Results 27,221-27,240 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Equine Imports (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: I am aware of the position whereby a horse that is imported into Ireland may, upon registration with Showjumping Ireland (SJI), be allocated a number of showjumping points in a situation where relevant supporting performance documentation is not provided by the owner. Showjumping Ireland is an independent sporting organisation and does not come under the remit of my Department. SJI is however...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grassland Sheep Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Payments under the 2013 Grassland Sheep Scheme commenced in December 2013 and, to date, payments worth €12,798,476 have issued nationally, to some 29,039 applicants, with payments continuing to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible. Details of these payments are contained in the following Table. County Name Paid Gross Amount Carlow 635 €369,190.20 Cavan...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 25 September 2013, and to date, payments worth some €199.8 million have issued to 94,484 applicants nationally. Details in respect of County Kerry are as outlined below: - Applied Paid Amount 2013 DAS 7,279 7,146 €16,834,792 While the majority of the unpaid applicants did not meet the minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Severe Weather Events Response (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Beach at Fountainstown is owned by Cork County Council and responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the Gabion walls rest with the Local Authority in the first instance. On 20 March this year I announced funding of €486,450 for Cork County Council under a once off 2014 Storm Damage Programme for the repair of 12 piers and harbours in County Cork damaged during the winter...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named is one of a number of applicants under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, whose cases were impacted upon by the requirement to have achieved a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, and who applied for and was not granted a derogation in this regard; the person named was informed accordingly, in writing, by letter dated 12 November 2012....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: A review of the land declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme revealed that the eligible areas of several land parcels were over-declared. In order to confirm the position on the ground, it was necessary that a Department official conduct a land verification check to determine the eligibility issues. The file is being processed following completion of the verification...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Following the conclusion of the negotiations on the reform of the Direct Payments regime, my Department undertook an extensive process of consultation with the farming community and their representative organisations. While no submission was received from the person named, his views were similar to those expressed by a number of farming organisations and individuals. From 2015 the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Under the National Reserve measure of the EU Direct Payments Regulation, a ‘young farmer’ is defined as follows; - S/he is aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme - S/he is setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2010 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 1) with effect from 1 September 2010 and has received full payment in respect of the 2010 and 2011 Scheme years. During a ground inspection which took place on 20 May 2013, the person named was found to have non-compliances in respect of the Wild Bird Cover action resulting in the application of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The main statutes governing cruelty to animals until recently was the Protection of Animals Act, 1911 and Protection of Animals (amendment) Act, 1965 and responsibility for pursuing complaints under that legislation rested with An Garda Síochána. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which I commenced recently, has replaced the aforementioned legislation and authorised officers of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in February 2009 and received payments for the first five years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 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. This process has now been completed for 2013 payments and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Data (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Details of the amounts paid in respect of the schemes listed by the Deputy for 2011, 2012 and 2013 are outlined in the following table in county format. The differences in the overall amounts paid under the Single Payment Scheme are due the increase in the rate of modulation deduction after 2011 from 9% to 10%. The modulation reduction was deducted from all payments in excess of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plant Inspections (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Since the introduction of mechanical grading, officials of my Department have carried out regular inspections of meat plants to ensure that each grading machine continues to operate within the performance parameters as laid down in EU legislation. In 2013 a total of 402 inspections were conducted with over 39,000 carcases checked. During each inspection, the classification results allocated...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from 1stMay 2013. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. These checks are well under way...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2011 and full entitlements have issued in respect of the 2011 Scheme year. During a 2012 inspection, the person named was found to have non-compliances in respect of the Species Rich Grassland and Natura Owned actions. A letter issued to the person named notifying them...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: Where a farmer leases a portion of his agricultural land prior to the closing date for the 2015 scheme year and for a period that includes the 2015 scheme year, the farmer may enter into a Private Contract Clause with a lessee whereby he leases out along with the land the corresponding entitlements that will be allocated to him on the land in question. The new entitlements will be established...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The designation of land as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Farmers with SAC land currently in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) continue to draw down payment from my Department on SAC land. The new GLAS...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 659 and 662 to 666, inclusive, together. The Control of Horses Act, 1996 was introduced to address serious problems being caused by straying horses wandering onto public roads and lands and posing risks to the public, especially motorists, and young children and property (both public and private). Local authorities have responsibility for implementing the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tax Code (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is no taxation measure aimed at incentivising conacre. However an “Exemption of certain income from leasing of farm land” has been in place for a number of years to encourage longer-term leasing. There have been some modifications to this measure to enhance its attractiveness since it was introduced. Currently it provides a tax exemption for the first €12,000 of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Severe Weather Events Response (30 Apr 2014)

Simon Coveney: The storm earlier in the year has indeed been damaging to Irish forests particularly in the south of the country. In order to establish the most appropriate response for forest owners and the forest industry a taskforce, chaired by Mr Tom Hayes TD, Minister of State, and comprising of the Irish Forest and Forest Products Association, the Irish Timber Growers Association, the Irish Farmers...