6 different non-compliance issues. As a result, a total penalty of 48% was imposed in relation to his REPS4 contract. A subsequent review of the penalties imposed resulted in the original decision being upheld by the Regional Inspector.  The balance of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The person named has been approved under Tranche 2 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 January 2016, therefore they are not due a 2015 GLAS part year payment. Payment in respect of 2016 will be processed in the final quarter of the year. The person named commenced their AEOS contract on 1 November 2010 and has been paid for the 2010-2014 scheme years. Under the EU Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has been investigating a number of cases involving the submission of invoices, which originated from one particular source, to verify and support their claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in many cases the invoices submitted by participants, or their representatives, were for amounts greater than what was actually paid by the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted an application for allocation of entitlements under the ‘Scottish Derogation’ measure of the Basic Payment Scheme on 29 May 2015. Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment scheme, processing of applications involves administrative and on farm checks and verification of land details submitted. When all checks have been completed and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Appeals (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes application on 1 May 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases farm inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a Ground Eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Appeals (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: Under the 2015 ANC Scheme, eligible applicants are required to meet a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months in addition to the maintenance of an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. The person named has been advised of their right to seek a review of the decision in this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: There are a number of applications, including that of the person named, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: In respect of the GLAS Scheme there are a number of applications remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for the 2015 part-year payment. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues, some of which relate to Commonage data with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced their AEOS contract on 1 September 2011 and has been paid for the 2011-2014 scheme years. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.  The application of the person...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: Required setbacks regarding water, archaeology, landscape, dwellings and other environmental features are outlined in the suite of environmental guidelines published by the Department. These apply to all afforestation consented to under Statutory Instrument Number 558 of 2010, with or without grant aid. The licensing of felling and reforestation must also take into account the general...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a 2015 Private Contract Clause application from the persons named seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease with the first person named as Lessor and the second person named as Lessee. Under the Terms and Conditions governing the Transfer of Basic Payment Scheme Entitlements by way of Private Contract Clause, the Lessor must meet the definition of an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Appeals (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The Agriculture Appeals Office has confirmed that the person named lodged an appeal on 27 August 2015 in relation to the Single Payment Scheme. A decision letter issued to the person named on 27 November 2015 notifying that the appeal was disallowed. A request for a review by the Director of the Agriculture Appeals Office was received on 22 January 2016. The Director’s decision was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted applications to my Department under the 2015 National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme. Under EU Regulations pertaining to these schemes processing of applications requires administrative and/or on-farm checks. All checks have now been completed in respect of the application for the person named and the application can be finalised with a view to payment as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The process of deciding objective criteria for the 2015 National Reserve was carried out in consultation with the Direct Payments Advisory Committee which includes members of the main farming bodies and advisory services. After consultation with this Committee, and in the context of the limited funding available to the National Reserve, it was decided that an off farm income limit of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department issued a circular to all commonage advisors detailing the process for assigning commonage advisors to individual commonages. Applications by advisors were required to be accompanied by the signatures of shareholders supporting their application for assignment. In cases where more than one advisor applied, appointments were made in accordance with the advised criteria. When...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: My Department has compiled a database of Commonages throughout the country, which is publicly available on the Department’s website and is regularly updated.  Information on the commonages can be freely obtained from this database, which can be accessed through the following link: In this database, all commonages are listed in county order, indicating the townland and their...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Recruitment (14 Apr 2016)

Simon Coveney: The vacancy at Director level in the Agriculture Appeals Office occurred on 22 February 2016. Arrangements are in place to fill the Director post through an interdepartmental PAS competition in line with the provisions of the Agriculture Appeals Act. It is envisaged that a Director will be appointed shortly. At today’s date the Appeals Office has 223 appeals on hand and these are...