Results 24,141-24,160 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Other Questions: Beef Exports (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: While obviously I welcome all questions here, the Deputy is trying to infer something I do not think is relevant or exists. First, we were in the United States last week and visited New York, Washington and Boston over three days. Practically the entire beef industry was out there and it was not just ABP Foods but also was Kepak, Dawn Meats, Slaney Meats, Foyle Food Group and multiple...

Other Questions: Beef Exports (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: Let me reassure people on this issue. I can only speak for myself as Minister over nearly four years. My Department keeps tight regulatory responsibility with all the beef companies in Ireland. No animal is killed in Ireland without being supervised by someone from my Department, most of them being vets, and this goes for ABP Food Group, as well as all the others. Ireland exports beef to...

Other Questions: Beef Exports (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: -----I am unsure what purpose that would serve. Personally, I have little or no relationship with the individual to whom the Deputy has referred and I certainly am not going to start speaking about any individual in this House. My job is to ensure companies processing beef in Ireland do it properly and safely to a high standard. That has been my experience of all the companies with us last...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I do not want to get into the debate we had on the legislation about which we talked earlier. I do not know whether there was any digging out involved in the hunt the Deputy described to me. There is no mention of it one way or the other. We have made it very clear during the debate on these issues that we will also consider making sure there will be certain conditions required to be met...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am not sure it is true to say an animal is usually pulled apart. In my experience of hunting, the fox normally escapes, not that I have huge experience of it, but when I have hunted, I have never seen a fox being pulled apart. I am sure, however, that it happens and I am not saying it does not. Our policy decisions try to strike a balance for those who derive great enjoyment from hunting...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: Foxes are wild animals and can be vicious at times and do significant damage to farm animals, poultry and so on, although I know that is not the point the Deputy is raising. I am not willing to go as far as she would like, but we are doing what we can to ensure we put parameters, rules and codes of conduct in place to make sure foxhunting will be as acceptable as possible from an animal...

Other Questions: Harbours and Piers Development (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I assure the Deputy that the fact that decisions are made in Clonakilty does not delay anything. Much of the marine side of my Department is based in Clonakilty and it is an efficient operation. BIM, which is also involved in many of the fisheries development programmes in Howth and elsewhere, has its headquarters in Dún Laoghaire, although it has a seafood development programme in...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I will answer the Deputy directly rather than reading out a long answer. I read the report the Deputy sent me, which described a hunt that took place in which a fox was chased by a pack of hounds and a hunt club across 13.6 miles. The fox went to ground and that was the end of the hunt, as far as I know. We have discussed these issues many times and I know and respect the Deputy's views on...

Other Questions: Harbours and Piers Development (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I will give the Deputy an idea of the approved funding and expenditure in 2014. We approved the design and planning of pontoons between the middle and west piers at a cost of €100,000, almost €60,000 of which has been spent. There was an assignment of €80,000 for a syncrolift platform for painting and repairs, of which €45,000 has been spent. A sum of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Installation Aid Scheme Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: That is a fair question. The priority categories will be new entrants and young farmers who will receive top-ups on their entitlements up to the average figure before they then receive the 25% additional top-up under a separate scheme for young farmers. People will be entering farming for the first time without entitlements or payments. They will be buying or taking out long-term leases on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Installation Aid Scheme Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I will revert to the Deputy with an explanation of the Scottish derogation. I am pretty sure I know what it is, but I do not want to outline it without being absolutely sure.

Other Questions: Harbours and Piers Development (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for this question. I know that he is interested in Howth Harbour. Howth fishery harbour centre is one of the six designated fishery harbour centres owned, managed and maintained by my Department.  All six fishery centres are, first and foremost, working fishery harbours. However, each centre has unique features, facilitating a broad range of other diverse activities...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: -----that 30,000 farmers would be accepted into GLAS on a first come, first served basis, the application process would be chaotic. There would be massive pressure on planners to be the first in and it would be totally unmanageable. Deputy Ó Cuív knows that as a former Minister who has managed schemes like this before. I can never remember 30,000 farmers coming into a scheme in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I want to get the money out. It is provided for in the Estimate.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Installation Aid Scheme Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: I thank multiple Deputies for raising this issue, which has been an issue for me for quite a while. I thank Macra na Feirme, which has been engaged in the issue long before it became a campaigning issue for some people, over the past number of weeks. Other farming organisations have been involved. In 2008, the decision was made to shut down installation aid. Farmers were planning to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: Let me be clear on this. We are going to open GLAS in February. We are not seeking, nor will we get, a separate letter of comfort for GLAS, rather we will have an understanding with the Commission on the detail of GLAS, following an exchange of e-mails and so forth. We have had a lot of face-to-face meetings with the officials in the Commission in order to get across the line the detail of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: Let us think about the practicalities of this for a moment. If I was to announce today-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: The farmer concerned is going to receive grant aid. He is not excluded from the TAM scheme, but, like most farmers, will receive 40% grant aid, which is significant. Few schemes have been introduced in any Department under which more than 40% grant aid is given in terms of capital investment. The farmer concerned can avail of this, but he will not be in the same category as a young farmer...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Plan (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: First, I see in the media today that the Deputy is seeking to change the structure of Pillar 1 payments. If we try to do this, we will still be here next year trying to obtain letters of comfort. We are close to reaching agreement with the Commission. The intention of trying to get letters of comfort by the middle of next month is still on track and that is when we anticipate we will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (17 Feb 2015)

Simon Coveney: The TAM scheme does not come out of the national reserve, as the reserve cannot be used for grant aid. The reserve comes under pillar 1 payments, which are direct payments entirely funded by the EU. The priority phase 1 payments from the national reserve will be to young farmers and new entrants. We will top young farmers' entitlements up to the national average and we will also pay new...