Results 17,801-17,820 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department is carrying out a full examination of this case and will make direct contact with all of the claimants involved in relation to the outcome of this examination.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The group of young farmers who established their holdings prior to 2008 and who are not eligible under the ‘young farmer’ priority category of phase 1 of the National Reserve or the ‘old young farmer’ specific disadvantage category of phase 2 of the National Reserve are referred to as the Forgotten Farmer Group. In response to a request for a meeting with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Communications (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The information requested was provided by both e-mail and post to the Department of Social Protection on 5 May 2015. This information previously issued to the person concerned on 22 October 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Data (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: I estimate that the number of GLAS Scheme participants at end of 2016 will be in the order of 35,000. The maximum payment under the Scheme is €5,000 per annum and I expect most farmers to achieve this. A GLAS+ payment is available for a limited number of farmers who take on particularly challenging actions which deliver an exceptional level of environmental benefit. This GLAS+...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Expenditure (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: I have included €20 million for GLAS payments in my Department’s estimates for 2015 and expect to make payments to eligible GLAS participants before the end of the year. €52 million has been allocated for expenditure under the Beef Data Genomics Programme for 2015. €34 million has been allocated for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes for 2015. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Data (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: A total of 28,715 applications have been created on the GLAS on-line system. A total of 20,625 applications have actions recorded of which 3,380 are commonage applications with actions. The breakdown of applications with actions is set out in tabular form below: County Total number of applications created Applications with Actions Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Applications With Actions...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The new pro-rata system and the use of the Reduction Coefficient applying to land parcels with scattered scrub is being introduced under the Basic Payment Scheme with effect from 2015. The introduction of these provisions will bring some welcome flexibility to the system. However, the creation of new reference areas for a significant number of land parcels across the entire Land Parcel...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: A Department review of the non-productive capital investment claims submitted by applicants under AEOS, was undertaken in 2014. This review identified irregularities with documentation submitted for reimbursement in some of these claims. A full Department investigation was then initiated, which in turn led to the matter being referred to the Gárdaí. Payments to applicants under...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Government has made a provision of €52m for the BDGP in 2015. It forms part of the country’s draft Rural Development Programme and will have a budget of approximately €300m over a period of 6 years. The cost related to genotyping will be approximately €7 million or about 15% of the funds provided. This is the same percentage of payments as under the 2014...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The original Coiste an Asgard was first formed in 1968. It was subsequently formed as a company limited by guarantee established under the Companies Acts in February 1987 with the Minister for Defence as the ex-officio chairman of the Board of Directors. There were no appointments to the Board of Coiste an Asgard from 2009 and the formal wind up of the Company was completed in early 2013. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Council Meetings (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: Discussions in relation to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) approach to the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean are ongoing. Ireland will continue to participate actively in discussions on the various strands of the EU’s comprehensive strategy, and to contribute to EU efforts to prevent further loss of life at sea. With regard to a possible deployment of Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Operations (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The statutory authority for the despatch of a contingent or member of the Permanent Defence Force for humanitarian operations, under the authority of the Government, is set out in section 3 (1) (f) of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006 which provides that: “3 (1) A contingent or member of the Permanent Defence Force may, with the prior approval of and on the authority of the Government,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The bodies under the aegis of my Department when the Government took office in March 2011 were the Civil Defence Board, the Board of Coiste an Asgard and the Army Pensions Board. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished and legislation was passed by the Oireachtas in December 2012 for the dissolution of the Board. Its functions and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Vacancies on State Boards (12 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The only body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board, which is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act, 1927. The Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary members. The two ordinary members must be qualified medical practitioners of whom one must be an officer of the Army Medical Corps. The chairman and the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established in 1958, under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am informed that Bord na gCon’s marketing and commercial team work closely...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Appeals (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 14 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on farm inspections be completed to confirm eligibility under the schemes. The application of the person named was selected for a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Direct Payment Scheme (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: As you may be aware my Department is currently examining land parcels declared under the Single Payment Scheme and other area-based Direct Payment Schemes. As part of this review an ineligible area was identified and removed from a number of parcels declared by the person named. In order to clarify the position regarding the area of ineligible features my Department arranged for a ground...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Administration (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department will begin validating, ranking and selecting GLAS applications from the first tranche after the closing date for receipt of applications which is 22 May. As set out in the scheme Terms and Conditions, candidates from Tier 1 will receive priority access, followed by Tier 2, followed in turn by Tier 3 candidates (who undergo a separate selection process as required under the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Funding (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: The 2013 audited annual report and accounts of Bord na gCon are at present with my Department for consideration and will shortly be presented to Government for noting. The annual report and accounts will then be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas prior to their publication by Bord na gCon. In 2015 the allocation to Bord na gCon was increased by €2.8m to €13.6m, to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Staff (13 May 2015)

Simon Coveney: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established in 1958, under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Accordingly, the matter raised by the Deputy is the responsibility of Bord na gCon. It...