Results 31,921-31,940 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Feedstuffs (13 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The manufacture of pet food in Ireland is governed by EU regulations relating to animal by-products (ABPs), which provide that this product must be processed in a plant approved by the competent authority and to the parameters specified in the legislation. The regulations permit the manufacture of pet food from specified ABPs, including ABPs which are fit for human consumption but are not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horsemeat Issues (13 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: All types of equines can be slaughtered for human consumption, subject to compliance with the relevant legislation. In particular the animals are required to be properly identified in accordance with EU and national legislation. Equines issued with a passport after 1 July 2009 must have a corresponding microchip implanted by a veterinarian, which is recorded in the passport and creates a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Leases (13 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: It is not possible to provide this information in the required time. I will forward it to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I am glad the Deputy asked that question. We actually prioritise in favour of the small farmer in the new beef data transfer scheme we are introducing. We have said that farmers who enter the scheme will receive a payment of €20 per cow for the first 20 in their herd. It is the bigger farmers, who may have from 40 to 80 cattle, for example, who are losing out. They would have been...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: We do not have plans to introduce a farm drainage scheme, but one may be possible under the new rural development scheme that will be developed under the new Common Agricultural Policy. There is a good deal of lobbying among member states that have the opposite problem to Ireland in that they do not get enough rain. In the Mediterranean belt interests in the south of France, Spain, certain...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I do not accept the Deputy’s contention that I have targeted low income drystock farmers in budget 2013. The reality is that in a situation where the schemes concerned were approaching the end of their projected periods of operation and in a challenging budgetary environment, I secured continued significant additional support targeted at these sectors, which will build on the progress...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: There is a simple answer to that question - there was not enough available. We had been using unspent funds for the dairy discussion groups, on which we were spending approximately €6 million a year. I have taken this money from the dairy sector because it now has proof that such discussion groups work. The approximately 7,000 dairy farmers involved in discussion groups can see the...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: European Commission approval for the introduction of a number of targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, intended to support productive investment in the agricultural sector was received in March 2010. Priority was given to the bioenergy, poultry welfare and sow welfare schemes which were launched by my Department during the first half of 2010. The sheep fencing and mobile...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The allocation for last year was approximately €20 million. In terms of the total allocation for the scheme and the actual expenditure that has been committed so far, the following figures apply: dairy equipment, €45 million; poultry welfare, €16 million; sow welfare, €13 million; sheep fencing and handling, €8 million; rainwater harvesting, €8...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Yes. I will answer that question in a moment.

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The problem is that under the World Trade Organisation rules, payments cannot be linked directly to productivity. I would like to be able to do so. Coupling is one way of doing it. The single farm payment cannot be linked directly to productivity which is the reason we have been relying on an historical link to productivity. Teagasc figures in 2010 demonstrate a correlation between...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: What we have proposed as an alternative to the Commission proposal would essentially mean the higher one's payments, the more one would lose, while the lower one's payments, the more one would gain in the redistribution, which would be fair. Farmers with very high payments would lose one quarter of their payments, while those with very low payments would probably see their payments quadruple...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: We need to balance two things. First, we need to ensure we are not charging rents that are over the top for businesses. Second, we need to run six fisheries harbours in a businesslike manner so they can pay for themselves, if possible, and pay for the investment that is and has been needed over the years. We are trying to balance our obligation as a landlord to be fair to the tenants and...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I expect Deputy Kelleher and Deputy Ó Cuív, who is present to deal with the question, might have differing views on this issue, but perhaps that is not the case. I can confirm that I am actively pursuing the question of internal convergence in the CAP reform negotiations. Indeed, it is probably my key concern in the overall CAP reform process. Under a national flat rate system,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine owns and operates under statute six fishery harbour centres at Killybegs, Ros a' Mhíl, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. Properties located in the fishery harbour centres are offered for tenancy under lease or licence agreements when appropriate. An individual agreement, which is a formal document and is legally binding...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishery Harbour Centres (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: We have looked at the Deputy's proposal, but it is not as easy as it might seem. When a lease is signed that does not contain a mechanism whereby the level of rent can be reduced - it must stay as it is or increase - it is not straightforward from a legal point of view to reduce that rent. In order to ensure both sides do not have to go through the cost and hassle of the process of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that the payment resulted from replacing the old sheep headage scheme with a disadvantaged area scheme. Therefore, anybody who availed of the payment and continues to farm in the same way will be able to retain the payment. If somebody is not farming the land and has no stock on it, he or she cannot expect to hold on to the top-up payment, which is not unreasonable.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: First, we have continued with the prioritisation of support for farmers farming in mountain areas in the most recent budget. They will not suffer any DAS payment cut. I will check my understanding of this issue when Question Time concludes and revert to the Deputy with a note. I understand the scheme was previously targeted at sheep farmers in mountainous areas. If that is not the case, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I hear what the Deputy is saying, but it is my understanding and my briefing note suggests the payment is made to sheep farmers only. However, I will check and revert to the Deputy with a response on the position of farmers with suckler cows in mountainous areas.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Fishing Industry Development (12 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy makes a fair point. There is a concern that when money is invested in processing equipment, the resulting modernisation and mechanisation can reduce the number of people working in the factories concerned. We are trying to ensure that we are competitive as a place to land, process and add value to fish. For example, the landing of blue whiting in Killybegs last year was a...