Results 30,741-30,760 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Fodder Crisis: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: I will not have an opportunity to reply to this debate but I did address this question last night.
- Fodder Crisis: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy might give some suggestions to resolve the situation.
- Fodder Crisis: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The inspectors are taking account of that.
- Europe Week: Statements (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for that good news.
- Europe Week: Statements (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: I will pass it on. I will let her know.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: All I can do-----
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: -----is stand over my record in terms of responding to a horsemeat crisis that became a European crisis that began in Ireland and I think we dealt with that in a professional, detailed and very accurate way.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The substantive issue is what?
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: Yes, it is, which is why we-----
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: For a man who is so concerned about animal welfare I do not recall one contribution he made on the Animal Health and Welfare Bill which was debated in this House for about ten hours.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy probably did not even know it was being taken.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: If the Deputy was concerned I am sure he would have made contact with me informally.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy is a bluffer on this issue and that is the reality.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: To answer Deputy Deering's point, there was in effect an amnesty in Ireland when the new requirements on passports and microchips were introduced to give people a chance to catch up with that new regulation. We cannot introduce another amnesty. The rules are the rules. Everybody understands, or should understand, the rules at this stage. We need to educate people and implement them....
- Other Questions: Animal Welfare Issues (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: With regard to planning matters, the Deputy will be aware that these are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. However, I am aware of the challenges faced by farmers in respect of new developments to meet animal welfare directives and my Department has been working with all stakeholders to ensure that this transition goes as...
- Other Questions: Animal Welfare Issues (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: We are trying to be as helpful as we can to the pig sector in particular. What is being asked of farmers here is to move from an intensive, essentially, tethered system for sows to loose housing for breeding sows, which is a welfare issue. This is not before time, it should have happened years ago. In some countries in the European Union it did happen years ago but the capital investment...
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: Uncontrolled horses present an issue, as do abandoned horses. The number of horse owners has reduced dramatically in the past five years. Many people bought horses either for themselves or their children when they could afford to do so. One of the consequences of the recession is that many people can no longer afford to keep horses. In some cases, this has resulted in the abandonment of...
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: To what question?
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy never asked me those questions.
- Other Questions: Horse Passports (8 May 2013)
Simon Coveney: I will respond first to Deputy Mick Wallace's point on the statement made by Dr. Thomas Reed. He is not the person who decides on policy in Ireland. However, he is correct that the database will not solve all problems. However, I never claimed it would. We are introducing a database because it is the right thing to do and we said we would do so. We want to have a handle on the numbers of...