Results 10,201-10,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I thank Senators for the tone of the discussion and their questions, which were constructive. I will try to answer some of the questions and clarify some of the points made. On single farm payments, these are never paid in September. The single farm payment is not due until mid-December. Last year, and for three of the past five years, we have managed to get an advance on that in terms of...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: No. There is just under €200 million in DAS payments due and if we start paying farmers in advance, we would have to consider how much to give them and who would get the advance payment. The payment will be made in September and there should be a bridging banking and credit facility available to farmers until then. I do not see why that cannot work. This is in preference to asking...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I accept that DAS payments are a matching fund so they are slightly different from the single farm payment. I have had many conversations with people in banks over the past two weeks and they all suggest there should be short and medium term credit facilities in place for most farmers. This is not about refinancing loans for machinery, buying land or renting conacre but rather dealing with...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: One must be able to buy fodder.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: All the conversations we have had indicate this is not primarily a credit crisis but rather a fodder crisis. If the Senator spoke to a few more farmers, he would probably understand that.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Perhaps the Senator should speak to some neighbours. We are trying to solve the nub of the problem, which is getting fodder into Ireland, regardless of whether farms have money. If fodder is unavailable to buy, it cannot be procured at any price, which is the centre of the immediate crisis that must be solved. If farmers cannot afford to buy the fodder, we will intervene and buy it for...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Last year the figure was 117,000 for the same period. There has been a significant increase from last year but if we consider 2009 or other years with severe weather conditions, one could also see a higher figure. This is a particularly bad year but there have been other years in a similar category. We must deal with that and ensure there is no repeat next year. We must work on farms in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st December 2010 and full payment totalling €114.72 issued in respect of 2010. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st November 2010 and full payments totalling €237.98 and €3,565.56 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first four years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. The application of the person named was also selected for an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1st September 2010 and full payment totalling €1,170.16 issued in respect of 2010. 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 completed before...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in September 2009 and received payments for the first three years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. Following this administrative check an issue was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Lands (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of the forest estate, are the responsibility of the company. Coillte has advised, in relation to your query, that it welcomes responsible users who practice Leave No Trace. Since the 1970s, an Open Forest Policy has been in place in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme Eligibility (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The deadline of end-September 2013 for completion of work under the TAMS Sow Welfare Scheme forms part of the EU conditions of approval for the Scheme. The original deadline for completion of work under the Scheme was 31 December 2012 and EU Commission approval was required for the extension of that date to end-September 2013. As the new EU animal welfare rules for the sector have been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Redeployment (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: In answer to the Deputy’s question, I can confirm that no staff from My Department’s office in County Galway transferred to the Department of Social Protection in Counties Mayo or Sligo since March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: In order to comply with EU requirements, the applicant was one of a number selected for inspection under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme. During the course of this inspection discrepancies were identified in relation both eligibility and cross compliance requirements that have required further investigation. This process is ongoing and a decision will be communicated to the applicant as soon...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Appeals (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: In order to comply with EU requirements, the applicant was one of a number selected for inspection under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme. This inspection resulted in findings of an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%, which under the terms and conditions of the scheme, resulted in a reduced payment. The applicant was notified of this decision on 13th November 2012. In addition,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Appeals (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: In order to comply with EU requirements, the applicant was one of a number selected for inspection under the 2012 Single Payment Scheme. This inspection resulted in findings of an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%, which under the terms and conditions of the scheme, resulted in a reduced payment. The applicant was notified of this decision on 17 October 2012. The balancing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st September 2011 and full payment totalling €1,333.32 issued in respect of 2011. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Applications (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: My Department has no record of an application having been received or participation in the Agri Environment Options Scheme having been approved for the person named on the basis of the details, including herd number, provided.