Results 27,981-28,000 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Other Questions: Aquaculture Development (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I suspect that it will be concluded in about six months time, but I am not sure.

Other Questions: Aquaculture Licences Applications (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: Six aquaculture licence applications are awaiting determination in Ballycotton Bay, which is designated as a special protection area - a Natura 2000 site - under the EU birds directive. The European Court of Justice declared in case C418/04 that by failing to take all the measures necessary to comply with Article 6(3) of the habitats directive in respect of authorisation of aquaculture...

Other Questions: Fish Farming (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy told me BIM said there was no evidence to suggest there was any escapage of salmon but then she told me with certainty that 60,000 escaped. Those two things do not tally. I do not have any report of salmon escaping. I specifically asked whether there were any problems with the Clare Island site because it is in deep water. It is not quite in open water, because it has the...

Other Questions: Aquaculture Development (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: The application by BIM for an aquaculture licence for the cultivation of finfish near Inis Oírr 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 Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 and the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended. As the application is under active consideration as...

Other Questions: Aquaculture Development (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is trying to create a problem where there is not one.

Other Questions: Fish Farming (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: Those people need and deserve efficient treatment by the State.

Other Questions: Fish Farming (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I share that frustration. Unfortunately, we are now making policy decisions that should have been made many years ago under previous Governments. The approach to aquaculture licensing was not fit for purpose. The Commission has called us to account and we have to put in place a gold-plated system to the satisfaction of the Commission; otherwise, the consequences for the industry would be...

Other Questions: Fish Farming (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: If the Deputy is saying that BIM has no evidence to suggest there was any escape of salmon-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: It would be difficult for me to provide funding for privately-owned piers.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: In the context of piers, etc., that are publicly-owned and need to be repaired, we have already asked local authorities to indicate what are their priorities in respect of the infrastructure that needs to be put back in place. On the single farm payment, farmers cannot apply for payment in respect of land that no longer exists because it has been washed away. We will need to discuss this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I will, as the Deputy suggested, discuss that matter with my colleague.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I did not say they would be penalised.

Other Questions: Fish Farming (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: In 2007 the European Court of Justice, ECJ - in case C418/04 - declared that by failing to take all measures necessary to comply with Article 6.3 of the EU habitats directive in respect of the authorisation of aquaculture programmes, Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under the directive. As most aquaculture activity takes place in Natura 2000 areas, it is necessary to undertake...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I will mention that issue to her but that is a resource issue on which she will have to make a decision. Coastal protection generally is not under my remit. My portfolio covers the marine and I am responsible for seven fishery harbours. Most of them were not badly damaged. The majority of the projects on which we will work with local authorities are local authority owned and managed...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: This has got a hearing. The fact that it is not getting front-page newspaper coverage seems to frustrate Deputy Flanagan.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: Deputy Flanagan raised it. We have already reacted. Our Department has already set up several meetings with the Deputy and the company that has made the complaints. We have already had an internal investigation in the Department, which has not given the Deputy the answers he wants.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: We have now passed on all those files to the appropriate body, the Garda Síochána, in order that it can investigate whether the accusations that are being made are true. Coillte has said that it will co-operate fully with the process. If that is not satisfactory to Deputy Flanagan, then perhaps he does not trust the Garda to do its job on the issue.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: If Deputy Flanagan has anything, he might send it on to the Garda, if he is as certain as he seems to be.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Severe Weather Events Response (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: I got a chance to visit Galway and Clare last Friday. It was a useful visit and I met many people over several hours. A good deal of damage has been done. In the case of farmers and inspections, we have been very clear with our inspectors that they must be flexible and take account of the extreme weather that we have had in recent months in the course of their inspections and assessments,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Investigations (11 Feb 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy is frustrated because he is not getting the answers he wants. We have done what we, as a Department, said we would do. We have examined all of the files available to us. The conclusion of the departmental investigation was that the accusations being made could not be stood up by the facts available. We have given all of that information to the Garda Síochána, which is...