Results 24,801-24,820 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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

Simon Coveney: Yes.

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

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for being constructive. That is exactly what we are trying to do. For almost two years Glanbia has been encouraging its members to lock a portion of their milk into a pricing model that guarantees a margin for farmers. When it does deals with the customers to which it sells its products on the back of that locked-in price, it locks in a price also. Its big customers -...

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

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy from raising this important issue. Prices in dairy markets are impacted on by global events. We sell dairy products throughout the world, as well as in the European Union. Factors such as production levels in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and the European Union, on the back of very good harvests and quite good weather for the past two years, have meant that...

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

Simon Coveney: -----to use aid to private storage, from which Irish companies have benefited significantly.

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

Simon Coveney: Several Members asked the same question.

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

Simon Coveney: It is important that we do not talk ourselves into a crisis. The price in Ireland are still above 30 cent a litre. We are in a period during which many dairy farmers are in drystock farming and not as much milk is being produced. The key issues are anticipating what the price will be for milk in the spring and allowing co-ops to offload much of the produce they have in storage, whether it...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is no doubt that this past year has been a difficult one for beef farmers as prices have dropped from the high levels of 2013. While I can have no role in negotiating the prices received by farmers, I have made every effort to ensure that we have the appropriate policy support environment in place to secure a sustainable future for all in the beef sector. I brought forward a number of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Scheme Eligibility (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Following my recent meeting with hill-farmer representatives, I have examined very carefully the 12 point ‘Proposed Implementation Strategy for Commonages in Ireland’, on which much of our discussion centred. The proposed measures in the new RDP, including GLAS, have been framed in light of the experience of the previous Rural Development programming period and are based on an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Scheme Eligibility (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Firstly let me say that my priority is putting in place requirements for commonages that will deliver real and measurable environmental benefits and will be acceptable to the European Commission. The proposed measures in the new RDP, including GLAS, have been framed in light of the experience of the previous Rural Development programming period and are based on an objective analysis of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Questions of price are matters to be determined between the purchasers and the sellers of cattle. Prices are determined by supply and demand dynamics and by a range of different factors such as consumer preferences, distance to market, consumer confidence, retail promotions, competition with other meats and the overall macroeconomic situation. It is neither appropriate nor possible for me or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Following my recent meeting with hill-farmer representatives, I have examined very carefully the 12 point Proposed Implementation Strategy for Commonages in Ireland', on which much of our discussion centred. The proposed measures in the new RDP, including GLAS, have been framed in light of the experience of the previous Rural Development programming period and are based on an objective...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Administration (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Following the publication of the Indecon Report in July 2014, Bord na gCon submitted an action plan with timelines for implementing the 27 recommendations in the Indecon Report dealing with governance, finance, regulation and welfare. This action plan has been published on the Bord na gCon Website. Bord na gCon has assured my Department that it has assiduously followed up on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: The dairy sector accounted for exports of over €3 billion in 2013, which is a massive contribution to the national and in particular the rural economy. We currently have almost 18,000 milk suppliers, operating predominantly from family farm supplying 90 registered milk purchasers. Total annual production currently stands at 5.4 billion litres approx, with Food Harvest 2020 targeting...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Milk Quota (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware, the rules governing the imposition of a super levy fine are set by Milk Quota Regulations agreed at EU level. Under these Regulations each Member State is allocated a volume quota of milk, above which it should not produce. In cases where Member States do produce in excess of their milk quota a super levy fine (of 28 cents/litre) has to be paid to the EU Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I attach considerable importance to the live export trade and, over the years, my Department has been very active in facilitating both the cross border live trade and shipments abroad. Live exports serve a dual purpose as a means of satisfying market demands for live animals and providing alternative market outlets for farmers. Total live exports to the end of November this year stand at...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licence Applications (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: An application by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish near Inis Oirr in Galway Bay was received by my Department in 2012.  The application and its accompanying Environmental Impact Statement are being considered under the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and the 1933 Foreshore Act. A determination in respect of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheepmeat Sector (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: The industry wide strategy for developing the sheep industry in Ireland was set out in the Food Harvest 2020 document which envisages a 20% increase in value terms of the sector by 2020. My approach to building on the significant achievements of the strategy up until now is to drive the development of the industry at home and increase Ireland`s market share of the world market. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data Programme (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) is proposed as an EU co-funded scheme which forms part of Ireland's draft Rural Development Programme and will involve a budget of some €300m over a 6-year period. As announced as part of Budget 2015, I have proposed to increase the amount of money available to all farmers within the scheme to €100 a head on the first ten...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Remit (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: Bord na gCon has statutory responsibility under the Greyhound Industry Acts 1958 &1993 for the control, development and improvement of the greyhound racing industry. Bord na gCon refers positive tests for prohibited substances to the independent Control Committee for adjudication. The findings of the Control Committee can be appealed to the Control Appeals Committee. These are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Administration (18 Dec 2014)

Simon Coveney: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Bord na gCon submitted their response to the Indecon report on 10 October 2014. That response included a programme of action and a timeline for implementation of the recommendations in the report. The action plan is published in the "news" section on the Bord na gCon website. Bord na gCon has indicated to my Department that it is on track to meet the...