Results 25,421-25,440 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. The Government has reviewed and approved, on an annual basis, the continued participation of the Permanent Defence Force in ISAF. The re are currently seven (7) personnel serving with the force and they are all located in ISAF HQ, Kabul and work in staff...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: As I have previously outlined in the House, a claim has been received from the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) in relation to this matter and it is being dealt with under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force. Discussions have been taking place with the Representative Association, with regards to their...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps Equipment (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: A number of safety reviews and audits have been undertaken during the period in question. In August 2013, the Air Corps commissioned a review of its Safety Management System. A report entitled “Irish Air Corps Safety Management Review” was completed in November 2013 and is in the process of being implemented. This review arose from one of the recommendations made by the Air...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. The Government has reviewed and approved, on an annual basis, the continued participation of the Permanent Defence Force in ISAF. There are currently seven (7) personnel serving with the force and they are all located in ISAF HQ, Kabul and work in staff...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. Seven members of the Permanent Defence Force are currently serving in the mission headquarters. The ISAF mission is due to conclude on 31 December 2014 and the overall drawdown of ISAF personnel is currently underway. The withdrawal of the Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Defence Forces are not the only Defence Force using Lariam. I am advised that Lariam is also used by Sweden, Israel, Greece, Canada and Slovenia. The Military Authorities advise that it is a matter for individual Defence Forces to determine whichever malaria chemoprophylaxis it deems most suitable for use. Individual Defence Forces may have regard to the operational commitments and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Three members of the Permanent Defence Force are to deploy to the Embassy of Ireland, Freetown, Sierra Leone to assist in Ireland’s response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa. The three personnel, all of whom have considerable collective experience in West Africa, will be deployed to the Embassy under the Emergency Civilian Assistance Team initiative, established by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at 30 September 2014, the latest date for which figures are available, is 9,200 of which 556 (6.04%) are female. The effective strength of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) for the same date is 2,383, of which 361 (15.15%) are female. The table contains the above mentioned strengths. The establishment ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Aircraft Landings (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland rests with the Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade in accordance with the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952. The Defence Forces do not have a role in ensuring foreign military aircraft are not armed, carrying arms or engaging in military exercises or operations. I...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Properties (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy is aware the former barracks in Mullingar is currently used by Westmeath GAA Board under a short term licence. The former barracks is also currently used by An Garda Síochána and the Customs Service for training purposes and it is intended that these arrangements will remain in place. A number of other organisations and individuals have also made enquiries/suggestions...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Revised organisational structures for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) came into effect on 30 November 2012. This re-organisation consolidated under-strength Army Units into a smaller number of full strength Units, within a revised two Brigade structure. Previous structures were officially disestablished at midnight on 29 November 2012. The re-organisation prioritised the operational...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Reports (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Rural areas have been particularly badly hit by the economic downturn and the CEDRA report, which was published earlier this year, contained 34 main recommendations to help support the medium term economic development of rural areas for the period to 2025.  Minister of State Phelan has established the CEDRA Inter-Departmental Group (CEDRA IDG) in order to progress the implementation of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Equipment Scheme Applications (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period, which was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014, includes provision for a range of on-farm investment schemes. Improving facilities in the dairy sector has been identified as a priority and under the proposed Dairy Equipment Scheme, it is intended to make grant-aid available for the purchase of new dairy equipment....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Farmers with payment entitlements whose claimed value was greater than €5000 in 2013 were subject to a linear reduction of 10.49% in 2014 in accordance with EU Regulations. Modulation reduction of 10% which applied in 2013 was not applied in 2014. The practice of applying modulation reductions to the single payment received by farmers was in place from 2005-2013. A new EU...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sugar Industry (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: By way of explanation I would like to give the Deputy a short background to this issue. In 2011 I met with two separate groups which had conducted feasibility studies into the possibility of establishing a new sugar/bioethanol facility in the country. The figures published by the interested groups who are investigating the possibility of building a new facility, indicate that the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Imports (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: In the year to date, 13,473 tonnes of beef has been imported into Ireland from the United Kingdom. In comparison, we have exported 151,755 tonnes of beef to the UK in the same period. Harmonised EU rules require mandatory traceability and origin labelling for beef from slaughterhouse to point of sale to consumers with the objective of providing maximum transparency for the marketing of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The 2012 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. This inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area found, resulting in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%. Based on the Terms and Conditions of the schemes, this resulted in the 2012 payments being based on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Administration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: EU Regulations governing the administration of the Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes, and other area based schemes, require that full and comprehensive administrative eligibility checks, including in some cases either Ground or Remote Sensing (satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. Eligibility checks are required to ensure that the actual area claimed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas scheme application on 9 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The EU Regulations also require that where it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tax Reliefs Application (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Taxation policy is primarily a matter for the Minister for Finance. However I have on-going contact with Minister Noonan to ensure that tax policy reflects the Government’s commitment to agriculture. In this regard I am pleased that the Minister and I could facilitate the Agri-taxation Review, which was published as part Budget 2015. It gave us a unique opportunity to examine a...