Results 14,121-14,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Milk Quota (18 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: I have been very active in seeking to secure further measures to ensure a soft landing for milk producers in the lead-up to milk quota abolition in 2015. I have discussed this matter extensively with other EU Agriculture Ministers and with the European Commission, and officials from my Department have raised this issue at EU level and with other Member States. However, attempts to consider...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The current Afforestation Scheme provides a range of grants that cover the full cost of establishment of the plantation and payment of annual premiums to both incentivise planting and to compensate for the loss of agricultural activity on the land that is planted. The Afforestation Scheme is a voluntary scheme and is one of a number of land-use options open to landowners. A number of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Inland Fisheries (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: On 14 May I launched a package of measures aimed at supporting and developing Ireland’s inshore fisheries. As part of the package of measures, I announced the introduction a maximum landing size for lobster of 127mm due to the importance of very large lobsters to the reproductive potential of the stock. The decision to introduce this new conservation measure followed on from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheepmeat Sector (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The industry wide strategy for developing the sheep industry in Ireland was set out in the Food Harvest 2020 document which envisages a 20% increase in value terms of the sector by 2020. My approach to building on the significant achievements of the strategy up until now is to drive the development of the industry at home and increase Ireland`s market share of the world market. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Fisheries Policy Reform (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The EU Regulation establishing the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund was published on 20 May 2014. Following months of intense lobbying and negotiation, I announced on 12 June 2014 that I had secured €148 million from the new Fund for the period 2014 to 2020 for the development of the Irish seafood industry and the coastal communities that depend upon it. This funding is more than...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The 2008 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) formed part of the EU Climate and Energy Package in 2008 for the post-Kyoto period 2013-2020. Under the Effort Sharing Decision, Ireland’s target is to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 2005 emission levels by 2020. The ESD does not set individual sectoral targets. My Department along with the Department of Environment,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: I announced details of some of the measures under consideration in the in the new Rural Development programme (RDP) on 13thMay last. I expect to be in a position to submit the draft RDP to the European Commission for evaluation and approval shortly. The proposed Beef Data and Genomics Programme is, subject to Commission approval, intended to deliver an accelerated improvement in the quality...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Management (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The draft Forestry Programme for 2014-2020 does include a measure for agro forestry. Agro-forestry under EU rules means land use systems in which trees are grown in combination with agriculture on the same land. The measure will be targeted at silvopastoral agro-forestry systems which combine forestry and pasture. Key objectives of the scheme will be to: - produce high quality hardwood timber...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Farm Assist scheme is the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection. The changes to the Farm Assist scheme were made in order to bring the scheme into closer alignment with the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed persons, and were part of the overall package of measures agreed by the Government in Budget 2013. There were 10,300 recipients...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Local Enterprise Offices Remit (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware the development, operation and funding of the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) throughout the country is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. These newly established offices are charged with promoting entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise development. They have been specifically developed to provide the first-stop-shop for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: Horticulture is a hugely important sector to Ireland and my Department has worked tirelessly on increasing the output and value of this sector. In fact, in 2013, Ireland’s horticultural industry, excluding potatoes, had a farm-gate output value of €314m. This represented a 6% increase on the value of output for the sector in 2012. Mushrooms represent over one third of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Employment Data (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) shows that there was an annual increase in employment of 2.3% or 42,700 in the year to the first quarter of 2014, bringing total employment to 1,888,200. Employment increased in nine of the fourteen economic sectors over the year and fell in five. The increase recorded in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing was 14.3% or 14,300,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishery Harbour Centres (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: My Department owns, manages and maintains the six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Rossaveel and Killybegs. Properties located in the Fishery Harbour Centres are, when appropriate, offered for tenancy under lease agreement by means of an open competitive tendering process in accordance with good practice and public procurement guidelines. In...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020 (RDP) will be co-funded from the National Exchequer and the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). The agreement reached on the Multiannual Financial Framework provides for a total allocation of EU funding of €2.19 billion (€313m per annum over 7 years) to Ireland for a new RDP. A sum of €2.037...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grassland Sheep Scheme Payments (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: The current Grassland Sheep Scheme is based on Article 68 of EU Regulation 73/2009 which governs direct payments in the form of the Single Payment Scheme. As of 1 January 2015 that Regulation is superseded by EU Regulation 1307/2013 and consequently there is no longer any legal basis for the continuation of the Grassland Sheep Scheme in its present form. In developing the shape of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: While there is no option to apply an amnesty in the case of those adversely affected by the ongoing land eligibility review, I can reassure the Deputy that every effort is being made to protect the interests of all Irish farmers during the process, including the interest of the majority of farmers, who were fully compliant in the declarations they made on an annual basis under the Schemes. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Scheme (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: GLAS (the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme) is part of a suite of proposed measures under the new Rural Development Programme (RDP). Prior to any roll-out of the scheme the RDP must be submitted to the European Commission for approval and I expect to be in a position to do this shortly. The European Union approval procedure will involve a detailed analysis of our proposals and will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: Hare coursing is a matter for my colleague the Minster for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht who has responsibility under national and EU wildlife law to ensure the conservation of the populations of certain species, including the hare. However, my Department is represented on a Monitoring Committee on Coursing, which was established in 1993/94, to monitor developments in coursing. This...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: My Department is acutely aware of the need to identify cost effective abatement options that can reduce carbon emissions while at the same time improving farm profitability. We are currently developing a low carbon agriculture sectoral roadmap under the Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2014 and this roadmap will take into account the targets in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is an ongoing review at EU level of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS) – this Scheme, to be known as Areas of Natural Constraint, is to be delineated by Member States using soil and climatic criteria, as proposed by the Commission, as follows: - Climate, including Low Temperature and Heat Stress; - Soil, including Drainage, Texture & Stoniness, Rooting Depth and...