Results 30,201-30,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: A total of 9,703 applications were received by my Department under the re-opened Agri-environment Options Scheme and, based on the annual budget of €20 million available and following the ranking and selection process, a total of 6,000 applicants have now been approved for participation in the scheme. 4,483 applicants selecting Grey Partridge, Natura and Commonage actions were...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Presidency Issues (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: As Chairman of the AgriFish Council of Ministers during the six months Irish Presidency of the Council, I can report that significant progress has been made on the Presidency's policy objectives. Recent months have seen very positive developments in the negotiations on reform of the CAP and I am confident that we will achieve political agreement on this package before the end of June. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers Development (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres, which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department. I am aware of the many potential benefits of a small craft facility at this location, including the spin-off for the local economy, and I have allocated funding of €20,000 under the 2013 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 54 together. In order to be eligible under the Single Payment Scheme and other area based schemes, an applicant must ensure that all agricultural land is maintained in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). Cross-compliance involves two key elements: - A requirement for farmers to comply with 19 Statutory Management Requirements...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Allotments Provision (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 66 together. As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I have no function with regard to allotments. The Acquisition of Land (Allotments) Act 1926, which falls under the remit of the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, enables local authorities to let allotments in urban areas to an individual for the specific purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Under the EU Regulations governing the scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme Expenditure (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: EU Commission approval for the introduction of a number of targeted agricultural modernisation schemes (“TAMS”) which were designed to support productive investment in the agricultural sector was received in March 2010, with total funding of €110 million as provided for in Ireland’s Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013. This funding has enabled investment to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Credit Availability (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: During the recent fodder crisis, concerns regarding access to credit and flexibility around loan repayments have been significant issues for many farmers. My Department has been in regular contact with the banks, co-ops and feed merchants to urge flexibility and co-operation during this time. Both banks and co-ops have asked farmers to contact them to discuss the terms that are available and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Further to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte's forests be considered for sale, NewERA, Coillte, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department examined the financial and other implications of developing the potential of Coillte's forest assets. This examination included the identification of the forestry assets involved, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farmers Indebtedness (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: I, along with my officials, am in regular contact with farm bodies, various national banks and the Banking Federation concerning credit and indebtedness matter relating to farmers. I am acutely aware due to recent weather events that some farmers may be having short-term difficulties in managing their borrowings and in my recent engagements with the banks I requested that they take a flexible...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Bodies Code of Conduct (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established in 1958, under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. The Board has wide powers to regulate all aspects of greyhound racing. The Board of Bord na gCon, comprising of seven members - a Chairman and six ordinary members, is responsible for leading and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: The requirements for approval of dedicated vessels for the carriage of cattle by sea are contained in the Diseases of Animals (Carriage of Cattle by Sea) Orders, 1996 and 1998. At present two ships have been approved for the carriage of cattle while a third ship will be inspected shortly. Further enquiries have been made in relation to a further five ships. These are at different stages of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Since the Council of Agriculture Ministers agreed the general approach of the Council on 19 March last, negotiations have moved to the final phase with so-called trilogue discussions between the three EU institutions. We have therefore moved from a narrower focus on the finalisation of a Council position to the point where the Council position is itself just one of three different...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Harvesting Rights Sale (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Further to the Government decision that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte's forests be considered for sale, NewERA, Coillte, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my Department examined the financial and other implications of developing the potential of Coillte's forest assets. This examination included the identification of the forestry assets involved, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Bovine Tuberculosis eradication programme implemented by my Department contains a comprehensive wildlife strategy in order to limit the spread of TB from badgers to cattle. Under this strategy, capturing is undertaken only in areas where an epidemiological investigation carried out by the Department’s Veterinary Inspectorate has found that badgers are the likely source of infection...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Eligibility (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: A total of 9,703 applications were received by my Department under the re-opened Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) and 6,000 applicants have now been approved for participation in the scheme. The approval of applicants was determined by the following priority selection criteria: applicants within a targeted area of the Boora region of Co. Offaly who select Wild Bird Cover Option B...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Lands (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of the State’s forestry estate, are the responsibility of the company. I am aware that Coillte, as part of its management of some 442,000 hectares of the national forest estate, plays a significant role in the provision of forest...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences Applications (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: Determinations in respect of the licences referred to by the Deputy were made in 2012 and numbered 115. The breakdown is as follows: 53 in Killary, 44 in Inner Bantry, three in Kinsale, ten in Dungloe, one in Trawenagh, one in Dunmanus Bay, two in Oysterhaven and one in Ventry To date 59 of the above licences have issued to applicants. The remaining are either under appeal to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences Applications (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: 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 Directive 92/43 (Habitats Directive) in respect of authorisation of aquaculture programmes, Ireland had failed to fulfil its obligations under that Directive. In the negotiations to address the judgment a process was agreed with the European Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences Applications (19 Jun 2013)

Simon Coveney: There is no specific regulatory payment date for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS), unlike, for example, the Single Payment Scheme where the governing regulation provides for payments to issue in the period 1 December of the year of application to 30 June of the year following. However, in the case of DAS, it is a requirement of the governing EU legislation that all eligibility checks...