Results 7,861-7,880 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: Yes. This is an issue which arises at certain times of the year, particularly if one has a lodging problem in a field of barley or wheat. In some cases one will see thousands of crows descending from the sky and deliberately knocking down crops in order to harvest their bounty themselves. People are obliged to deal with problems of this nature. The restrictions on farmers in this regard...

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

Simon Coveney: The issue which arises relates to the notice that is required. If one is laying poison on a regular basis throughout the season, one will probably leave one's signs up in any event. What we are trying to do here is inform the public that if poison is laid, we will give due notice in order that people will not walk in the affected fields, etc.

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

Simon Coveney: Notice will have to be given to the local authority and a sign will also have to be erected. I am informed that as regards the local authority, the issue which arises relates to water quality.

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

Simon Coveney: There is an existing provision in this regard in the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1965. The concern here relates to the run-off of poison into water supplies. I do not understand how providing seven days' notice could be of assistance in this regard.

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

Simon Coveney: My sense is that if one is going to be laying poison on an ongoing basis at specific times of the year when crops might be vulnerable or whatever, one would only be obliged to give seven days' notice in advance of doing so. I do not believe that on every occasion on which one lays poison one would be obliged to give seven days' notice. That would probably be impractical. Perhaps I will...

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

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is doing it every year but he is not doing it every week or month of every year. He only lays poison at the times when the crop is vulnerable to attack.

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

Simon Coveney: Local authorities need to know what types of poisons are being laid. The issue that arises relates to trying to put in place a regulation that is both sensible and capable of being implemented. What we have done is use the existing legislative provision in this regard. If necessary, we will give further consideration to that provision.

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

Simon Coveney: We can introduce a code in respect of anything in this legislation.

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

Simon Coveney: Local authorities will still need to now what is being put down on land. If, therefore, a person is poisoned, the local authority would be in a position to know who was laying poison, the type used and when and where is was applied. That is not unreasonable. However, it is unreasonable to state that people who are laying poison over prolonged periods should be obliged to give seven days'...

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. 35a: In page 21, subsection (7), line 24, after "section" to insert "or section 20" .

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. 36: In page 21, lines 29 and 30, to delete subsection (8) and substitute the following: "(8) In this section "intensive unit" means a premises on which protected animals are kept under a husbandry system relying, for the purpose of providing for the care of the animals, on automatic equipment to such an extent that a failure of that equipment would, if it were not...

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. 37: In page 22, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following subsection: "(5) In this section "intensive unit" has the meaning assigned to it in section 19(8).".

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

Simon Coveney: I do not propose to accept the amendments. I understand what the Deputy says but this legislation deals with animal health and welfare in Ireland. I do not believe that my Department possesses the resources that would allow it to make the kind of assessments relating to other countries that the Deputy is seeking before we determine whether animals can be exported to such countries. The...

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

Simon Coveney: I will add a further point to reassure members on this. On page 71, under Schedule 3, on matters in respect of which animal health and welfare regulations may be made, there is a long section dealing with transport. The Deputy was probably not referring to transport issues-----

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

Simon Coveney: -----but I thought it was a good opportunity to explain what we are doing in that respect. I believe there will be some live cattle export trade early in the new year and that will be a good development, but I want to reassure people that we are also being rigorous in terms of the welfare element. A specific issue arose about how greyhounds may be treated in China. I have been involved in...

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

Simon Coveney: I know what the Deputy is getting at in proposing this amendment. We had a long debate in the Seanad on the issue of selling of an animal to a minor under the age of 16. At the bottom of page 22, the section states that a person shall not sell an animal to a person who is apparently under the age of 16 years or give an animal as a prize to a person who is apparently under the age of 16...

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

Simon Coveney: I understand what the Deputy is saying.

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

Simon Coveney: I probably did. We are trying to prevent 14 and 15 year olds purchasing animals they are unable to keep, thus resulting in animal welfare issues. The temptation to buy an animal is very strong if one grows up around animals and wants to own an animal at the age of 13 or 14. It is an exciting and attractive prospect. I am sure the practice works very well when a 14 or 15 year old buys a...

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

Simon Coveney: Let me be clear. This is not an anti-Traveller measure; the provision is based on an animal-welfare perspective. I want to ensure that those who purchase animals are able to look after them, have space for them and have the means to feed and shelter them properly. We now have a series of obligations in law that attach to animal ownership. Are we to prosecute 14 and 15 year olds for...

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

Simon Coveney: It is applicable to everybody but the adult will have responsibility because the adult is responsible for the minor.