Results 17,321-17,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Contracts Data (26 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The information sought is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The new rural development programme for 2014 to 2020 will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agrifood sector, achieving a more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. The draft RDP was formally submitted to the European Commission on 3 July 2014, a number of weeks in advance of the regulatory deadline. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: First, the letter of comfort is a practical measure that will enable me to approach the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform to have schemes opened and to commit to payment of moneys in that regard. It is not ideal but it is a solution that allows us to get schemes open, which is what farmers want. While I would rather that at this stage we had a full approval process...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: With respect, the deal was done in the budget over 12 months ago. Surely it is not just dawning on the Deputy now.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I assume the numbers given to the Deputy last week were correct because we try to give out correct numbers.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I assume they were as we give out correct information all the time when we are asked parliamentary questions. The Deputy is trying to make a big issue of the budget now, 12 months after it was agreed. It is a bit late in the day for him to make that case, with all due respect.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am sorry-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I will answer it. What was the question? Was it when the beef genomic scheme would open?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: As soon as we get the letter of comfort, which we expect in the next two weeks, we will open these schemes in sequence. It is likely the schemes will open one after the other in May and June. We cannot open them all at the same time for good practical reasons. However, there will be a roll out of schemes one after the other, and TAMS and the genomics scheme will both be prioritised....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Irish agricultural production is independently and internationally recognised as one of the most climate and resource-efficient systems in the world. Irish dairy production, with Austria, has the lowest carbon-intensity in the EU as per the European Commission Joint Research Centre findings. The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with our EU commitments is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: That is a very fair question. Applying a 20% reduction target does not mean that we apply 20% reduction across each sector. Some sectors have more capacity than others to reduce emissions. It is true that other sectors will have to do more than 20%, because I believe agriculture does not have the capacity to achieve those numbers. That said, agriculture will play its part, and I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Perhaps we should have statements and a debate on this issue, similar to what we held on the dairy sector recently. There is a need for a real debate on the sustainability story of Irish food production. We are exporting nearly 90% of everything we produce and we plan to grow that, so we must be able to prove to our critics, competitors and the clients to whom we sell that this is a story...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am pleased that we are having this discussion today because we can put some things on the record. Accusations have been made around the lack of priority for the sustainability story of Irish food production and that there is a sole focus on output, growth, expansion and so on. Those accusations do not recognise the extraordinary work that Ireland has undertaken in the past three or four...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: First, we estimate that in the next five years there could be an extra 10,000 people employed in the dairy sector in Ireland. Between 3,000 and 4,000 extra people could be actually milking cows, but there will also be more employment in processing, transport and refrigeration, export and packaging, food science and nutrition and all the other things that the dairy industry is now about. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I was just giving an example.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I agree up to a point. However, that does not mean agriculture does not need to pull its weight. We need to get better, year on year, every year, in terms of the emissions intensity of our production systems. That is why we are measuring and auditing, and we will be widening those audits to include water, more efficient feeding systems, better grazing programmes, better breeding programmes...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: We have already taken steps to deal with that matter. To explain how things happened as they did, Ireland was one of the leading countries, if not the leading country, looking to insist that every country would be required to prioritise young farmers, and we got our way on that in the end. However, the Commission insisted, and agreed with us, that as part of that, if a country has a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: For the record and with respect, only one party sold young farmers out, and that was the Deputy's party when it decided to abolish installation aid. We are now trying to fix that problem and re-prioritise that category of farmers. We have worked with Macra na Feirme and all the farming organisations to try to do that. They were celebrating when the CAP deal was done in terms of the package...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am not aware that there is any significant request for us to extend that date, so we have not done so. My understanding is that the farmers who qualify as young farmers have not had a major issue with the application dates. If I am incorrect, I will happily listen to those arguments, but my understanding is that there is not a big issue. With regard to Pillar 2 payments and the rural...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (31 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am glad the Deputy has given me the opportunity to speak on this important matter. Under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, payments to participants fall into two categories of either area-based actions or and non-productive capital investment actions. Participants can receive payments for both actions, which are combined to give an annual payment to the participant....