Results 14,441-14,460 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Employment Data (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) shows that there was an annual increase in employment of 1.7%, or 31,600, in the year to the second quarter of 2014, bringing total employment to 1,901,600. Employment increased in ten of the fourteen economic sectors over the year and fell in four. The published annual increase recorded in Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The total profiled expenditure for 2014 for REPS is €123m and for AEOS is €61m and it is expected that the entire allocation for these Schemes will be spent in 2014. The budgetary process for 2015 is currently underway and the allocation of monies for REPS , AEOS and GLAS will be decided as part of that process.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 472, 483 and 492 together. Commonage lands form an important part of the farming enterprises of many farmers, in addition to being crucial from the point of view of bio-diversity, wildlife, amenities and tourism. A total of some 14,936 farmers declare commonage land under the Single Payment Scheme and the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. They form a significant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The process of developing the draft RDP has been a lengthy and complex one. As part of this process a comprehensive Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis , a needs assessment, and multiple stages of stakeholder consultations were carried out. This analysis served to provide a comprehensive outline of the policy context and environment underpinning the draft RDP...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Projects (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Knowledge Transfer, as proposed in Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme is a scheme that will result in the transfer of expertise to farmers across six different sectors. Participating farmers will attend a minimum number of knowledge exchange meetings and also complete a Farm Improvement Plan in conjunction with a qualified advisor. This is a separate scheme to GLAS and if...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Article 45(4) of the Rural Development regulation states that: “Beneficiaries of investment related support may request the payment of an advance of up to 50% of the public aid related to the investment from the competent paying agencies if that option is included in the rural development programme.” The provision applies to investment related support under Article 17 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Natura 2000 (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is self-sufficient in the production of organic red meat for the home market but there is clear potential to develop the export market further. For example, in the conventional sector 90% of the beef produced is exported and in the organic sector there is clearly scope to export a multiple of what we consume at home. The challenge is to increase the scale and regularity of supply from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Data (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 477 to 479, inclusive, together. Following a review at EU level the Less Favoured Areas Scheme was replaced as part of the overall agreement on the CAP Reform Package. The new 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Policy (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Participants in receipt of payments under the Burren Farming for Conservation Scheme may also participate in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme or the Agri-Enviro nment Options Scheme. However if an identical commitment is carried under more than one Scheme it will be funded under one Scheme only.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Plan (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The draft RDP was finalised by my Department and submitted to the European Commission on the 3rd of July 2014.  The shape of the various schemes proposed under the draft programme has not yet been finalised. This draft will now form the basis for a period of discussion with the Commission and the subsequent formal adoption of the RDP. Finalising the details of each scheme and securing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Administration (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: My officials have held meetings with the Agricultural Consultants Association and with Teagasc regarding the preparation of GLAS Commonage Management P lans and I believe there should be a sufficient complement of agricultural advisors available to carry out this important work. Only one Plan will be submitted for the entire commonage, which may be contributed to by a number of planners ,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme for the period 2014-2020 was submitted to the European Commission for approval in July and one of the things we have sought in the context of GLAS is greater flexibility with regard to the use of standard costs. It is proposed to use stand ard cost s for non-productive capital investments carried out under GLAS and the submission of receipts...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licence Applications (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: An application by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish near Inis Oirr in Galway Bay was received by my Department in 2012.  The application and its accompanying Environmental Impact Statement are being considered under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act. A determination in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Direct Payment Scheme Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 488 and 489 together. The data sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be furnished directly to the Deputy immediately is becomes available. 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, are to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Land Parcel Identification System (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: 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, are to exclude ineligible features such as roads, buildings, farmyards, dense scrub, etc. These claims are then recorded on the Department’s Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014. In the case of TAMS II, it is proposed, subject to EU Commission approval, to provide funding in the initial stages for investments in relation to (i) dairy equipment, (ii) low emission spreading equipment, (iii) animal welfare and farm safety (specifically beef and sheep...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Regulations (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm that the proposed EU disallowance remains a live issue. Following a series of bi-lateral meetings between officials of my Department and EU officials, which failed to reconcile my principal contention – that the EU approach to the level of correction to be applied should be based on the assessed risk, rather than a flat rate calculation – my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Administration (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: A number of information meetings are being hosted by the Department at various venues nationwide. These meetings are to help to reassure Commonage farmers and provide the clarity they have been seeking. The purpose of the meetings is to provide information on future requirements under the Basic Payment Scheme under Pillar I and the GLAS scheme and ANC Scheme under Pillar II of the CAP. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The total exchequer funding provided by my Department to farmers in 2014 is €569.78 million comprising €439.62 million current and €130.16 million capital spending. In addition to voted expenditure the estimated 100% direct EU funded payments amount to €1.2 billion. The 100% EU funded schemes are provided for on an EU Agriculture financial year basis which starts...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Milk Quota (17 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Allocations of milk quota from the National Reserve are granted on the basis of recommendations from the Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal examines and makes recommendations on applications for additional quota from individual producers, on the grounds of hardship. The Tribunal considers issues such as on and off farm income level, use of previous years quota, previous allocations and...