Results 6,021-6,040 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (13 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is not possible to provide this information in the required time. I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Public Sector Staff: Public Sector Staff (13 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: As of the end of May 2012, my Department had engaged 71 temporary IT contractors. IT expenditure is based on competitive tendering with extensive use of Central Government and Department specific procurement frameworks which continue to drive costs down. My Department currently employs two Temporary Clerical Officers on fixed term contracts, for 13 weeks and 10 weeks respectively. They are...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (13 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: No appointment has been deferred in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: In accordance with the Government's decision in 2011, I invite expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to the boards of State Bodies operating under the aegis of my Department. In making any board appointments, I am not necessarily confined to those who make such expressions of interest but will ensure that all of those appointed have the relevant mix of knowledge...

Common Agricultural Policy (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: Since their publication, the proposals by the European Commission for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy have undergone detailed examination at Council working groups, the Special Committee on Agriculture and the Council of Agriculture Ministers. At next Monday's Agriculture Council, the Danish Presidency will present a progress report outlining the current status of the negotiations....

Common Agricultural Policy (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: As I see it, we cannot finalise the Common Agricultural Policy reform and spending money on new schemes until the multi-annual financial framework negotiations are finalised. This is the multi-year budget which Europe must agree. The Commission hopes the MFF will be finalised in December. I would like to see this happen but I think it is unlikely politically. I think it will also be an...

Common Agricultural Policy (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: 2014.

Common Agricultural Policy (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: I do not think the timetable is impossible but it is very tight. If it is not possible to deliver it on time we will have to look at a contingency plan, on which the Commission will have to put proposals together, which will involve extending the implementation of a new CAP by a year and some type of continuation measure for 2014. However, this may not be possible because if it is decided...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: All Departments have been allocated fixed expenditure ceilings for the period 2012 to 2014 under medium-term expenditure framework which was introduced by the Government in the comprehensive expenditure report. The report outlines the Government's plan for a return to sustainable growth in the economy and sets out in some detail the measures that will be taken to put the national finances in...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is a fair question. My Department is different from many other Departments in that many of the schemes we finance are heavily co-funded by the EU. These include AEOS, which is 70% co-funded, DAS and TAM scheme in terms of rural development funding. A very significant element of our budget comes through schemes co-financed by the EU. There is also the €1.2 billion to €1.3 billion...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: Single farm payment is not affected by ceilings. I can assure the Deputy that we will do everything we can to ensure we draw down all the available funding under the rural development programme. However, it is a management exercise to do that when we are dealing with ceilings as well as Exchequer targets. This is more difficult for my Department because setting expenditure ceilings as we...

Agriculture Scheme Penalties (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in the context of delivering the single payment scheme, disadvantaged area scheme and other area-based schemes, is required to carry out annual inspections covering the eligibility of the land declared to draw down payments and cross compliance to ensure compliance with EU regulatory requirements in the areas of public, animal and plant health, environment and animal welfare....

Agriculture Scheme Penalties (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy has it now.

Agriculture Scheme Penalties (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: If I had had a chance to finish my reply, the last sentence is that I regret the delay in responding to the Deputy's detailed query. However, the Deputy sought a great deal of information and it took time to put it together. It involved gathering information from every county. The written reply contains a very detailed and comprehensive set of data in response to all the questions the...

Agriculture Scheme Penalties (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is right. There are genuine cases where genuine mistakes are made. There is an appeals mechanism for people who feel they have been treated harshly. However, we must also ensure that people play by the rules. If there is no consequence for people who do not play by the rules, there will be breaches everywhere. It is important to make the distinction between people who make a...

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: This question is about the disadvantaged areas scheme, DAS, about which there has been some confusion. It is important to point out that the changes relating to eligibility that we are applying to the disadvantaged areas scheme in order to make savings have not changed since budget day. We have debated some of these matters in the House previously. There appears to be a view that we have...

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: First, the Deputy should not believe everything he reads in the media. Second, when one makes a change to the criteria of any scheme, one must make an application to get approval for those changes because the funding comes through the European Commission. My Department is going through that process at present, which is perfectly normal. While letters are going back and forth to clarify...

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is the reason I am trying to protect the payments.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: First, it is important to be accurate in this Chamber. As I have stated clearly to the Deputy previously, I am hopeful a limited AEOS scheme will be opened in September. I acknowledge it will be limited and it primarily will be focused on Natura areas and on those farmers who farm in commonage areas. In respect of the disadvantaged areas scheme, DAS, the entire point of what the Department...

Bovine Disease Controls (14 Jun 2012)

Simon Coveney: The bovine TB eradication programme includes a comprehensive range of measures aimed at eradicating TB from the cattle population in Ireland through testing and the control of cattle movements in order to prevent the spread of disease. More specifically, the programme provides for the mandatory annual testing of all cattle in the national herd, the implementation of a range of supplementary...