Results 23,281-23,300 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: The position regarding the establishment of new payment entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is fixed under EU Regulations. The number of payment entitlements to be allocated to each eligible applicant will be based on the number of eligible hectares declares by applicants under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme or 2015 Basic Payment Scheme, whichever is the lower. It should be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Administration (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: Responsibility for the designation of sufficient area nationally for the protection of the Chough rests with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. All areas of Chough habitat as advised by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. are included as Priority Environmental Assets on the GLAS online application system and it is not possible , at this stage, to add...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: The person named registered twenty two animals in the 2014 Beef Genomics Scheme. Payment under this scheme issued directly to the bank account of the person named on 1 6 December 2014. Twenty two animals were also registered in the Beef Data Programme 2013. Under the Terms and Conditions of this Scheme participants were required to hold animals until they were at least five months old to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Application Numbers (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: Under the EU Regulations governing the scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in July 2009 and received payments for the first five years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. During the course of an on-farm Inspection in 2014 discrepancies...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Land Parcel Identification System (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: In general, farmers who submit applications under the Direct Payment Scheme and many other measures and who are not satisfied with a decision made by my Department in the processing of the application can appeal to the Agricultural Appeals Office. In some instances where the volume of appeals submitted is extremely high, it is necessary to provide for an alternative appeals mechanism to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Land Parcel Identification System (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: There is no discrimination in relation to the inspection of commonage and private land. In general, inspections of commonage land are undertaken as part of the annual round of eligibility inspections of the lands declared, including commonages, by applicants under direct Payment Schemes or as part of a Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) Review. If it forms part of an eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: Under the provisions of the Basic Payment Scheme, farmers need to declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held in order to benefit from payment. The hectares declared must be eligible and must have an agricultural activity carried out on them. The situation in Ireland has not changed since the Single Payment Scheme was replaced by the Basic Payment Scheme at the beginning of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: I understand that the matter to which the Deputy refers is being investigated by the French Authorities and Bord Na gCon. These investigations are ongoing, therefore I cannot comment any further on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Direct Payment Scheme (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: EU regulations governing the Direct Payments Schemes requires my Department to carry-out administrative and on-the-spot checks to ensure that the land declared for aid is eligible for payment. The regulations further require that a minimum of 5% of applicants must be inspected each year. These on the spot checks or inspections are undertaken by means of physical inspection in the field or by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Administration (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: EU regulations governing the Direct Payment Schemes and other area based schemes requires my Department to carry-out administrative and on-the-spot checks to ensure that the land declared for aid is eligible for payment. The regulations further require that a physical inspection in the field is undertaken in the event that it is not possible to make an accurate determination on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Land (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: In submitting an application under the Direct Payment Schemes and other area-based schemes, an applicant agrees to comply with the conditions of these schemes. Under the EU regulations governing these schemes my Department is required to undertake inspections, including land verification checks, to ensure that the area being declared for aid is eligible for payment. The Regulations prescribe...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Lands (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as management of their property and land transactions, are the responsibility of the company. The queries raised by the Deputy in his correspondence were, however, raised with the company and a response has issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Commonage Framework Plans establish recommended grazing levels to protect against both overgrazing and undergrazing of commonage land. These r ecommendationsin turn form the basis for the new management regime apply ing to commonages under GLAS, unless a sound scientific assessment for alternative stocking rates is provided by a Commonage Advisor.Commonage farmers who join GLAS must then...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Regulations (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 369 to 371, inclusive, together. Commission Regulation 1120/2009 and Commission Regulation 1121/2009 are specifically mentioned in PQs 15550 and 155563. These regulations laid down some of the detailed rules for Council Regulation 73/2009 establishing common rules for direct support schemes including the Single Payment Scheme from 2010 to 2014. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: No actuaries are currently employed by my Department . In the event that such expertise is required, it can be sourced externally.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Development (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: On 27 March 2015, I announced plans for a new €241 million development programme for the seafood sector for the period up to 2020, co-funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. I am inviting submissions on that draft Programme by 1 May 2015. The draft Seafood Development Programme 2014-2020 proposes investment of €30 million in a number of measures...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: A review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme/ Disadvantaged Areas Scheme revealed that a number of the land parcels contained ineligible features. This resulted in reductions of 1.40 hectares being applied to the area based payments due to the person named. The reductions were for ineligible features including buildings, areas of scrub, a farm...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Traveller Community (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: In 2014 I announced the allocation of €1 million in funding to support the development of facilities to provide shelter for the urban horse population and to educate young people in these areas in the care and welfare of horses. The aim of this fund is to establish shelters in association with Local Authorities in a number of locations in 2015. I can confirm an application for funding...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Jobs Initiative (21 Apr 2015)

Simon Coveney: On 3 June 2011, I announced a pilot jobs initiative for Killybegs, following the launch of an economic report for the European Commission, which assessed the status, development and potential diversification of Killybegs as a fisheries dependent community. The aim of this initiative was to create 250 cross sectoral jobs in the Killybegs area by 2014. Seafood processing was just one of the...