Results 4,961-4,980 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: When AEOS was launched, the intention had been to increase the rate for designated land from the €75 per hectare which was originally announced, to €150 per hectare and my Department had been in discussion with the Commission with a view to obtaining approval for this proposal. However, given the current financial constraints and the overall funding limits which have been introduced in...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The numbers of applications received by my Department under the TAMS since their reopening in December 2011 are as follows:- Scheme Number Dairy Equipment 975 Rainwater Harvesting 11 Sheep Fencing/Handling 70 Sow Welfare 5 Total 1,061 In the case of the Bioenergy Scheme 2012 which was launched on 8 December 2011, the closing date for receipt of applications was 27 January 2012 and 61...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Subject to the availability of funding, the proposed tranches for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) up to the end of 2013 are as follows:- Dairy Equipment Scheme Tranche No. Date Amount (€m) 1 31 January 2012 4.425 2 30 April 2012 4.425 3 31 July 2012 4.425 4 31 October 2012 4.425 5 31 January 2013 4.425 6 31 May 2013 4.425 7 31 August 2013 4.425 8 31 December...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. It is widely recognised that the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is a very important one for this country, as the total area designated as disadvantaged is almost 75% of Ireland's total land area. From an economic perspective, the Scheme is particularly significant, contributing to the support of in excess of 100,000 Irish farm families, whose...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I remain committed to supporting farmers who choose to farm to environmentally friendly practices and to ensuring that these farmers are rewarded for their efforts. However, given the state of the public finances I had no option but to announce a 10% cut in the rate of payment to existing REPS applicants. This cut, which will apply to 2012 payments onwards is subject to the approval of the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: In the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, my Department is required to carry out inspections on a number of farms covering land eligibility and cross-compliance. A minimum of 5% of Single Payment Scheme applicants are required to be inspected under the eligibility rule. These checks are carried out to verify that the actual area claimed in the Single Payment Scheme application...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Young Farmers' Installation Scheme was closed to new applicants on 14 October 2008 and I have no plans to reopen the Scheme at this time. An allocation of €150,000 has been provided in this year's Estimates to meet the remaining commitments under both the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme and the preceding equivalent schemes.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The table that follows details the number of applicants who have received a payment under the Agri Environment Options Scheme 1 for (i) 2010 Scheme year and (ii) the 2011 Scheme year on a county by county basis. A further 529 applicants have either withdrawn or been rejected from the scheme following initial approval into the scheme (not available on a county by county basis). County...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Under 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. This administration check has been completed in relation to Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) 1 and my Department is now dealing with the discrepancies that...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: If the House will permit, and while this portfolio is often dominated by agriculture, I wish to mention the extraordinary response to what has been an unfolding tragedy in Union Hall during the past month or so. There was some success yesterday in the finding of another body. The response of the fishing community, in particular the Deasy family in Union Hall, the Coast Guard, the Garda, the...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I would appreciate that, as a number of Deputies probably know some of the people concerned.

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I appreciate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence. Sometimes, it is only in tragedy that we see how fantastic Irish people can be. There was a gross underspend of €226 million in the Department's budget allocation of €1.647 billion in 2011. The expenditure on the EU-funded single payment amounted to a further €1.316 million above this. The underspend of Exchequer funding arose as a...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There is no actual saving in terms of reduced payments to farmers. The issue here is the year in which the payments are made. There have been no cuts in the agri-environment options scheme, and cuts in REPS only come into force this year, following the most recent budget. The payments that have carried over from one year into the next arose primarily because of mapping issues and those...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There was never a problem with funding the agri-environment options scheme last year, even for a larger scheme. The problem is that the scheme carries over year on year. Last year's budget was never a problem and there was always money available for it. The problem is next year and the year after. I could not put together a scheme to commit €40 million or €50 million, as the previous...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I said at the time that a scheme was promised for which the funding was not in place. One must have multi-annual funding in place for a multi-annual scheme.

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Schemes are operated on a multi-annual basis.

Common Agricultural Policy (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I take it the Deputy is referring to the Commission's proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2014 to 2020, which include a gradual move away from payments based on historical production towards a system of uniform national or regional payment rates by 2019, and whether they will adversely affect certain parts of the country relative to others. I have repeatedly made...

Common Agricultural Policy (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: We already have some regionalisation in terms of how rural development funds are distributed in that we have a designated disadvantaged area which encompasses more than 100,000, or 75%, of farmers. We agree with regionalisation when it comes to rural development funds because, in that case, one is supporting people who cannot support themselves. However, direct payments are another matter...

Tuberculosis Incidence (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There are no accurate statistics available on the current badger population in Ireland. However, based on the results of the four-area project, the best estimate available to my Department is that there are approximately 80,000 to 90,000 badgers in the country. There is considerable peer-reviewed research showing that the removal of badgers results in a reduction in the incidence of...

Tuberculosis Incidence (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is probably appropriate to compare two different strategies, namely, what is happening in Ireland in terms of TB and what is happening in the UK. The UK has tried to treat badgers for TB rather than cull them. In Great Britain, which does not implement the badger removal programme, incidences of TB have increased substantially from 6,000 reactors in 1999 to 33,000 in 2010. I am not...