Results 10,361-10,380 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: In order to be eligible under the Single Payment Scheme and other area based schemes, an applicant must ensure that all agricultural land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). A Cross Compliance inspection relating to the Single Farm Payment was carried out on the holding concerned on 27 February 2013. When conducting inspections, my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry Issues (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The report on the ‘Equine DNA and Mislabelling of Processed Beef Investigation’, published on 14 March, includes details of the companies that came to my Department’s attention during this investigation and the actions taken by the Department. Operations in a total of four plants were suspended (in some cases on a voluntary basis) for varying periods arising from the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Applications (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: My Department is on the point of finalising the processing of applications received under the Agri-environmental Options Scheme on the basis of the information submitted by the applicants. The Scheme Terms and Conditions clearly set out the information requirements to be submitted with each application by the closing date. My Department have been in contact with applicants with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 November 2010 and full payments totalling €531.42 and €4,999.96 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 Land...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2010 and full payments totalling €1,666.66 and €4,999.98 issued in respect of 2010 and 2011 respectively. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: An in-depth review of national forest policy is currently being finalised. This review, arising from a Government commitment that such be undertaken, commenced in 2010 and was undertaken by a group consisting of representatives of the forestry sector. The review of forestry policy is currently in the process of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which includes consultation with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (22 May 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, indicates...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Penalties (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The final instalment of €1,815.46 of an outstanding REPS 3 debt that arose in 2009 was netted against a Disadvantaged Area Payments on 25th September 2012. In addition the person named joined the Organic Farming Scheme in June 2008 and received payments for the first four years of the contract. The Organic Farming Scheme is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Credit Availability (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy might note that significant progress has already been made towards achieving the Food Harvest 2020 targets. The Food Harvest High Level Implementation Committee, which I chair, monitors progress and by end 2012, the value of overall primary production had risen by 21%, (2020 target 33%) and the value of exports had increased by 12%, (2020 target 42%). By end 2010, the latest data...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I am particularly conscious of the difficulties facing farmers, prompted by the prolonged period of adverse weather, which has cumulated in severe fodder shortages in many areas and I have taken a number of steps to assist. Specifically, I have introduced the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme, designed to assist towards the transport costs of imported fodder and maintenance of stocking...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: For the information of Senators, there are 27 groups. I hope we can move through them quite quickly because there is nothing really contentious left in this. There has been over eight hours of debate on this Bill, much of that in this House. Members of this House have made a significant contribution to the content of this Bill. It is a good example of a Bill that began in the Seanad and...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Group 2 is a little shorter. This relates to amendments Nos. 3 and 23 to 25, inclusive. It relates to the definition of intensive units. A small drafting amendment moves the definition of "intensive unit" out of the general definitions to the two specific sections where it is used in this Bill. Essentially, this relates to defining poultry units, pig units, etc. where there is intensive...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Group 3 consists of drafting amendments to definition of "protected animal". These are amendments 4 and 5. Following legal advice, it was deemed more correct to make clear that the Bill is limited to those animals in the State and those animals that are specifically owned. There was an issue in relation to Northern Ireland versus the Republic of Ireland here because, essentially, we were...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Group 4, which is amendments Nos. 6, 48, 54 and 60, relates to the keeping of records. Discussion in my Department has identified the need for some tweaks to the definition of "record" and its use at various points in the Bill. First, we are providing more details to specify that documents like animal passports or identity documents are included in this definition for obvious reasons given...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: These amendments relate to measures to protect animal welfare and which prohibit straying. Amendments Nos. 7 and 8 to section 8 provide for a change in the term describing the actions that must be taken to stop an animal straying from "necessary" to "reasonable". This was an amendment tabled by Fianna Fáil on Committee Stage that I considered to be reasonable and for the addition of...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The sixth group relates to the non-application of provisions to certain enactments and regulations. While this sounds somewhat technical, my Department became aware that late last year, the Minister for Health had introduced a new statutory instrument amending the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995 to reflect recent changes in the law at European Union level that are reflected in the replacement...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: This group relates to the prohibition on animal cruelty. The amendments are a number of small changes to section 12 that reflect a number of issues raised by Deputies. In the main, they serve to improve the language of the section and provide that where a suffering animal is seized, the dependent offspring also can be seized. This provision is unlikely to be used, as where animals have...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: That is a reasonable question and I wish to say two things to farmers on this issue. First, if one is unable to feed one's animals at present for whatever reason, regardless of whether one cannot get them out and has no fodder to feed them inside or cannot afford to buy feed or cannot access feed, there is absolutely no reason to allow an animal to starve in Ireland at present. There is a...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Amendment No. 16 stands alone in the eighth group and is about the prohibition on abandonment of animals. This was suggested during the Committee Stage debate and addresses the need to allow for light and ventilation for animals that are being left unattended. This merely adds to the categorisation of what constitutes abandonment. In other words, it is one thing to abandon an animal on a...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The ninth group concerns an issue about which I personally feel strongly, as I suspect do other colleagues. It pertains to the prohibition on animal fighting. Amendments Nos. 17 to 20 are to section 15. There has been some concern over section 15 of the Bill, despite the fact that it relates clearly to performances. I have had this section re-examined and am satisfied this provision will...