Results 20,481-20,500 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Supplementary) (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: It is a much smaller amount. One is talking about an overall figure of €211 million. A very slight variation of well over €200 million will obviously be a bigger figure. When one is looking at a much smaller figure of €5.4 million, one can be more accurate.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Defence Forces Report: Motion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am under a bit of time pressure but I will try to be quick and give as comprehensive a statement as I can. I am pleased to report to the committee on Irish Defence Forces' participation in United Nations missions in 2014. The report for 2014 was laid before Dáil Éireann on 29 June 2015. The following motion was been placed on the Order Paper for Dáil Éireann:That...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Defence Forces Report: Motion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: We keep the security and risk levels to our troops under constant review. A bomb, claimed by Daesh, exploded in southern Beirut with great tragedy. It is some time since we have seen this level of bombing or violence in Beirut, and people would suspect it is very much linked with what is happening in Syria, given that it is a stronghold of Hezbollah, which is very active in fighting in...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Defence Forces Report: Motion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: The nature of the mission has changed much over a relatively short space of time. There has been a fundamental reconfiguration of how and where it operates. It was an observer mission. For many years, the mission was observing in relatively stable and peaceful conditions. The idea was to keep Syria and Israel apart. It is one of the UN’s oldest peacekeeping missions. It all...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Defence Forces Report: Motion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: Everybody would probably like to ask that question. Mali has been a dangerous place for some time. What happened in the Radisson Blu in Bamako last week was a tragedy for many people concerned. Mali has had many challenges for some time. Some 20 EU countries have peacekeeping, peace training or peace enforcement troops in Mali. There is a major European effort to try to stabilise the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Defence Forces Report: Motion (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: We can get the Deputy the exact figure. I understand that the last rotation that went to UNIFIL had the highest ever female representation on a rotation 20 mission. I believe there were 30 women, which is quite significant. Actually, I would rather not be quoted on that. Let me get the Deputy the exact figure. Thirty out of just under 200 sounds very high, come to think of it, but I know...

Other Questions: Special Protection Areas Designation (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: That is actively happening. As part of the threat response plan being led and managed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through the National Parks and Wildlife Service, there is an assessment of whether the measures that have been put in place to protect the hen harrier have worked to date and to determine what lessons can be learned in terms of future protections. We...

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy seems to be making a habit of trying to raise legal cases in the House. I could not answer his last question and I cannot answer this or the next question either. I have the same answer on all of them. The case is subject to legal proceedings involving the named person and the Department and therefore I cannot comment at this juncture. I have the exact same answer for the next...

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: There would be no problem answering that question if legal proceedings had not begun. Once something goes into our legal office to prepare the defence of the position of the Department, I will not get into providing details that may be used at a later stage as part of evidence in court. That would be very foolish of me. I encourage Deputies and farmers who have issues and concerns about...

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: I have said what I have to say on this. I am not trying to be unhelpful or to block anybody; I am following legal advice which I think is sensible.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: There will be another round.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: He certainly has not. The implementation of the scheme has progressed well. I will give Deputy Ó Cuív some figures to chew on. More than 252,500 samples have been sent back from genomic testing thus far, which covers more than 19,100 herds. This is a positive response rate for the scheme as it means that 71% of participants have sent back tissue samples. The scheme is working.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: Why did the Deputy ask for the figure if he already has it?

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am glad I am consistent at any rate.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: There is no confirmed underspend this year. I will have a Supplementary Estimate to provide for additional expenditure in the Department as opposed to an underspend in the Department. We will discuss the reasons for the Supplementary Estimate when it is presented to the House. I do not envisage €53 million will be spent on the beef data and genomics programme this year not because...

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: No, I cannot confirm that figure as that is not the plan. We will know what the figures are at the end of the year when we calculate the overspend versus overspend, taking account of the Supplementary Estimates. Until all moneys have been paid out and each section of the Department has finalised its figures for the year, we will not have a final figure. I do not accept the point the Deputy...

Other Questions: Special Protection Areas Designation (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: In the first instance, farmers with hen harrier land already have priority access to the green low carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS. I also provided that such farmers would be automatically approved for GLAS plus should they be farming a sufficient area of habitat. I strongly encourage all farmers with hen harrier land to take up this measure under GLAS, which offers a payment rate of...

Other Questions: Special Protection Areas Designation (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: A wrong was committed against the farmers concerned who were promised something which was not delivered. The previous Government had form in that regard in that it promised the sun, moon and stars in its efforts to achieve agreements but failed to deliver because it did not have the money to do so. One of the reasons it has taken some time to provide a response to help farmers who have hen...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: I agree with all that. I reassure the Deputy that the Department has a forestry section based in Wexford. We prioritise forestry and the section is almost a stand-alone unit, promoting what it does. The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, is in charge of it politically. It has done a very good job in ensuring it holds on to budgets. Agriculture has been progressing over the past five years...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Simon Coveney: We are currently at less than €12 billion. We are looking at sustainable intensification of agriculture, but we are also looking at a very strong sustainability story in terms of how we use land, and forestry is a big part of that.