Results 17,001-17,020 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Under the Rural Development Programme I have proposed the introduction of a new Organic Farming Scheme to deliver enhanced environmental and animal welfare benefits and to encourage producers to respond to the market demand for organically produced food. The principal support will be an annual area-based payment per hectare over a 5 year contract period. This rate is comprised of a higher...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department provides financial support measures for farmers under the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea programme (BVD). A payment of €120 is available in respect of the first and subsequent Persistently Infected (PI) calves born in beef herds in 2014. The financial support for dairy herds is €75 for the removal of the second and subsequent PI calves born in 2014. Payment in both cases...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The export of beef to third country markets is a commercial matter for individual companies. However, my Department plays a critical role in securing access to markets for Irish beef and in certifying exports. Securing beef access has been a Government priority for some time. Opening the Chinese market has been a particular challenge and the question of access for Irish beef has been raised...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Administration (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Under EU legislation, all applicants under the Basic Payment Scheme (formerly the Single Payment Scheme) and other area based schemes are obliged to comply with the requirements of the Cross Compliance regime and my Department is required to carry out annual inspections to ensure compliance with the associated EU regulatory requirements. These inspections are mandatory and there are certain...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department has designed and developed a bespoke GLAS online application system which will assist advisors in the preparation of applications. This system presents the advisors with detailed information of the environmental attributes on each farm at individual LPIS parcel level. I am pleased that, following long and complex negotiations with the European Commission, I was in a position to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm that correspondence was recently received from the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association on the issue of land eligibility under the Direct Payment Schemes. My Department makes payment in excess of €1.5 billion annually to over 130,000 farmers in Ireland under EU funded or partially funded Direct Aid Schemes. Therefore, it is important that the provisions of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grassland Sheep Scheme Applications (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: An application under the 2014 Grassland Sheep Scheme was received from the person named on 13 May 2014. Payments under this Scheme are based on per hectare basis, calculated from an average of the number of breeding ewes listed on the 2012 and 2013 annual sheep census. Mountain Type Grazing grassland requires 2.5 breeding ewes per hectare. The person named declared an average of 200 breeding...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Army Barracks Closures (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The former Reserve Defence Force property at Fitzgerald Barracks, Fermoy was sold in 2014 and is no longer under the ownership of my Department. I have been advised by the Defence Forces that there are no surplus portacabins available in Lynch Camp, Kilworth at this time nor are there any surplus portacabins in the Old Barracks in Fermoy. I regret on this occasion my Department cannot be of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: As I have outlined previously, a claim was received from the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) in relation to this matter and was referred to third party adjudication in accordance with the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force. The adjudication hearing took place on 30 January 2015 and the report of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Legal Costs (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Defence Organisation, which includes Civil Servants, Military personnel, and Civilian Employees attached to military installations, has not engaged the services of the solicitor firms named by the Deputy in the period from 2011 to 2014. The State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence when the Government took office were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (3 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Defence Forces do not operate a postal delivery service of light goods or materials sent by families of Defence Forces personnel serving overseas.  Prior to deployment all personnel are provided with the overseas contingent postal address which they may provide to family members wishing to send material to them. The overseas contingent’s National Support Element coordinates...

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: This is a timely debate. In the coming weeks we will be abolishing the dairy quota regime across the European Union in what is probably the most significant policy change in agriculture for the last 30 or 40 years. It will have a dramatic and positive impact on rural communities and the rural economy for the foreseeable future. Dairy expansion will also bring challenges but we have been...

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: On a point of information, it is public knowledge what is happening with regard to the superlevy. The Commissioner has announced that the superlevy can be paid over a three year period with interest-free instalments. I am surprised the Deputy did not know this. I have an opportunity at the conclusion of the debate to sum up and I will try to answer any questions from Members. However, I...

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Fixed milk prices are making a big difference.

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: It is not going to be a bleak year.

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy asks any questions, I will try to answer them.

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: We do not know what the figure will be yet. We do not know it will be €88 million. It will be less than that, but it will be a big figure.

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: There will be no interest payments. It is already clarified.

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: It was Deputy Kirk's Government that signed off on the soft landing agreed. Does he not remember?

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: We had to try to alter and fix it, like so many other things. The Deputy is talking nonsense.