Results 7,261-7,280 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I apologise.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I am not sure whether the Deputy is seeking clarification around the amount of money we can spend or on how we can spend it. I cannot give any assurances on behalf of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. He can speak for himself. My job is to ensure Ireland gets sufficient money and full drawdown under EU schemes.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I intend to ensure we do so through the budgets which we will put together over the next few years. On the matter of overall agreement on CAP and ensuring agreement on pillar 1 and pillar 2 is reached at the same time, I assume what the Deputy is seeking is that we do not have half-agreement on CAP in terms of agreement on pillar 1 allocations only. It is the intention of the Irish...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: Yes. We need to work on achieving a conclusion during Ireland's Presidency, which will not be easy in terms of the amount of time available to us. We intend getting final agreement on pillars 1 and 2 at the same time, which it is hoped will be around May of next year.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: Yes.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I think it is between 5% and 10%. I will forward the correct figure to the Deputy.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: The future system of payments to farmers in disadvantaged areas forms part of the wider negotiations on the reform of the common agricultural policy. As negotiations are still in progress, it is not possible to say with certainty what the outcome will be. Under the Commission’s proposal less favoured areas, LFAs, which are known as disadvantaged areas in Ireland, will become known as...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: The Commission wants to answer the Deputy's question on what is disadvantaged and what is not. Instead of taking the approach used in the past, whereby the criteria were very general and a line was drawn splitting the country, biophysical criteria will be used and measured in a scientific way to qualify for a disadvantaged area payment. These criteria include soil type, moisture,...
- Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: European Commission approval for the introduction of a number of targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, which are designed to support productive on-farm investment in the agricultural sector, was received in March 2010. Priority was given to the bio-energy, poultry welfare and sow welfare schemes, which were launched by my Department during the first half of 2010. The sheep...
- Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy got his answer.
- Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: In anticipation of the savings arising from the TAMS allocation in 2012, I have arranged for the transfer of funding under other capital expenditure headings where additional funding is required, in particular to meet liabilities arising under the farm improvement scheme and the pre-TAMS sow welfare schemes. As a result, I expect the overall savings in this general area to be very modest....
- Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: We made €20 million available this year for the scheme, €15 million of which will have been spent before the end of December. I do not have the exact figure in terms of carryover into next year, but I will find that information for the Deputy. The reality, however, is that we do not know whether farmers will spend it next year. They have two years in which to do so and some may...
- Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I will try to get that information to the Deputy.
- Other Questions: Transport Costs (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: The Government is aware that the cost of transport in Ireland remains high and that fuel costs are a major factor in the input costs of farmers. Ireland has to import a large quantity of its fuel for transport and, as such, we are subject to world oil prices and the risk of adverse exchange rate fluctuations. The price of oil can increase as a consequence, for example, of tensions in Gulf...
- Other Questions: Transport Costs (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: Of course it is. That is stating the obvious. If we were to reduce the cost of transport in any sector we would increase its competitiveness. However, the job of the Minister for Finance is to try to get the balance right between ensuring that we have enough income from the tax-take to meet our deficit challenge. Of course I would like it if we could dramatically reduce fuel taxes, but we...
- Other Questions: Transport Costs (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: The Minister for Finance is examining ways in which the Government can deal with the amount of diesel that is being laundered. It is a huge issue along Border counties in particular and there have been significant seizures this year to that effect. However, actually doing away with marked diesel or green diesel as farmers call it also creates huge problems, particularly in respect of the...
- Other Questions: Sheep Imports (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: May I make a comment?
- Other Questions: Sheep Imports (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: We have been working with exporters who are considering the possibility of taking beef and, potentially, sheepmeat out of either Cork or Waterford. However, there is an issue in respect of accessing boats at an affordable price. The Department's job is to ensure appropriate veterinary standards for those shipments. Two companies with a track record of live exports are actively seeking to...
- Other Questions: Sheep Imports (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: Yes.
- Other Questions: Dairy Sector (6 Nov 2012)
Simon Coveney: I am glad to see Deputy Martin showing interest in the liquid milk market.