Results 23,601-23,620 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Plan (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: A wide range of investment items are proposed for inclusion in the new TAMS Schemes under the Rural Development Plan 2014-2020. These include significant investments in dairy farms and measures to enhance safety on farms. However, there are no plans at present to include the construction of road underpasses in any of the proposed suite of TAMS schemes.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The extensive range of data requested by the Deputy is not readily available. In relation to the 2014 cross compliance inspections, my Department continues to finalise the results of these inspections. On completion of this process the data requested in respect of 2014 inspections will be forwarded directly to the Deputy. In relation to the data requested for the 2015 inspections, my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Control of Horses Act, 1996 designates to local authorities responsibility for issues relating to stray and neglected horses in both urban and rural areas. My Department provides funding to the local authorities to assist in implementation of the Act. In 2014, an amount of €2.25m was paid to the local authorities throughout the country to help themin dealing with straying/abandoned...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Breeding Regulations (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: ICBF is approved by my Department under the relevant EU legislation to produce genetic evaluations on Irish dairy and beef breeding animals. A selection index known as the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) was designed by ICBF and Teagasc researchers to help dairy farmers and industry stakeholders to identify the most profitable and environmentally sustainable animals to breed from. The EBI...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety Scheme (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Farm Safety is a critical issue facing farming today and is something that I am seriously concerned about. It has been identified as a priority area for investment under TAMS II and it is proposed that a new Farm Safety Scheme will be introduced in 2015, subject to EU Commission approval of Ireland's Rural Development Programme. The Knowledge Transfer measure proposed under the new RDP will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Appeals (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first six 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. Following the administrative checks in 2013, issues were discovered...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts Data (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department is not in a position to provide a reply to this question as the details supplied are not sufficient to provide an accurate and complete response to the Deputy. If the deputy would like to provide details of the companies in question I will provide any information available.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Bodies Data (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Age is not one of the selection criteria for appointment to a board of any of the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department and therefore my Department has no information in this regard. Of the total number of board members across the twelve State Bodies one member serves on the boards of both Teagasc and Bord Bia. There are a total of nineteen female board members across the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Bodies Data (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: There are a total of one hundred and one chairpersons and non-executive directors on the boards of state bodies under my aegis. The authorised fees to the chairpersons and board members are outlined in the attached table. If no board member waives their fee, the total cost to the state bodies would be €783,572. No fees are payable to serving public servants. The travel and other...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am advised that Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (or G6PD) deficiency is an enzyme deficiency for which all inductees (Recruits and Cadets) are now tested at their induction medical. If the result is normal, then there is no need for these personnel to be tested again. Defence Forces personnel who are to deploy to a malarious area and who have not previously been tested for G6PD...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Contracts Data (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: In order to provide a considered reply, the Deputy will need to provide clarity as to what information is required. If the Deputy wishes to be more specific as to which particular companies are the subject of the information being sought, my Department will arrange to have such information made available. The Deputy may wish to note that my Department publishes on a quarterly basis details of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies Data (25 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 100 together. The only body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board. The Army Pensions Board 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...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: It is far too early to say that. We would have to go through a detailed threat and risk assessment before I would recommend sending troops anywhere to the Government. We are not even close to being at that stage. If the request were to come, we would take it seriously. Libya’s situation is complex.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: It is a tragic story. We would like to do anything we can to assist in stabilising the unstable environment in Libya, but sending troops is a major decision and we will not take it before conducting a thorough risk assessment and reverting to the Government and the House. We are thinking ahead a little too far, though. No request Has come through.

Other Questions: Proposed Legislation (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The figure is a little less than that, but it is substantial. In accordance with a programme for Government commitment, my Department is continuing to progress a legal review of the basis, structures and governance of the Irish Red Cross. It is proposed that the existing primary legislation, which dates back to 1938, is to be repealed in new primary legislation that will redefine the...

Other Questions: Proposed Legislation (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: Clearly, all is not well. That needs to be corrected. We are prioritising the legislation. The Deputy will see proof of that shortly when we finalise the heads of the legislation and I bring them to the Government.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am not sure the US will invade us either, with all due respect.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: We need to try to have a calm response to these things. I will not answer on behalf of An Garda Síochána, which is under the political responsibility of a different Minister. Our role, in the Defence Forces, is to respond to specific tasks when asked for assistance by An Garda Síochána. We then manage and operationally take control of these tasks through a senior...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that An Garda Síochána asks for assistance with a particular task and it is this task which the Defence Forces personnel operate. It does not, on its own initiative, then decide to do a whole series of other things like inspect planes.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (24 Mar 2015)

Simon Coveney: The straight answer is that Ireland has not received any request. The honest answer is that I do not know if we will receive a request in the future. That would be two or three steps away from where we are now. We need to achieve political stability in Libya first and the European Union is very engaged through a special representative there in trying to achieve this. If agreement can be...