Results 3,521-3,540 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy: Motion (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The proposals in that area are still very unsure. One of the reasons I am not as certain about that area as the other areas is that we just do not yet know what the detail will be.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced in REPS 3 on 1st Oct 2006 and received payment for all 5 years of the contract. Following an inspection carried out on 13th July 2010, an area discrepancy was discovered which resulted in the imposition of a clawback totalling €3,080.69. The person named was notified of this clawback by letter dated 3rd May 2011 and of the right of appeal. To date no appeal has...

Written Answers — Sport and Recreational Development: Sport and Recreational Development (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: I understand from the details supplied that the issue in this case revolves around the treatment of fishing and sporting rights by the Irish Land Commission on this Estate. The Irish Land Commission was an independent statutory Commission set up under the Land Purchase Acts and it is not open to me as Minister to review its decisions. The Commission was dissolved by the commencement in 1999...

Written Answers — Departmental Regulations: Departmental Regulations (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not operate controls regarding the growing of rapeseed near urban areas.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced in REPS 3 on 1st Oct 2006 and received payment for all 5 years of the contract. Following an inspection carried out on 13th July 2010, an area discrepancy was discovered which resulted in the imposition of a clawback totalling €3,080.69. The person named was notified of this clawback by letter dated 3rd May 2011 and of the right of appeal. To date no appeal has...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person in question established a plantation in December 2007 under a pilot project for the Forestry Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS). The pilot scheme had a higher rate of top-up payment than that which applied to the FEPS scheme which was subsequently implemented. It was decided that applicants who had planted under the pilot scheme were entitled to retain the higher rate of top-up...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: A total of 12, 675 applications were received under the Farm Improvement Scheme when the Scheme was closed on 31 October 2007. The financial allocation for the Scheme was €79 million which enabled my Department to approve 7,347 applications received in the period up to 21 October 2007. My Department processes applications to payment stage upon receipt of valid payment claims....

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 739 and 754 together. My Department uses taxis in the course of its work for a variety of purposes where the use of other public transport is not possible for reasons of practicality i.e. the necessity to carry official documents, timetable of public transport, loss of official time etc. These taxis costs are generally covered by existing budgets including,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: On Thursday 8 September 2011, I signed into law the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Agriculture) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 456 of 2011) to address the findings of the European Court of Justice against Ireland in the manner that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive (85/337/EEC), as amended, was transposed into Irish law. The Court found that Ireland was...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Payment of 75% of the 2010 entitlement under AEOS 1 has commenced and payments totally €1.4 million have now issued. Payment of the initial 75% of the 2010 entitlement will continue to be paid to farmers in the coming weeks once they have passed the comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System. Payment of the remaining 25% is due to...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Agroforestry is a land use system which facilitates the growing of trees with crop and livestock production on the same land unit. There are several types of agroforestry systems but it commonly involves growing crops or grazing livestock between rows of trees planted at wide intervals. Agroforestry is not widely practised in Ireland, but it offers considerable potential on many Irish farms...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The Government has approved the heads of the Forestry Bill, and discussions are continuing between my Department and the Office of the Attorney General with a view to finalising the text of the Bill. It would be my intention to publish the Bill as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon, which is the statutory body with responsibility for the improvement and development of the greyhound industry, greyhound racing and coursing. The Minister for the Environment, Community and...

Written Answers — Cattle Identification Scheme: Cattle Identification Scheme (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The contract for the supply of cattle tags is awarded on the basis of a public tender process conducted in accordance with EU and national legislation on public procurement. It is open to all suppliers of cattle tags to participate in this process. My Department recently advertised for a new bovine tags contract to cover the period 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2014 and two tender...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Greencastle harbour is owned by Donegal County Council and responsibility for the maintenance and development of the harbour rests with that local authority in the first instance. My Department has, however, in recent years, project managed works on phase one of the Greencastle Harbour development project on behalf of Donegal County Council as well as providing funding. I can confirm that I...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named registered forty seven animals under the 2010 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Payment has issued in respect of thirty seven animals. There are outstanding queries on the remaining ten animals. Letters issued to the applicant regarding eight of these animals on 9 May 2011 but no reply has been received from the applicant. A further letter has issued today in respect of the remaining...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Under the EU provisions of the governing EU Regulations, farmers must declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held to benefit from full payment under the Single Payment Scheme. The EU Regulations do, however, provide that under certain circumstances a farmer can apply to consolidate their payment entitlements. In other words, while the overall value of the Single Farm...

Written Answers — Veterinary Certification: Veterinary Certification (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: Arrangements to give effect to mutual recognition obligations deriving from EU provisions on free movement of practitioners, who qualified in other EU states, are provided for in Section 43 of the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 (as amended by the European Communities (Veterinary Practice Act 2005) (Qualifications in Veterinary Medicine) Regulations 2007). Section 44 of the same Act provides...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: There is no record of an application for the person named under the Afforestation Schemes administered by my Department. In the absence of such an application, it is not possible to say with certainty whether or not his application would be successful. In general, most areas of county Kerry are suitable for afforestation. However, there are some areas of the county that are silviculturally...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Sep 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted an application for category B of the 2011 National Reserve. This category caters for new entrants to farming after 15th May 2009. A new entrant is defined as a farmer who did not pursue any agricultural activity in his/her own name or at his/her own risk in the five years immediately preceding the commencement of the new agricultural activity. The person named did...