Results 14,241-14,260 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Service Contracts (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The restriction of the supply of bovine tags to a single supplier is designed to ensure that farmers obtain the best tag from a technical and price perspective. The farming organisations have expressed a preference for this approach on the basis that it ensures that ear tags can be made available at a more competitive price by a single supplier benefiting from economies of scale....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Projects (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: I announced details of the new GLAS (Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme) in January 2014 as part of a suite of proposed measures under the new Rural Development Programme. Following an extensive consultation process, I published a second draft of the entire Rural Development Programme in May as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. This latest document sets out...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: I announced details of the new GLAS (Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme) on 14 January 2014 as part of a suite of proposed measures under the new Rural Development Programme. GLAS will provide significant funding to farmers who undertake environmental actions in line with national and EU environmental objectives. It will contribute to the overall public good and will build on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Correspondence (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: My Department has indicated on numerous occasions to the person concerned that this case, which relates to events more than 30 years ago, has been fully dealt with in Court. My Department has provided all releasable personal information to the person concerned under various FOI and Data Protection requests. I should also explain that my Department provided a detailed brief to the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Correspondence (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The issue referred to has been the subject of considerable correspondence with my Department and with the Chief State Solicitors Office in the last number of years. The Chief State Solicitor recently advised that all correspondence with the persons concerned should issue from her Office. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for a meeting to be arranged at this time. However, I understand...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: My Department attaches considerable importance to the live export trade and, over the years, has been very active in facilitating shipments abroad. Live exports serve a dual purpose as a means of satisfying market demands for live animals and providing alternative market outlets for farmers. Total live exports to date this year are over 154,000 head of which 26,000 went to the UK, an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Regimes Harmonisation (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is already a substantial degree of harmonisation of the veterinary regimes on the island of Ireland, particularly in view of the fact that the bulk of the animal health and welfare measures implemented on the island are based on EU legislation. The main objective of the North-South strategy in the animal health and welfare area is to establish equivalent internal arrangements on both...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (1 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 367 and 368 together. When the Single Payment Scheme was introduced in 2005, land afforested under an EU funded, or an equivalent nationally funded, Afforestation Aid Scheme was not eligible for payment. Therefore, lands afforested during the period 2005 to 2008 were not and cannot now become eligible for payment under the Single Payment Scheme. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Transfers (2 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a Transfer of Entitlements application on 18 February 2014 for the above herd number. As the requested transfer was by way of inheritance, it was necessary to request the normal testamentary documentation in support of this transfer. All necessary documentation has now been received. This application has been processed and acceptance letters were issued on 27 June, 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Agencies Reports (2 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Annual Accounts of Horse Racing Ireland for 2013 are at present being audited by the Comptroller and Audit General. Once that audit is completed, the annual report and accounts will be forwarded to my Department for consideration, after which I will present them to Government within a very short timeframe. The annual report and accounts will then be laid before both Houses of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Agencies Reports (2 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: Tote Ireland Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Horse Racing Ireland. Tote Ireland Limited is incorporated under the Companies Acts. Financial statements are prepared for Tote Ireland Limited for each financial year in accordance with Irish company law and statutory returns are filed with the Companies Office. In addition the annual report and accounts of Tote Ireland Limited are laid by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tuberculosis Eradication Programme Administration (2 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: Where a holding is restricted as a result of TB reactors being identified, EU legislation requires that the re-test cannot be conducted until at least 60 days after the removal of the last positive reactor. In addition, the general requirement in EU legislation is that two clear tests must be completed before the holding can be de restricted, the second test taking place not earlier than 60...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Sick Leave (3 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The information requested by the Deputy is contained below. Q1 2014 contains January – March 2014. Year 2011 2012 2013 Q1 2014 Number of Uncertified Days 2,168.00 1,861.00 1,358.00 461.00 Number of Certified Days * 10,267.00 11,591.00 9,468.00 3,341.00 Number of Long Term** Sick Days 18,361.00 15,071.00 16,907.00 3,539.00 Total 30,796.00 28,523.00 27,733.00...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Consultancy Contracts Data (3 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the table below: 2011: March- December Consultant Title of Report Date of Commission Date or Expected Date of Publication Payments Stiofán Nutty Report on the Development of Ireland's Organic Industry and Establishment of An Irish Organic Trade Board Mar-11 08-Sep-11 29,040 University College Dublin EU School Fruit...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (3 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is no proposal to consider scrub land as eligible land for the purposes of the Single Payment Scheme. Under the Terms & Conditions of the Direct Aid Schemes, which includes the Single Payment Scheme, farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their applications. In this context, an “eligible hectare” is land that is used for an agricultural...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (3 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2012. Full payments have issued to the person named in respect of the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Scheme years. Payments for the 2014 scheme year for the person named and all other AEOS 1 participants will be processed in the 4th quarter of 2014. The application for SPS...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Land Issues (3 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: Alopecurus Myosuroides (Black Grass) is an annual grass-weed which occurs throughout most of Europe but can be a particular problem in cereal production in more western European countries. Low levels of this weed often occur in Irish cereal crops but are generally not of agronomic significance and black grass would be considered to be of only minor importance in Irish arable systems, although...

Topical Issue Debate: Fisheries Protection (8 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know he is genuine in this regard as we have previously discussed his connection with the fishing industry. Everyone wants more quota. Whether it is a whitefish boat, a mackerel boat or any other part of the quota fleet here in Ireland, everyone wants more quota. The quota for Ireland this year is more valuable than it has ever been at over...

Topical Issue Debate: Fisheries Protection (8 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: No; that is not what I said.

Topical Issue Debate: Fisheries Protection (8 Jul 2014)

Simon Coveney: They are not all small charges.