Results 18,401-18,420 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licence Applications (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department’s records do not indicate receipt of an application for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of oysters corresponding to the name and PPS number referred to by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department operates an Animal Welfare Helpline for members of the public to report suspected cases of animal neglect and or abuse. Calls received in 2013, 2014 and 2015 are broken down as follows: Year Calls 2013 212 2014 652 2015 to date 350 Where it is considered appropriate, follow up action is arranged by Inspectors from my Department or with the assistance of ISPCA/DSPCA...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) Programme forms part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and allocates funding of some €300 million over the next six years to suckler farmers in Ireland. The BDGP builds on the large strategic investment in data recording and genomics which has been made in recent years, and will ultimately bring about fundamental improvements to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data Programme (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The processing of applications under the Beef Data Programme is at an advanced stage. Payments under the Programme will commence before the end of June. Under the Programme, farmers who participate are required to submit the required data on suckler cows and their calves after birth and again after the calves are weaned. The Deputy will be aware that elements of the Beef Data Programme and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Data (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to veterinary staff employed by my Department is contained in the table below on a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) basis. Since 2005 my Department has been engaged in a major programme of re-organisation at all levels. This has been facilitated by changes in the schemes administered by the Department, reductions in disease levels, the advanced...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TB Eradication Scheme (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The holding in question was restricted under the TB Eradication Scheme on 9 April 2015 following the disclosure of a suspect lesion in an animal which the herdowner had sent for slaughter. Such lesions are sent for laboratory testing to confirm or otherwise the presence of TB. In cases of this nature, the holding from which the animal originated must be restricted until a negative laboratory...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data Programme (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Beef Data and Genomics Scheme closed for applications on the 5thJune. Approximately 30,000 applications were received by the closing date. Initial processing has been completed and I expect that approval letters will issue shortly. The information requested is not yet available but is currently being compiled. It will be forwarded to the Deputy directly as soon as it is finalised.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: An application under the Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes was received from the person named on 15 May 2014. The application was processed and an advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme issued on 16 October 2014 with the balancing payment issuing on 1 December 2014. Payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme issued on 5 June 2015. These payments issued direct to an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TB Eradication Scheme (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I refer to my reply to Question No. 471 on 9 June to the Deputy in connection with the survey conducted by my Department on the incidence of TB in deer in Wicklow. In that reply, I explained that further laboratory analysis of cultures is ongoing in relation to tissue taken from the deer to identify linkages between the TB found in deer, badgers and cattle. This work has not been completed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Remuneration (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Based on introducing a minimal threshold hourly rate of €11.45, the estimated additional annual cost in relation to staff employed by my Department would approximately be €120,000. The parallel information in respect of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the Bodies themselves.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Records (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not use any system software for the auto-deletion of email messages.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The current organisational structures of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) ensure that it can operate efficiently and effectively within a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel. Within that strength ceiling, the return to the previous three Brigade structure would cause a range of inefficiencies arising from under-strength Units and an unnecessary increased administrative burden. This would...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff Remuneration (24 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Defence Organisation includes civil servants, military personnel, and civilian employees attached to military installations. The annual cost, including Employer’s PRSI, of introducing a minimum wage of €11.45 an hour in respect of Civil Service Staff and Civilian Employees employed by my Department is estimated at €30,937. The pay structures and conditions...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Effective command and control is indeed essential to military effectiveness, and exists within all units of the Defence Forces. Equally, having an appropriate organisational structure is also key to military efficiency and effectiveness. The objective of the reorganisation of the Permanent Defence Force in 2012 was to design a viable organisational structure which prioritised the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am advised that there are no practical day-to-day difficulties involved. Clearly, however, there is now a requirement for people to travel to certain meetings and so on. From a territorial viewpoint, however, Ireland is not a huge country. We have reorganised the Defence Forces in a way that essentially went from three senior command structures to two. That was done on the basis of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: There will always be people who have different views, but the context here is a Permanent Defence Force of 9,500 people. A decision was made to close four barracks, as well as restructuring and reorganising to reflect the new, agreed strength levels of the Defence Forces. It was to ensure that we had barracks and structures that were full, busy and fully operational, as opposed to trying to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: It may have been mentioned during the day, but I have had many discussions concerning the Defence White Paper, which is approximately 160 pages long. We have tried to accommodate as many viewpoints as we can both from the military and civilian sides, and we are continuing to do so. I acknowledge there are others who share the view the Deputy is advocating in this regard, but my experience as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy's question is relevant and fair in the context of the discussions that are going on today, although they are somewhat overshadowed by the continuing negotiations on the situation in Greece. There is ongoing liaison between my Department, the Department of An Taoiseach and other relevant Departments regarding security and defence matters generally. In preparation for the European...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: These issues arise all the time. We are a militarily neutral country, which means we are not militarily aligned to any other country. However, neutrality does not mean one stays out of everything or one cannot take a position on a particular report. Neutrality means choosing to support or not support positions on the basis of their particular merits. Ireland sometimes takes positions that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: To clarify, the Beyond Neutrality policy document was put together by Gay Mitchell at a time when my party was in opposition.