Results 34,501-34,520 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person mentioned commenced in REPS 3 in September 2006 and received payments for the full five years of their contract. The Year 5 payment issued on 27th January 2011 for the amount of €3,198.10. However, following a later compliance inspection in the August 2012 a 100% clawback was imposed on 08th September 2011 amounting to €3,198.10 for failure to keep "field boundaries,...

Written Answers — Hare Coursing: Hare Coursing (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the controlling body for breeding and coursing of greyhounds under Section 26(2) of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958. In that role, it has sole legal authority to control all activities in these areas. Notwithstanding the above, my Department, in conjunction with National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) meet annually with the ICC in the form of a monitoring...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person mentioned commenced in REPS 3 in December 2006 and received payments for the first 4 years of the contract period. Following a compliance inspection, a 100% penalty was imposed on 17th August 2010 amounting to €6,814.00 for failure to keep "listed habitats not retained as specified". An appeal from the person named was received by the Agriculture Appeals Office in Portlaoise on...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The following tables show details of total expenditure by my Department in excess of €20,000 to all local authorities for 2011 and 2012 to date. It would take an excessive amount of staff resources to provide the full detail for all payments below that amount which mainly relate to service charges, planning applications and maintenance costs on piers and harbours on behalf of this...

Written Answers — Food Harvest 2020: Food Harvest 2020 (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: Food Harvest 2020 is a strategy that was developed by an industry-led committee whose wide membership included representatives of the food and drink industry, state agencies, academia, farm bodies and other interested stakeholders. As a strategic policy document, it is not in the category of plan or project under the provisions of Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC that would...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: In February 2012 my Department announced details of the 2012 Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants to Dairying, with a closing date of 4th May 2012. Approximately 270 applications were received in my Department before this deadline. These applications were subject to a preliminary examination to ensure compliance with the eligibility criteria as set out in the Detailed...

Written Answers — Ministerial Advisers: Ministerial Advisers (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: In response to the Deputy's question, I have detailed below the information requested in respect of Special Advisors employed in my Department since 9th March 2011. Name Title Fergal Leamyfrom 11/4/2011 – 9/9/2011 Special Advisor to Minister Coveney Áine Kilroyfrom 18/4/2011 Special Advisor to Minister Coveney Ross MacMathunafrom 16/01/2012 Special Advisor to Minister Coveney

Written Answers — Ministerial Advisers: Ministerial Advisers (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: In response to the Deputy's question, I have detailed below the information requested in respect of Special Advisors and Press Advisers employed in my Department for the past five years. Name Title Dermot Murphyfrom 29/10/2004 – 06/05/2008 Special Advisor toMinister Mary Coughlan Michael Shovlinfrom 02/05/2006 – 07/09/2007 Press Advisor toMinister Mary Coughlan Sean Perryfrom...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person mentioned commenced in REPS 3 in October 2006 and received payments for the first 4 years of the plan. Following a Compliance Inspection, a 100% penalty was imposed on 3rd May 2011 for the amount of €3,058.32 as a result of an "adjustment for area change". An appeal was received on 17th November 2011 by the Agriculture Appeals Office in Portlaoise. Following examination of this...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: Perhaps I can respond before the seconder arrives. To be helpful on this, we will not accept amendment No. 4. It relates to Part 3 which deals with animal welfare and the duty to protect it. Keeping the terminology "shall take all necessary steps" to prevent cruelty must remain as it is. With regard to amendment No. 1, it is not unreasonable to partially accept what the Senator is saying....

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: I cannot accept this amendment because it is almost an impossible task to prevent straying in the context of wind-borne diseases or the spread of disease by wildlife. I am not convinced it is possible to meet that standard. I understand the reason for the amendment as a measure for control of wind-borne disease spores but asking a farmer or a keeper of animals to take preventative measures...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: To be clear, the purpose of this section of the Bill is to allow authorised officers to act quickly to prevent the spread of disease. We want to empower authorised officers to make a decision to issue a permit if appropriate without having to seek sanction from the Minister's office. I understand the Senator's request as being a belt and braces approach to ensure that permits are issued in...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The wording may have been improved already.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: Yes, the species issue is already catered for in line 19.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: My concern with this proposed wording is that it may provide an excuse for neglect. Whether an action is deliberate or by mistake, if it causes unnecessary suffering there needs to be a consequence for such an action. The definition of "unnecessary suffering" is noted in the third line of the paragraph which the Senator proposes to amend. It is defined clearly on page 9 and this definition...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: We have put a great deal of thought into this since Committee Stage. One of the problems is that there is no definition for normal farm practice. In fact, it changes all the time. Last January, for example, a new set of animal welfare regulations relating to poultry was introduced by the EU, and next January there will be a new set of regulations relating to the pig industry and loose sow...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: Including the term "code of practice" here is to allow a farmer to have a defence if they are accused of doing something that is unnecessarily cruel or whatever. If they can show that their farming practice is consistent with the code of practice that has been agreed, it could be an argument in their defence. Rather than it being a problem, the opposite might well be the case. As I have...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: The answer lies in how we choose and train authorised officers and the code of standards by which they operate. Consider the case of somebody using the animal welfare helpline to inform the Department he has seen real evidence of severe cruelty in a house or garden down the road and that he wants an inspector to investigate. As far as I am concerned, this presents reasonable grounds for an...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: That is a fair point. I envisage that, from an agricultural perspective, there will not be any change to existing practice. Departmental veterinarians who understand farming and agricultural practice will be involved. Veterinarians have varying levels of experience and qualifications. If one is to carry out a farm inspection, one needs to understand how farming, livestock management and...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is important to clarify a few issues. This section was the subject of quite a bit of discussion on Second Stage. Section 23(1) covers the concern that has been outlined and expressed to me by farming organisations, whereby if farmers cannot get a vet or cannot afford a vet, if it is a fairly straightforward case of an animal breaking a leg and suffering, and it is possible to get...