Results 30,681-30,700 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The overtime paid to each political/ministerial appointee from 1st January 2007 to date is set out in the table below. No overtime payments were made to the Secretary General or Ministerial Advisors. MINISTER / MIN OF STATE GRADE Overtime € Mary Coughlan, Minister (1/1/07-6/5/08) Personal Assistant 2,550.47 Personal Secretary 10,681.10 Brendan Smith, Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Eligibility (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: As part of an inspection initiated on the 11th of October 2011, the parcel in question was reduced from a claimed area of 0.5 hectare to a found area of 0.45 hectares. This decision was notified to the person named on the 4th of January 2012. He was also advised of his right to seek a review of the decision and of his right to appeal the outcome of any such review to the Independent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Application Numbers (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Despite the challenging budgetary constraints facing my Department, last year I allocated €20 million annually to fund the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, and on foot of this I announced the re-opening of the scheme. I decided on a maximum payment of €4,000 per annum for individual applicants which, on the basis of previous experience in implementing the scheme,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Application Numbers (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: A total of 9,689 applications have been received by my Department under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS 3, 815 of which were received from applicants in Co. Kerry. I expect that approval letters for participation in the scheme will issue very shortly to approximately 6,000 of the applicants. AEOS is a measure under the current rural development programme 2007-13, and is subject to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named joined REPS 4 in May 2009 and received payments for the first three 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. Following the 2012 administrative check, queries arose in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Appeals (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named is one of a number of applicants under the 2012 disadvantaged areas scheme, whose cases are impacted by the requirement of a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011. My Department wrote to all concerned applicants in August 2012 giving them the opportunity to seek derogation from this requirement. However, to date, my Department has no...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: As part of the implementation of the single payment scheme in 2005, a linear cut of 1.82% was applied to all entitlements to fund the national reserve catering for a range of categories including new entrants to farming. This resulted in €22.6 million being allocated in 2005. From 2006 onwards, the national reserve was replenished only from unused expired entitlements which reverted...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Penalties (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in the context of delivering the single payment schemes, disadvantaged areas scheme and other area related schemes, is required to carry out a programme of annual inspections. This inspection regime covers both the eligibility of land declared to drawn down payments and also cross compliance aspects, to ensure adherence with EU regulatory requirements in the areas of public,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Grants (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: This applicant’s annual forestry premium for 2013 was paid on 10 May 2013. Therefore there are currently no outstanding grants or premiums.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (14 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: The negotiations on reforms to the CAP are still under way and it is not possible to say with any certainty what the final outcome will be, nor what precise impact the reform will have on individual farmers. The Commission’s proposal is that entitlements will be based on hectares declared in 2014 but the farmer must have activated one entitlement in 2011. The approach agreed by the...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: No. There is just under €200 million in DAS payments due and if we start paying farmers in advance, we would have to consider how much to give them and who would get the advance payment. The payment will be made in September and there should be a bridging banking and credit facility available to farmers until then. I do not see why that cannot work. This is in preference to asking...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I accept that DAS payments are a matching fund so they are slightly different from the single farm payment. I have had many conversations with people in banks over the past two weeks and they all suggest there should be short and medium term credit facilities in place for most farmers. This is not about refinancing loans for machinery, buying land or renting conacre but rather dealing with...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: One must be able to buy fodder.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: All the conversations we have had indicate this is not primarily a credit crisis but rather a fodder crisis. If the Senator spoke to a few more farmers, he would probably understand that.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Perhaps the Senator should speak to some neighbours. We are trying to solve the nub of the problem, which is getting fodder into Ireland, regardless of whether farms have money. If fodder is unavailable to buy, it cannot be procured at any price, which is the centre of the immediate crisis that must be solved. If farmers cannot afford to buy the fodder, we will intervene and buy it for...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Last year the figure was 117,000 for the same period. There has been a significant increase from last year but if we consider 2009 or other years with severe weather conditions, one could also see a higher figure. This is a particularly bad year but there have been other years in a similar category. We must deal with that and ensure there is no repeat next year. We must work on farms in...

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: Do not have a loan.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: They are not being asked for cash.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I will inquire about that.

Seanad: Fodder Crisis: Statements (9 May 2013)

Simon Coveney: I thank Senators for the tone of the discussion and their questions, which were constructive. I will try to answer some of the questions and clarify some of the points made. On single farm payments, these are never paid in September. The single farm payment is not due until mid-December. Last year, and for three of the past five years, we have managed to get an advance on that in terms of...