Results 9,481-9,500 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: I am very satisfied with the progress made to date on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. To start with, the European Council agreement on 7/8 February on the next EU multiannual financial framework secures the necessary funding for the continuation of a strong CAP. Moreover, the agreement last week of the 27 Member States in the EU Council of Ministers represents an important...

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

Simon Coveney: Further to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be considered for sale, Coillte Board and management have engaged with NewERA, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department to examine the financial and other implications of developing the potential of Coillte’s forest assets. Substantial work has been...

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

Simon Coveney: Coillte is a commercial state owned enterprise established in 1989 in accordance with the Forestry Act 1988. The shares are held by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and myself. As the Minister with responsibility for forestry, there are a number of powers assigned to me under the Forestry Act 1988. I also respond to Parliamentary Questions on policy matters relating to Coillte....

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

Simon Coveney: The European Council agreement on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) provides some €313m for Ireland per year under Pillar 2 of the CAP for the period 2014 - 2020. This includes a special allocation of €100 million, over the full period, negotiated in the final stages of the talks. The MFF provides for flexibility regarding the co-financing rates for Pillar 2 support...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Breeding Regulations (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The hen harrier is a species of high conservation concern. It is listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, which provides a legislative framework for the conservation of the species. Six Special Protection Areas (SPAs) have been designated under the Birds Directive for the protection of the species in Ireland. The Hen Harrier Working Group was established in 2006 and comprised...

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

Simon Coveney: The report on the ‘Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation’, which I published on 14th March, includes details of the companies that came to my Department’s attention during this investigation and the resulting actions taken by the Department. The normal procedure in my Department is that a suspension notice on a food business operator is not...

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

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware the Minister for Health has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation and the new EU food information regulations that were adopted by the Council of Health Ministers in December 2011. However my Department plays an important role in the labelling of food together with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). In my capacity as Chairman...

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

Simon Coveney: Irish vessels are currently precluded from landing Sea Bass under the Bass (Conservation of Stocks) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 230 of 2006) and the Bass (Restriction on Sale) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 367 of 2007). The complete ban for the commercial fishing of sea bass applies to Irish fishing vessels in all areas. In accordance with the provisions of EU Council Regulation 812/2004...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Schemes (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: Food Labelling (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The report on ‘Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation’ which I released on 14th March 2013 sets out a range of actions being taken in relation to this issue at both national and EU level. These include a programme of DNA testing of beef products and testing of horse meat for the presence of phenylbutazone. Meat traders/agents will be required to register...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Appeals (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: In total, my Department wrote to in excess of 10,000 beneficiaries under the 2011 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme whose holdings had not achieved the minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare, as required under the Terms and Conditions of the 2012 Scheme. In response, my Department received 9,635 applications from farmers seeking derogation from this requirement. These...

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

Simon Coveney: Further to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be considered for sale, Coillte Board and management have engaged with NewERA, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and this Department to examine the financial and other implications of developing the potential of Coillte’s forest assets. Substantial work has been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection 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: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Application Numbers (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: Payments under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on target, on 26 September and, to date, payments worth in excess of €206 million have issued to some 94,000 farmers. Payments continue to issue twice weekly, as individual cases are confirmed eligible. Nationally, 127 applications were subject to 100% penalty, as each was received after the final date for receipt of...

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

Simon Coveney: Commonage lands form an important part of the farming enterprises of many farmers, particularly along the West Coast. They also form an important part of the local environment from the point of view of bio-diversity, wildlife, amenities and economic returns e.g. tourism. However, there is a substantial risk of land abandonment as under-grazing become more of a problem. Under-grazing leads...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: As a member of the Government, I have been involved in the Government meetings at which the State Asset Disposal programme, which includes the proposed sale of Coillte harvesting rights, have been considered. The outcome of one such meeting was the Government decision in February 2012 that consideration would be given to the sale of some assets of Coillte (excluding the sale of land). The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware, further to the Government’s decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be considered for sale, the National Treasury Management Agency, via its NewERA Unit, engaged with Coillte, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department to examine the financial and other implications of a potential transaction....

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

Simon Coveney: Despite the challenging budgetary constraints facing my Department, last year I allocated €20 million annually to fund a new agri-environment scheme and on foot of this I announced the re-opening of the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS). I decided on a maximum payment of €4,000 per annum for individual applicants to allow for up to 6,500 new participants to be accepted...

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

Simon Coveney: Employment statistics for the meat processing sector are published by the CSO in its Census of Industrial Production (CIP). The CIP is an annual survey and the most recent available data, which relates to 2010, indicates that there are around 12,000 persons employed in 123 enterprises engaged in the processing and preserving of meat and the production of meat products. A sectoral breakdown of...

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

Simon Coveney: Consumer confidence and trust is critical to preserving and securing employment throughout the Irish beef supply chain, including the processing stage. My chief concern since the beginning of this controversy has been to fully restore consumer confidence in Irish beef products and thereby limit the potential impact of food fraud on employment levels in the processing industry. The fact...