Results 32,121-32,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burger Content Investigations: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: That is for all intents and purposes pure horsemeat.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burger Content Investigations: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I will try to answer some of the questions and maybe Professor Reilly will pick up on some of the technical ones. I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for his questions. Professor Reilly will confirm this, but my understanding is that 29% of the meat in the burger contained equine DNA as opposed to beef. Sixty-three percent of that burger was meat and the rest was filler. Effectively, 20% of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burger Content Investigations: Discussion (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: I am pleased to have this opportunity to report to the committee on the intensive investigation undertaken by my Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland into the source of equine DNA disclosed in certain beefburgers. This meeting was scheduled for last week and would have taken place then if it had not been for the tragic death of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. Indeed, it would...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Turbary Rights (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: When a person purchased land from the former Land Commission under the Land Purchase Acts, it may be sold subject inter alia to turbary rights. These rights may appear as a burden on the folio for the lands sold. The interests of the various parties in on or over the land are protected by both statute and common law. Disputes arising between the various interest holders are matters for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The report to which the Deputy refers arises from the Government decision, in the context of the State asset disposal programme, that a concession for the harvesting rights to Coillte’s forests be put forward for sale. Further to that Government decision, significant work has been undertaken by the NewERA Unit of the National Treasury Management Agency in conjunction with Coillte,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Authority Inspections (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: All consignments of products of animal origin imported into Ireland from third countries are checked at a Border Inspection Post (BIP) on arrival in Ireland. There are two product BIPs in Ireland, at Dublin port and Shannon airport, operated by my Department. These enforcement activities form part of my Department’s service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Controls...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Expenditure (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established on 28 May 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 in the Republic of Ireland. The Board of Bord na gCon, comprising of seven members - a Chairman and six ordinary members, is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The Control of Horses Act, 1996 provides extensive powers to local authorities, including powers for the enactment of bye-laws for the control and welfare of horses in the local authorities’ functional area. My Department provides financial support to local authorities to assist their work in implementing the Act. Louth County Council has made bye-laws declaring the Cooley commonage a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Lands (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act 1988, in accordance with which the bulk of the State’s forestry estate was vested in the company upon its establishment in 1989. Day-to-day operational matters, such as the maintenance of the forest estate including its internal forest road network, are the responsibility of the company. It should...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The herd in question was restricted under Article 12 of the Bovine Tuberculosis (Attestation of the State and General Provision) Order, 1989 Notice declaring a holding a restricted holding (ER22) on 21 August 2012 following the disclosure of a suspect TB lesion in animal IE221308860137 presented by the above herdowner for slaughter on 15 August. A TB tissue test for this animal was created in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Standards Regulation (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: All slaughterhouses whose meat is destined for human consumption require approval under EU food safety regulations, generally referred to as the 'Hygiene Package'. These are implemented in Ireland under the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2009, S.I. No 432 of 2009. Approval to operate may be granted either by the relevant local authority or by my Department. The onus...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Authority Inspections (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: Under EU law primary responsibility for the safety of food placed on the market place lies with food business operators. The role of my Department is to verify compliance by the food business operators with this requirement. This is done by a combination of inspection of establishments and by audit on the food safety management systems which operators are required to have in place. These...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Standards Inspections (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: My Department maintains a permanent supervisory presence in approved slaughter plants. Regular visits are made to other Department approved meat plants. The frequency of these inspections in plants other than slaughter plants, which focus primarily on food safety requirements, is determined by an annual risk assessment which is conducted for each plant. Details of the number of inspections at...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Applications (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: An AEOS 3 application was received in the Johnstown Castle Office of my Department from the person named on 14 November 2012. The initial processing of the applications has been completed and acknowledgement letters will shortly issue to all applicants. Following that the detailed actions listed in each application will be recorded and all applications will be ranked and selected according...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Appeals (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the Single Payment Scheme, I can confirm that the person named currently has two appeals ongoing with the Agriculture Appeals Office and has taken the option of an oral hearing. It will be appreciated that, as that Office as a body is statutorily independent of my Department, the outcome of their deliberations must be awaited. As regards the 2010 Suckler Welfare Scheme, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1 September 2011. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. During these checks...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Applications (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1 September 2011 and has received full payment totalling €1,333.32 in respect of 2011. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Capital Expenditure (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The total capital expenditure by my Department in December 2012 amounted to €27.515million which is equivalent to 14% of the total capital budget for the year. A breakdown of the capital expenditure in December 2012 is as follows: Administrative Budget, incl laboratories  €0.975m Forestry  €4.158m. On farm investment €4.593m. Food processing sector...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Suckler Welfare Scheme Applications (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named registered 12 animals for the 2011 Suckler Welfare Scheme and 13 animals for the 2012 Scheme. Following the validation process, it appeared that the animals were not weaned in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme for either year. This issue has since been resolved for some of the animals and payment has been approved for 8 animals in each year. The remaining...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Suckler Welfare Scheme Payments (5 Feb 2013)

Simon Coveney: The person named registered 10 animals for the 2012 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Payments for the 2012 Scheme commenced in December 2012 but all of the required information had not been received from the applicant at that time. Further information has now been received and, subject to confirmation that all of the requirements of the Scheme have been complied with, payment will issue in the near...