Results 33,141-33,160 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Conditions (28 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Terms and Conditions of the Agri-Environment Options Scheme 2, which refers to the 2011 scheme year, states that aid will not be given for works commenced or materials purchased prior to an applicant receiving written confirmation of admission to the Scheme. The Specification for the Scheme requires that hedgerow and tree planting take place in the first dormant season after receiving...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Environment Protection Scheme Payments (28 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2009 and has received payments for the first year of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the 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. This process is nearing completion for 2012 REPS 4 applications and I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Grants (28 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: This applicant is required to submit a Tax Clearance Certificate that will be valid at the date of payment of the second instalment of the forestry grant. Such a certificate was requested from the applicant in a letter dated 15th October 2012. No reply has been received to date. A reminder was sent to the applicant on the 26th November 2012. As this grant has been mandated to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (28 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: The application for payment (Form 2) has yet to be received in my Department. It is suggested that the person named contact her registered forester who is responsible for the submission of the application for payment once the plantation is completed.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta Lands (28 Nov 2012)

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 sale and acquisition of land which take place regularly, are the responsibility of the company. The current policy in regard to the sale of land by Coillte is as provided in the Forestry Act 1988 and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 22: In page 14, subsection (8), line 39, after "concerned" to insert "(and any dependant offspring of the animal)".

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: One is taking action to stop the person offending.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: One can only act when one gets to that point. If one receives a telephone call from a credible person to say somebody is injecting something into an animal which he or she should not be doing, one can act on this information. One can ask that person to desist or stop doing what he or she is doing because one has reason to believe he or she is causing an offence. That is the type of...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: We have set up an animal welfare hotline for those who wish to report cruelty or have a concern that there might be cruelty. It is up to authorised officers to make a judgment as to whether there are reasonable grounds to take action. Obviously, we must ensure authorised officers are properly trained to make an intelligent judgment. If we were to decide not to include this provision...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: I do not have anecdotal evidence, but I am sure we can provide the Deputy with some examples. If one looks at best practice in animal welfare legislation, for example, what has been done in the United Kingdom, we are trying to move from requiring proof from the investigating body before it can do anything to try to intervene early to prevent cruelty and the spread of disease. It means...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: There are protocols for how authorised officers behave in recording evidence, having to provide written descriptions of what they have seen and so forth. The Deputy is right. As we are giving a great deal of power to authorised officers under this legislation, they must be the right people who are properly trained and they must abide by an appropriate protocol and code of conduct. It is my...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: I will examine it to see if it is necessary.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Correct.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is my understanding unless we say in the legislation that somebody is required to abide by a code of practice, or we introduce a regulation to that effect.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: No, we are saying that the considerations to which regard may be had when determining, for the purposes of this section, whether suffering is unnecessary, may, among any other considerations, include issues such as whether the suffering could reasonably have been avoided, terminated or reduced and whether the conduct which caused the suffering was in compliance with this Act, another...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes. There is reference to regulations, the Act, another enactment or code of conduct.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Under Part 4, it is clear that before establishing or adopting a code of practice the Minister shall publish the code on the website of his or her Department. The legislation also indicates that a Minister may, having considered any representations received, establish or adopt a draft code with or without modification. The experience of codes of practice in this country has been somewhat...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Simon Coveney: Amendment No. 20 relates to an authorised officer who has reasonable grounds for believing a person is offending against the section with regard to an animal. The authorised officer may require the person to immediately desist from so offending. The Deputy is asking me to remove "reasonable grounds" and provide for an authorised officer "who has evidence" for believing that a person is...