Results 8,841-8,860 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Horse Slaughter Standards (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: It is important to separate the issues of the horsemeat scandal we are currently investigating and the question of whether we have appropriate checks in place to ensure that any horse slaughtered for human consumption has a valid passport and microchip. There is no evidence at the moment to suggest that there is any connection between horses that have been slaughtered in Ireland and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sugar Industry (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: As Deputy Martin Ferris will know, there are a number of interest groups in the State which would like to see the return of a sugar refining industry, not least farmers who want to grow sugar beet both as a valuable cash crop and as a valuable break crop in arable farming. That is even more important, given the potential for new greening measures in the Common Agricultural Policy reform...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sugar Industry (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: They are all valid questions, but I have made the case to the Commission, formally and informally. I have speaking notes to show that I have raised this issue at Council meetings. There are one or two other countries in a similar position, Slovenia probably being the best example. Countries that continue to have large sugar quotas and industries are anxious to protect the status quo...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sugar Industry (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: This issue is one of many that are being debated as we draw to a conclusion in the Council of Ministers on a negotiating position on CAP reform. Then we can go into a trialogue process to agree in co-decision with the European Parliament what the CAP will look like for the next seven years. Hopefully, the Irish Presidency will be able to conclude all of that before the end of June. Sugar...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Our food industry is a high-growth area of our economy and the seafood processing sector is no exception. The sector has significant potential to increase revenues and employment in the coming years. I have on previous occasions referred to my commitment to ensure the maximum number of jobs are created and maintained in the seafood industry. Both Food Harvest 2020 and the action plan for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The grant aid is given out on the basis of two criteria. We are trying to modernise processing in Ireland to make it more efficient and competitive in order that we can process more fish here and land more fish caught by Irish trawlers and foreign trawlers. These changes are taking place and are evidenced by the increasing export figures. We are also looking to invest in facilitating the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy makes a fair point. There is a concern that when money is invested in processing equipment, the resulting modernisation and mechanisation can reduce the number of people working in the factories concerned. We are trying to ensure that we are competitive as a place to land, process and add value to fish. For example, the landing of blue whiting in Killybegs last year was a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware, we are faced with unprecedented financial constraints and difficult decisions have had to be taken in recent years regarding funding of schemes operated by my Department, principally the disadvantaged areas scheme. Rather than simply take an across the board approach to cutting rates, I am determined to use this opportunity to make the scheme more focused. I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that the payment resulted from replacing the old sheep headage scheme with a disadvantaged area scheme. Therefore, anybody who availed of the payment and continues to farm in the same way will be able to retain the payment. If somebody is not farming the land and has no stock on it, he or she cannot expect to hold on to the top-up payment, which is not unreasonable.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: First, we have continued with the prioritisation of support for farmers farming in mountain areas in the most recent budget. They will not suffer any DAS payment cut. I will check my understanding of this issue when Question Time concludes and revert to the Deputy with a note. I understand the scheme was previously targeted at sheep farmers in mountainous areas. If that is not the case, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I hear what the Deputy is saying, but it is my understanding and my briefing note suggests the payment is made to sheep farmers only. However, I will check and revert to the Deputy with a response on the position of farmers with suckler cows in mountainous areas.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine owns and operates under statute six fishery harbour centres at Killybegs, Ros a' Mhíl, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. Properties located in the fishery harbour centres are offered for tenancy under lease or licence agreements when appropriate. An individual agreement, which is a formal document and is legally binding...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: We have looked at the Deputy's proposal, but it is not as easy as it might seem. When a lease is signed that does not contain a mechanism whereby the level of rent can be reduced - it must stay as it is or increase - it is not straightforward from a legal point of view to reduce that rent. In order to ensure both sides do not have to go through the cost and hassle of the process of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: We need to balance two things. First, we need to ensure we are not charging rents that are over the top for businesses. Second, we need to run six fisheries harbours in a businesslike manner so they can pay for themselves, if possible, and pay for the investment that is and has been needed over the years. We are trying to balance our obligation as a landlord to be fair to the tenants and...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I expect Deputy Kelleher and Deputy Ó Cuív, who is present to deal with the question, might have differing views on this issue, but perhaps that is not the case. I can confirm that I am actively pursuing the question of internal convergence in the CAP reform negotiations. Indeed, it is probably my key concern in the overall CAP reform process. Under a national flat rate system,...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: What we have proposed as an alternative to the Commission proposal would essentially mean the higher one's payments, the more one would lose, while the lower one's payments, the more one would gain in the redistribution, which would be fair. Farmers with very high payments would lose one quarter of their payments, while those with very low payments would probably see their payments quadruple...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Yes. I will answer that question in a moment.

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The problem is that under the World Trade Organisation rules, payments cannot be linked directly to productivity. I would like to be able to do so. Coupling is one way of doing it. The single farm payment cannot be linked directly to productivity which is the reason we have been relying on an historical link to productivity. Teagasc figures in 2010 demonstrate a correlation between...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: European Commission approval for the introduction of a number of targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, intended to support productive investment in the agricultural sector was received in March 2010. Priority was given to the bioenergy, poultry welfare and sow welfare schemes which were launched by my Department during the first half of 2010. The sheep fencing and mobile...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The allocation for last year was approximately €20 million. In terms of the total allocation for the scheme and the actual expenditure that has been committed so far, the following figures apply: dairy equipment, €45 million; poultry welfare, €16 million; sow welfare, €13 million; sheep fencing and handling, €8 million; rainwater harvesting, €8...