Results 7,841-7,860 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: In order to comply with EU requirements, the applicant was one of a number selected for a cross compliance inspection which took place on 20th April 2012. The inspection recorded breaches relating to both cattle and sheep animal identification and registration requirements. As a result, a penalty of 5% arises. The person named was notified of this decision on 8th of May 2012 and of the right...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: Payment under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme has not yet issued as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements for 2012. Immediately the holding concerned is confirmed as having met these requirements, the case will be further processed with a view to payment at the earliest possible date thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 93 and 94 together. Scientific studies of Children’s Diet by IUNA (Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance) have shown that children’s intake of fruit and vegetables is less than that recommended. This is being addressed in Ireland with some success through the Food Dude Programme, managed by Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board), with funding from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Numbers (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm that the vast majority of applications under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme have been fully processed and that adequate staff resources are in place to deal with outstanding applications. Any delay in payment is not simply an issue of staff resources. It should be noted that many applicants that are fully processed are not yet currently eligible for payment under the Terms...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: A statement is issuing to the person in this case confirming that no payments were made to him by my Department under any scheme for 2011.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 25a: In page 16, subsection (3)(c), lines 27 and 28, to delete subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) and substitute the following:"(ii) shelter and warmth, (iii) adequate light and ventilation, and (iv) adequate exercise.".

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: This section primarily relates to the prohibition on animal fighting, but it also relates to ensuring there is no cruelty or unnecessary suffering during a performance. I have some sympathy with the amendments put forward by Deputy Ó Cuív and we try to deal with them in amendment No. 30. The problem is that the term "normal farm practices" is quite difficult to define legally....

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I agree.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: That issue will be dealt with when we put in place codes or regulations, whichever is appropriate, on terrier work, which we are proposing to do. The term "unnecessary suffering", used in this section, is actually defined in a previous section. I know the Deputy does not agree with the way we have dealt with hunting, upon which we have just voted. I am not proposing to ban hunting or...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 28: In page 17, subsection (1)(e), line 10, to delete “bull” and substitute “bovine”.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 29a: In page 18, subsection (7), line 2, after “not,” to insert “save for an investigative purpose or”.This amendment deals with line 2 of subsection (7) where the Bill currently says "A person shall not, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, record an animal fight or performance by photograph, video or any other means." We are adding...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is a fair concern but the definition of "investigative purpose" in the Bill, which also appears on page 18, reads as follows: “investigative purpose” means investigating an animal fight or performance and includes a criminal investigation or the taking of any photograph, video or filming for inclusion in a television programme service (within the meaning of section 2 of the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes, but if a journalist, for example, is seeking to expose an industry, should he or she be allowed to record a dog fight? I would have thought so. We do not want vigilantism but if we are serious about stamping out this element of animal cruelty, then we should allow journalists to expose it and clearly, if the gardaí want to do it, they must be able to. We should be sending out a...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 29b: In page 18, Subsection (7), line 4, after "means" to insert "or supply, display, show or publish such".This amendment aims to deal with the issue raised by Deputy Ferris in amendment No. 29c. At the moment the Bill says that it is illegal to photograph or video an animal fight and this amendment adds to that by making it illegal to then publish photographs or videos...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: There is no preclusion here. Earlier, I used the example of a journalist but the provision is not confined to journalists. If any person suspects that a dogfight is being organised in a barn nearby, he or she can go along, make a recording of it and give the recording to a garda, and is perfectly entitled to do so under this legislation.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 30: In page 18, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following subsection: “(12) Nothing in subsection (1)(a) or (e) prevents the training of an animal by persons competent to train the animal provided--(a) unnecessary suffering is not thereby caused to the animal, (b) the public does not have access to the place where training occurs, and (c) any activity...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 31: In page 18, before section 16, to insert the following new section: 16.--(1) Subject to subsection (3), a person shall not, except in accordance with animal health and welfare regulations, carry out an operation or procedure to mutilate or cause or permit another person to mutilate an animal (including the docking or nicking of the tail of a bovine, canine or equine,...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 35: In page 19, before section 18, to insert the following new section: 18.--(1) A person shall not--(a) poison a protected animal, or (b) lay poison by a method or in a manner that a protected animal has or would have access to the poison.(2) The owner, occupier or person in charge of land shall not lay or cause to be laid a poison or a substance containing a poison...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: I presume feral cats will be dealt with as wild animals. They will be covered by the protections to ensure that wild animals cannot consume poison. This is also dealt with by the provision against unnecessary suffering. The main focus in this legislation is protected animals, by and large. The issue of feral cats is probably deserving of a separate response. We discussed cats and stray...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2012)

Simon Coveney: As someone who has laid poison, I understand exactly what the Deputy is saying.