Results 35,921-35,940 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I said at the time that a scheme was promised for which the funding was not in place. One must have multi-annual funding in place for a multi-annual scheme.

Departmental Expenditure (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Schemes are operated on a multi-annual basis.

Common Agricultural Policy (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I take it the Deputy is referring to the Commission's proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2014 to 2020, which include a gradual move away from payments based on historical production towards a system of uniform national or regional payment rates by 2019, and whether they will adversely affect certain parts of the country relative to others. I have repeatedly made...

Common Agricultural Policy (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: We already have some regionalisation in terms of how rural development funds are distributed in that we have a designated disadvantaged area which encompasses more than 100,000, or 75%, of farmers. We agree with regionalisation when it comes to rural development funds because, in that case, one is supporting people who cannot support themselves. However, direct payments are another matter...

Tuberculosis Incidence (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There are no accurate statistics available on the current badger population in Ireland. However, based on the results of the four-area project, the best estimate available to my Department is that there are approximately 80,000 to 90,000 badgers in the country. There is considerable peer-reviewed research showing that the removal of badgers results in a reduction in the incidence of...

Tuberculosis Incidence (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is probably appropriate to compare two different strategies, namely, what is happening in Ireland in terms of TB and what is happening in the UK. The UK has tried to treat badgers for TB rather than cull them. In Great Britain, which does not implement the badger removal programme, incidences of TB have increased substantially from 6,000 reactors in 1999 to 33,000 in 2010. I am not...

Tuberculosis Incidence (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I agree with the Deputy on the boarder issue of badger baiting and the need for a new approach towards animal welfare. I will soon publish a new animal welfare Bill. I know the Deputy's concern in this matter is genuine and hope she will participate in the debate on the forthcoming Bill. I have strong views on animal welfare, which will be evident from the new animal welfare Bill. The...

Departmental Funding (9 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Financial supports to the aquaculture sector, as part of the Irish National Seafood Programme 2007-2013, are currently provided by BIM. In the course of the public and statutory consultation process of the strategic environmental assessment of that programme, concerns were raised by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards, now Inland Fisheries Ireland, and the Department of Communications,...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: My Department does not currently have a proposal from Bord na gCon (BNG) seeking consent to expand into greyhound racing in China. A revised proposal received from BNG gave rise to a number of queries by my Department and was not progressed.

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together. Imports of potatoes and potato products into Ireland for the years 2008 – 2010 are presented in the table below. In relation to fresh potatoes, the major imports are in respect of new season and baby potatoes and in the last few years a number of Irish growers have started to produce baby potatoes. My Department recognises the major...

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Imports of fresh fruit and vegetables into Ireland for the years 2008 – 2010 are presented in the table below. My Department continues to encourage the production of fruit and vegetables in Ireland and in the Budget I announced the provision of €3.25 million of grant aid for the commercial horticultural sector for 2012. In addition, my Department administers the EU Producer...

Written Answers — Horticulture Sector: Horticulture Sector (8 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 — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There are 39 aquaculture marine based finfish licences in Ireland. All stocks of salmon and trout on every farm are inspected by the Marine Institute on 14 occasions throughout the year when stock are present. Sea lice inspections take place monthly, with two inspections taking place each month during March, April and May. One inspection is carried out for the December-January period....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 16th May 2011. This application was selected for a ground eligibility/cross compliance inspection. During the course of this inspection discrepancies were found that resulted in a claimed area of 27.37ha being reduced to 25.37ha. If the total area found is not sufficient to...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: It is widely recognised that the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is a very important one for this country, as the total area designated as disadvantaged is almost 75% of Ireland's total land area. From an economic perspective, the Scheme is particularly significant, contributing to the support of in excess of 100,000 Irish farm families, whose ability to farm is restricted by the physical...

Written Answers — Food Safety: Food Safety (8 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. On traceability, the regulations...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: The person named registered twenty beef breed animals under the 2009 Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme. Following the completion of the validation process ten of the animals were deemed eligible and payment was issued to the applicant. The applicant was informed by my Department that the other ten animals were rejected for payment as meal was not provided to nine of them for the required four weeks...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: There have been a number of TB breakdowns in the herd in question since December 2010, the most recent in January 2012 when 3 reactors were disclosed. With regard to depopulation, the policy of my Department in relation to TB is to depopulate herds only as a last resort. Experience has shown that depopulation, which is extremely costly, is rarely necessary and that, in most cases, the herd...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: A total of 139 applications were received under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme following the suspension of the Scheme for new applications on 14 October 2008. It is not possible at this stage to determine the locations where these applications were received. Two cases were subsequently processed following successful appeals to the Agriculture Appeals Office. This has resulted in one...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (8 Feb 2012)

Simon Coveney: Agroforestry affords farmers considerable scope to integrate the growing of trees, for commercial, amenity and/or environmental reasons, with crop or livestock production on the same unit of land. The Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 identified agroforestry as providing considerable potential on many Irish farms to plant trees in ways which contribute actively to a better environment,...