Results 9,501-9,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the proposal for a redistributive payment on the first hectares that emerged during recent negotiations between the EU Commission and the EU Council of Ministers on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. This proposal 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...

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

Simon Coveney: I strongly support the abolition of sugar quotas at an early stage. The EU Commission’s proposal was to abandon quotas from September 2015. In discussions at the Council of Agriculture Ministers, it emerged that Member States were deeply divided on the issue between a group of Member States, including Ireland, who favoured early abolition and another group who wished to extend quotas...

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

Simon Coveney: Details regarding number of sheep from Northern Ireland slaughtered in plants approved by my Department since March 2011 are given in the Table below. These figures are based on weekly returns made by sheep slaughtering plants. Plants are not asked to provide returns in respect of the number of sheep slaughtered that originated in Britain or elsewhere as the numbers involved are negligible. I...

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

Simon Coveney: Considerable progress has been made over the last number of weeks in the negotiations on the reform of the CAP. As a first step, the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee adopted an initial position on the CAP reform package at the end of January. Further momentum was generated in early February when the clarity that had been awaited from the negotiations on...

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

Simon Coveney: I intend neither to continue with the current direct payments regime nor to move to the type of national or regional flat-rate system proposed by the Commission, but rather to implement a limited redistribution of payments that will result in a fairer, more balanced system. I think we in Ireland can all agree that we should move away from payments based entirely on out-of-date historic...

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

Simon Coveney: At the Council of Fisheries meeting on 26th of February, following a long and challenging set of negotiations, I successfully brokered the political agreement of the EU Fisheries Council for the introduction of a Europe wide discards ban. The Council general approach allows for some practical measures that will support the effective implementation of the discards ban. In relation to...

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

Simon Coveney: The Commission published its proposals for a new financial instrument for the period 2014 – 2020, the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund, in December 2011. The fund will help to deliver the ambitious objectives of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and will assist fishermen in the transition towards sustainable fishing, as well as coastal communities in the diversification...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheep Technology Adoption Programme Eligibility (26 Mar 2013)

Simon Coveney: The sheep sector is a key part of the Agrifood sector, especially in marginal land areas and there is huge scope to improve farm incomes through focusing on issues such as grassland management, financial management, breeding, health and welfare and environmental efficiency. The Sheep Technology Adoption Programme (STAP) is intended to provide participants with the knowledge and the skills...

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

Simon Coveney: Under the original Commission proposals, existing payment entitlements in Member States such as Ireland who applied the Single Payment historic model will expire on 31 December of the year before the first implementation of the new CAP regime. It is now recognised that the first year of the new regime will be 2015. Farmers will apply in that year for an allocation of new payment...

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

Simon Coveney: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is responsible for the enforcement of food labelling legislation in this country. My Department is not aware of a report with the title referred to in the Question by the Deputy but I am advised that the FSAI did carry out a Fish Labelling Survey in 2011.

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

Simon Coveney: The agricultural advisor of the person named has recently submitted an appeal to the Department in relation to the penalty applied in this case. The appeal is being examined with a view to issuing a response to the person named as quickly as possible.

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

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1st September 2011 and has received full payment totalling €1,217.05 in respect of 2011. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be...

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

Simon Coveney: Under 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of six consecutive months, in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. While the holding of the person named was confirmed as having satisfied the...

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

Simon Coveney: Under 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the holdings of eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of six consecutive months, in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. While the holding of the person named was confirmed as having...

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

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2012 National Reserve. The 2012 National Reserve caters for farmers who commenced farming after 17th May, 2010. Applicants are required to submit a 2012 Single Payment application form detailing all lands which they are currently farming. In addition, applicants are required to meet certain criteria with...

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

Simon Coveney: The inspection process identified an over claim of 2.16 hectares in this case. Where an over claim of greater than 3% but less than 20% is identified, as was the case here, the governing EU Regulations require that a penalty of twice the difference between the area claimed and that found must be applied. The person named appealed the penalty. This appeal has been processed with no change in...

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

Simon Coveney: I refer the Deputy to my Dáil statement of 14th March and the report which I released on the same day on the ‘Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation’. That report provides a full update on the investigation into this matter and outlines the conclusions and recommendations which can now be drawn. During the course of the intensive investigation of this...

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

Simon Coveney: A review of forestry policy undertaken by my Department is currently in the process of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which includes consultation with statutory bodies and the general public. It is anticipated that the process will be concluded by the end of July after which it is planned to issue the report, taking account of any further inputs received during the SEA process.

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

Simon Coveney: The Irish Seafood National Programme 2007-2013 is a framework programme under the National Development Plan covering supports to the seafood sector that are not co-funded by the EU. Most support to the seafood sector is co-funded by the European Fisheries Fund and is covered by the Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013. Financial supports for the construction, installation and...

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

Simon Coveney: All applications for aquaculture licences are dealt with under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act, as amended. The provisions of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations are applied to such applications where appropriate. Following assessment by my Department of an application for the cultivation of finfish in Galway Bay it was deemed...