Results 15,501-15,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Equipment Scheme Applications (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period, which was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014, includes provision for a range of on-farm investment schemes. Improving facilities in the dairy sector has been identified as a priority and under the proposed Dairy Equipment Scheme, it is intended to make grant-aid available for the purchase of new dairy equipment....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Farmers with payment entitlements whose claimed value was greater than €5000 in 2013 were subject to a linear reduction of 10.49% in 2014 in accordance with EU Regulations. Modulation reduction of 10% which applied in 2013 was not applied in 2014. The practice of applying modulation reductions to the single payment received by farmers was in place from 2005-2013. A new EU...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sugar Industry (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: By way of explanation I would like to give the Deputy a short background to this issue. In 2011 I met with two separate groups which had conducted feasibility studies into the possibility of establishing a new sugar/bioethanol facility in the country. The figures published by the interested groups who are investigating the possibility of building a new facility, indicate that the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Imports (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: In the year to date, 13,473 tonnes of beef has been imported into Ireland from the United Kingdom. In comparison, we have exported 151,755 tonnes of beef to the UK in the same period. Harmonised EU rules require mandatory traceability and origin labelling for beef from slaughterhouse to point of sale to consumers with the objective of providing maximum transparency for the marketing of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The 2012 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. This inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area found, resulting in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%. Based on the Terms and Conditions of the schemes, this resulted in the 2012 payments being based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Administration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: EU Regulations governing the administration of the Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes, and other area based schemes, require that full and comprehensive administrative eligibility checks, including in some cases either Ground or Remote Sensing (satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. Eligibility checks are required to ensure that the actual area claimed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas scheme application on 9 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The EU Regulations also require that where it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tax Reliefs Application (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Taxation policy is primarily a matter for the Minister for Finance. However I have on-going contact with Minister Noonan to ensure that tax policy reflects the Government’s commitment to agriculture. In this regard I am pleased that the Minister and I could facilitate the Agri-taxation Review, which was published as part Budget 2015. It gave us a unique opportunity to examine a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The EU agri-products ban by the Russian Federation earlier this year has direct and indirect impacts for the EU and Irish dairy sectors. At an EU level, two distinct camps can be identified; those for whom the Russian ban has an immediate and substantial effect and other countries mostly in Western Europe where the effects are less immediate. The Russian ban continues to have an acute...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas scheme application on 13 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I have recently introduced a targeted Safety Scheme to assist farmers to upgrade the standard of safety on their farms. In that Scheme, I have specifically provided for the purchase of mobile cattle crushes, because of their value in helping to control large animals safely. However, it is important that this type of equipment is designed to the correct specification, as laid down by my...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Health Product Regulatory Authority (HPRA) formerly the Irish Medicines Board is the statutory authority with responsibility for the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines in Ireland. The Defence Forces Medical Corps is advised that the three anti-malarial medications licensed by the HPRA – Lariam (mefloquine), Malarone and Doxycycline – can all have significant side...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Participation in overseas peacekeeping missions is a key element of Ireland’s foreign policy and has been an important dimension in meeting Ireland’s international obligations as a member of the UN and the EU. Irish foreign policy is directed at supporting co-operative arrangements for collective security through the development of international organisations, especially the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I have not held talks with the Minister for Finance, or the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform regarding remuneration or conditions of employment in the Permanent Defence Force (PDF). Rates of remuneration and conditions of employment in the Irish public sector have traditionally been set by reference to relative levels of pay across the various sectors of the Irish public...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The original decision of March 1987, to take the total compensation into consideration in deciding the rate of disability pension applicable in this case, was quashed on foot of a High Court Order of 23 November 1987, and a new review of the case was ordered to be undertaken. The individual’s solicitors were invited to make representations on his behalf and detailed representations...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table. In relation to the figures in the table, the serving strength figures for 2013 and 2014 are the Whole Time Equivalent strengths of Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. The fluctuation in strength is based on the serving strength at the end of the preceding year. The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at 30 September 2014, the latest date for which figures are available, was 9,200. This comprises 7,413 Army, 757 Air Corps and 1030 Naval Service. 556 (6.04%) are women. The following tables contain the above mentioned strength broken down into Army, Naval Service and Air Corps by gender and rank groupings. The establishment ceiling of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: As I have outlined previously to the House, a claim has been received from the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) in relation to this matter and it is being dealt with under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force. Discussions have been taking place with the Representative Association, with regards to their...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 102 together. As of 01 November 2014, Ireland is contributing approximately 418 Defence Forces personnel to 11 missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the following tabular statement. The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 107 together. I am satisfied that the level of resources available to the Defence Forces, including, training, equipment and up to date technology, enables the Defence Forces to carry out their roles both at home and overseas. All elements of Defence expenditure were examined for the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure in 2011. In response to...