Results 9,461-9,480 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbour Authority Properties (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 120 together. The Deputy is aware that I have been considering introducing a charge for parking facilities within Howth Fishery Harbour Centre for some time, for the following reasons - : - to assist in operating Howth Fishery Harbour Centre on a financially-sound basis - to provide a source of revenue for further investments in Fishery Harbour...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Application Numbers (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Despite the challenging budgetary constraints facing my Department, last year I allocated €20 million annually to fund the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) and on foot of this I announced the re-opening of the scheme. I decided on a maximum payment of €4,000 per annum for individual applicants which, on the basis of previous experience in implementing the scheme, indicated...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The proposal for a redistributive payment allows Member States, as an add-on and not an alternative, to flat rate or partial convergence, to use up to 30% of the national ceiling for top-up payments to farmers on hectares up to the national average farm size (32 hectares in Ireland) or up to 30 hectares. I am open to considering whether it would be of benefit to Ireland to avail of this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The total number of farmers who availed of the Consolidation measure under the Single Payment Scheme from 2005 to 2012 is 24,589. Consolidation (stacking) of entitlements means that in certain circumstances a farmer may give up to the National Reserve his/her own existing entitlements. The farmer is then re-allocated a lower number of entitlements with a higher net unit value. The overall...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Improvement Scheme (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Farm Improvement Scheme was introduced by my Department in July 2007 with a total funding allocation of €79 million. Under the Scheme, grant-aid was available up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of €120,000 for animal housing and related facilities with a separate ceiling of €120,000 being available for investments in relation to dairy hygiene. The standard...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: This refers to the EU Commission’s proposal to move to a flat-rate payments system. This would, in the case of several Member States (including Ireland), result in significant transfers between farmers. I believe there is a need for redistribution but I am concerned that moving to a flat rate as proposed would be harmful for the Irish agricultural sector and the Food Harvest 2020...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Proposed Legislation (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Aquaculture licensing is governed by the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act as amended. My Department has no plans at present to amend this legislation.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The EU Commission proposal is to move to flat rate payments by 2019. Earlier this month the EU Council of Ministers agreed an alternative approach based on the approximation model put forward by Ireland and supported by a number of other Member States. This would, among other things, limit the reductions to higher payments – whether they arose from stacking or otherwise. Over the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Passports (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The identification and registration of equidae is governed by EU Council Directives 90/426/EEC and 90/427/EEC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 504/2008 of 6 June 2008. The latter regulation, came into effect on 1 July 2009, provides that equine animals registered after that datemust be identified with a passport and a microchip. The EU legislation has been transposed into national...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Under the EU Regulations governing the scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: While meetings have taken place between my Department, An Bord Bia and Irish Ferry Companies to explore the possibilities for the direct transport of livestock (cattle) from Ireland to Britain, the matter is primarily one for decision by the ferry companies based on commercial considerations. Currently livestock ferries operate from Larne and Belfast.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Under the EU milk quota regime the quota year has always been from April to March, and there were no formal proposals, either at national or EU level, to bring the milk quota year in line with the calendar year. Indeed, it was generally considered that the current quota year has advantages over a system based on the calendar year. In 2008 the CAP ‘Health Check’ review...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Development (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131, 142 and 147 together. Public Policy for the development of aquaculture is set out in a number of public documents. These are Food Harvest 2020, Our Ocean Wealth, Steering a New Course – Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007-2013, the Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013, the Irish Seafood National...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Milk Quota Purchases (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The issue raised by the Deputy has been addressed in a Statutory Instrument (SI 90 of 2013) which I signed on 14 March 2013.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The negotiations on the reform of the CAP have made considerable progress across a number of fronts in recent weeks. Following the agreement by the European Council on the Multiannual Financial Framework in early February, the European Parliament two weeks ago agreed its position on the CAP reform package. This was followed last week by the successful adoption by the Council of Agriculture...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Coillte Teoranta was established in accordance with the Forestry Act 1988, under which a number of powers in relation to the oversight of the company are assigned to me as the Minister with responsibility for forestry. Coillte is also subject to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. This Code, which was revised and updated in 2009, sets out the governance framework agreed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the overarching policy framework which governs the fisheries and wider seafood sectors in the European Union. First put in place in 1983, it has been subject to reviews every 10 years, and is currently undergoing a reform process the important elements of which are expected to conclude during the Irish Presidency. The CFP is essentially three separate...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Standards Regulation (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: My Department has received a number of complaints in this area, some of which have been non-specific in nature. Information received in relation to alleged illegal activities in this State is taken seriously and investigated as appropriate by my Department and in certain cases by the Gardai. It must also be noted however that some claims have been made in the public domain in relation to this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The negotiations on the reform of the CAP are informed by the need to support strong economic performance through greater market orientation while at the same time ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources. In this regard, direct payments support agricultural incomes as the sector adjusts to the reality of greater exposure to global markets, while market support measures continue to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The negotiations on the reform of the CAP are informed by the need to support strong economic performance through greater market orientation while at the same time ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources. In this regard, direct payments support agricultural incomes as the sector adjusts to the reality of greater exposure to global markets, while market support measures continue to...