Results 35,901-35,920 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 28 October 2011. As the application was received after the closing date for the scheme of 16 May 2011, it was therefore not eligible for consideration for processing. The person named was informed of this decision on the 15 November 2011 and of his right to seek a review. He...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2011. This application was selected for a ground eligibility inspection. During the course of this inspection discrepancies were found that resulted in a claimed area of 589.94ha being reduced to 583.14ha. If the total area found is not sufficient to support the number of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS in June 2008 and received payment for the first two years of their contract. REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulation which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments have been finalised. Following an on farm inspection the person named was...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together. The WTO Doha Development Round talks are stalled at present and the prospects for conclusion of an agreement are uncertain at this point in time. Nevertheless, the EU Commission continues to represent the views of Ireland and other EU Member States in discussions with other trading partners based on positions agreed at EU level. These...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Food Harvest 2020 (FH2020) represents the strategic blueprint for the development of the agriculture, food, fisheries and forestry sector for the next decade. Its implementation, as well as the parallel negotiations at EU level to ensure an appropriate CAP policy and EU Budget framework post 2013, are the strategic steps which I am pursuing to develop the agri-food sector. FH2020 contained...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The export performance of the meat and dairy sectors is affected by factors such as currency exchange rates, fluctuations in market prices and tariff rates. The value of beef exports in 2011 is estimated at €1.81 billion, an increase of 15% on the 2010 level. Similarly, lamb exports in same period are estimated to have increased by 10% to an estimated €180 million. In 2011, exports of...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002, which sets out the general principles and requirements of EU food law, stipulates among other things, that food business operators at all stages of production, processing and distribution within the businesses under their control must ensure that foods satisfy the requirements of food law and that these requirements are met. In regard to traceability the...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: While the Department's laboratory facilities at Backweston have the capability to deal with the bulk of analytical requirements, certain elements (testing for exotic viruses etc) are referred to other national and international laboratory service providers. It is envisaged that the need for such referrals will continue to diminish, as the Department's laboratories continue to introduce and...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Exports of dairy products in 2011 were valued at €2.66 billion, which is an increase of 17% on the previous year. Ireland already has access to markets worldwide and exports dairy products to over eighty countries. Nonetheless I am working with industry to raise the profile of the Irish dairy sector, and the Irish agri-food sector generally in emerging markets. I have been very active in...

Written Answers — Beef Exports: Beef Exports (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Ireland exports some 90% of its beef production and around 96% of beef exports go to other EU Member States. The EU is only 96% self-sufficient in beef production and consumer demand for beef is expected to further exceed EU production in the coming years. Irish beef exports were valued at €1.8 billion in 2011 but overall export volumes to particular destinations in a particular period...

Written Answers — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The following table sets out the value and volume of Irish poultry meat exports since 2007. Great Britain and Northern Ireland account for the majority of trade although the proportion destined for these markets has declined. France is the largest Continental EU market while internationally China has become increasingly important in recent years. 2007 2008 2009 2010 '000t €m '000t €m...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: For their import from non-EU countries foods products of animal origin are required to meet the relevant requirements of EU food law that are operated in third countries or regions of third countries or the conditions recognised by the EU to be at least equivalent. Accordingly the EU publishes listings of the countries and regions of countries it has approved for this purpose as well as their...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The Department's and Bord Bia's best estimate of those employed in the Irish mushroom industry including growing, marketing and mushroom compost manufacture is the equivalent of over 2,500 full time jobs. Almost 90% of those employed are involved in production of the crop. As the mushroom industry has become more concentrated, and with fewer growers involved in production, the numbers of...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The establishment of a positive economic environment in order to facilitate job creation is one of the key objectives of this Government. Following last November's Government's Decision to progress an annual Action Plan for Jobs, my Department and its State Bodies have been actively involved in this exercise. Consequently, I expect that the 2012 Action Plan will be announced shortly and will...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: My Department has neither established nor abolished any State agencies, authorities, boards, committees, working groups, tribunals, council services, task forces, agencies or other quangos since February 2011 apart from the Beef Policy 2020 Activation Group which was established in February 2011 as part of the Food Harvest 2020 Implementation process. It was dissolved in June 2011 following...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: If the House will permit, and while this portfolio is often dominated by agriculture, I wish to mention the extraordinary response to what has been an unfolding tragedy in Union Hall during the past month or so. There was some success yesterday in the finding of another body. The response of the fishing community, in particular the Deasy family in Union Hall, the Coast Guard, the Garda, the...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I would appreciate that, as a number of Deputies probably know some of the people concerned.

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I appreciate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's indulgence. Sometimes, it is only in tragedy that we see how fantastic Irish people can be. There was a gross underspend of €226 million in the Department's budget allocation of €1.647 billion in 2011. The expenditure on the EU-funded single payment amounted to a further €1.316 million above this. The underspend of Exchequer funding arose as a...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There is no actual saving in terms of reduced payments to farmers. The issue here is the year in which the payments are made. There have been no cuts in the agri-environment options scheme, and cuts in REPS only come into force this year, following the most recent budget. The payments that have carried over from one year into the next arose primarily because of mapping issues and those...

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There was never a problem with funding the agri-environment options scheme last year, even for a larger scheme. The problem is that the scheme carries over year on year. Last year's budget was never a problem and there was always money available for it. The problem is next year and the year after. I could not put together a scheme to commit €40 million or €50 million, as the previous...