Results 24,781-24,800 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Celtic Sea fishery is a really complex one. There are species other than cod, haddock and whiting caught in the Celtic Sea on which we have had good news, but the cod, haddock and whiting fishery is a big one, particularly in respect of the whiting element as we have a bigger quota than France and the United Kingdom, who share the fishery with us. The industry took the initiative here...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I did not get a chance to mention the discards issue for next year. We are about to change fundamentally the way in which we fish, for the better. This was negotiated, I am glad to say, by Ireland during the Irish Presidency in a new Common Fisheries Policy. We are introducing, from 1 January, which is in a few weeks, an obligation to land all pelagic fish. This time next year, we will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is trade.

Other Questions: Land Parcel Identification System (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I can confirm that there is currently no delay with the digitising of maps. The majority of farmers, 98%, have been paid. Each year, my Department receives over 130,000 applications from farmers under the direct aid schemes, which are funded or partially funded by the European Union. The schemes involved include the single payment scheme, the disadvantaged areas scheme, REPS and AEOS....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: What farmers want is to have a new scheme open as soon as we can open it, and that is what we will try to deliver. Whether it requires a letter of comfort to achieve it or not, farmers are not interested in that type of detail. They want a date from me for when they can apply to the scheme and put their plans in place so we can assess them, make decisions as to who is in and lock people...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: We are seeking a letter of comfort on all the schemes, not just GLAS. We want to have negotiated and agreed the detail of our RDP with the Commission, but the formal process of approval takes time. In many countries, there are multiple RDPs in operation. In the United Kingdom, for example, there is a separate programme for each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Common Fisheries Policy Negotiations (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I am satisfied we got the best deal possible for Irish fishermen. It is not the perfect deal, but it is a very significant improvement on where we were three days ago. In terms of fish landed value, we went into the negotiations standing to lose more than €18 million in the whitefish sector alone, which accounts for the vast majority of fishermen. We have come out of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: We are taking close to 30,000 farmers into GLAS in the first go.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I will go through the tiers shortly. We are trying to get as many into it as we can. There will be a second phase in which to take others, as we want to have 50,000 farmers in GLAS over the next few years. In tier 1, all farmers with priority environmental assets, PEAs, get first priority access to the scheme in year one and subsequent years. If any of the following PEAs are applicable to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is important to consider my record in this area. When we have had to choose who would go into schemes, we have given small farmers priority. In the past number of budgets, when we have introduced schemes, such as the agri-environment options scheme, we have given priority to the kind of farms mentioned by the Deputy. If we must choose with GLAS and implement criteria because we have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: That is tier 1.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is. We introduced the option for a more intensive level of stocking rate for tier 1 because we wanted a mix of farmers. The Commission indicated a wish for many different farmers in the new environmental scheme rather than it solely being for commonage and Natura lands or small, disadvantaged farms. Intensive farmers also need to be thinking about the environment with respect to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I am more than willing to come before the committee but it is about finding the time to do so, given everybody's schedule. I expect we will have that discussion early in the new year. I hope I have demonstrated that I am not shy about coming before the committee to answer questions. The rural development programme has been a frustrating process for me as we had our plans in early and we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I have spoken to Commissioner Hogan about these issues on many occasions in the past couple of weeks. I am glad to say we speak regularly. The intervention I made this week, when I called for an open mind on the use of intervention measures, is on record. If this tool is to be used, there should be a realistic intervention price, as otherwise it will act as a price drag in reality. Nobody...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Prices (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Yes. I can go into it in a little more detail.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Prices (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is important to be accurate. Teagasc has stated it thinks the average price next year will be 27 cent a litre. Everybody is predicting that prices will get stronger at the back end of the year, but the price might fall below 27 cent a litre. On the basis of what Teagasc is predicting, this might not be the bottom, but it might not necessarily come to pass. There has been a slight...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Prices (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is important to note that the Common Agricultural Policy has been designed to try to bring income balance to farmers also. This is one of the reasons we have direct payments. I remind the House that the average dairy farmer in Ireland receives a direct payment of €18,000 a year. That is the average payment. Some of the bigger guys receive much higher payments. Teagasc has...