Results 38,121-38,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The Marine Institute has undertaken the collection of baseline data in order to allow the National Parks and Wildlife Service to set conservation objectives for the site in question, and thereafter to allow the Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food to reach a determination on permitting/licensing of relevance to the site. The data in question can be made publicly available by the Marine...

Written Answers — Foreshore and Aquaculture Licences: Foreshore and Aquaculture Licences (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The current delay in the processing of new and renewal licence applications largely arises because the majority of areas for which the licences are sought are designated Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive and/or Special Protection Areas under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 sites). In the case of aquaculture sites located within Natura 2000 areas the Department...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in April 2008. He received his year 1 payment in April 2009 and his year 2 payment in December 2009. During the SPS check some discrepancies relating to area were highlighted and an adjusted plan was requested. This adjusted plan has now been received and indicates a smaller area than that declared. The necessary clawback of payment is being calculated and...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS 4 in October 2009 and received his year 1 payment in March 2010. On 31 March 2011 the file was chosen for investigation and an inspection will be carried out over the next few weeks. The application will be processed for payment upon completion of the on farm inspection.

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: In 2009, Ireland imported 2.4 million tonnes of agri-food products from the UK, with a value of €2.7 billion. Ireland's agri-food exports to the UK amounted to 2.5 million tonnes, with a value of €3.7 billion (source: CSO trade statistics). In 2010, Ireland imported 2.5 million tonnes of agri-food products from the UK, with a value of €2.7 billion. Ireland's agri-food exports to the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The person named commenced REPS in June 2008 and received the year 1 payment in March 2009 and the year 2 payment in December 2009. Following redigitisation the area of the farm has been reduced slightly and an adjusted plan had to be drawn up. This adjusted plan has now been received and the necessary clawback of payment is being calculated. When this is finalised, payment will issue.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: My Department received a total of 216 applications from applicants in County Meath. A total of 198 of these applicants have been approved into the scheme to date. Where applicants were notified that they were not successful and where an appeal has been received my Department is conducting reviews. The AEOS budget is not allocated on a county basis. The total 2011 annual allocation for the...

Written Answers — Sugar Industry: Sugar Industry (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: As part of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006, a temporary restructuring scheme was introduced with the aim of the European Commission reducing EU sugar production in order to comply with WTO and other international obligations. The scheme provided an incentive for sugar processors to renounce sugar quota and dismantle the associated sugar processing plant and it provided compensation...

Written Answers — Agricultural Colleges: Agricultural Colleges (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: Under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act, 1988, Teagasc has statutory responsibility for the provision of education, research and advisory services to the Agriculture sector. It is a matter for Teagasc and its Board to prioritise activities in the delivery of these services and to allocate its resources in accordance with these priorities. I understand Teagasc employs over...

Milk Quota (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: There are two issues involved. First, we cannot allow a situation to develop where there will be a dramatic increase in milk production and a collapse in its price because we do not have markets for it. That would be a disaster. This problem needs to be dealt with as part of a soft landing solution in terms of the ending of the quota system. We are working to achieve this through the food...

Departmental Bodies (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: On the last question, the Deputy might be interested to hear that I met representatives of Teagasc yesterday in regard to this matter and it is part of an ongoing discussion.

Food Exports (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy recognised, Food Harvest 2020 sets out an ambitious roadmap and targets for the Irish food and drinks industry over the next decade. This is being driven by the high level implementation group, which I chair, and by a number of activation groups. With regard to expanding Ireland's share in existing markets, Bord Bia is implementing or planning to implement a number of key...

Food Exports (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: I agree with much of what the Deputy said. The 2008 health check, which put the current superlevy system in place, was signed up to by the previous Government. I concede that everyone in this House recognises that we need to get more flexibility as 2015 approaches, and we will be trying to do that. Currently, the marketing campaign around food expansion in the dairy sector in this country...

Food Industry (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: I thank my colleague for raising the question. We are very lucky in this party that we have a number of Deputies with significant experience in the agriculture and farming sector. I look forward to working with them and taking their advice because I will need it at times. Agriculture and the agrifood processing sector is one of Ireland's most important indigenous industries. I would argue...

Food Industry (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: The answer to the question is: "Absolutely." The Deputy pointed to one of my concerns with Food Harvest 2020. When milk quotas come to an end in 2015, we will see an explosion of ambition in the dairy sector because we will see a significant increase in dairy production. For example, in Cork we will see a doubling of the volume of milk being produced. We must do that. It will be the same...

Common Fisheries Policy (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: We are back to fishing. I recently accompanied President Mary McAleese on a three day official visit to Spain. During the visit, on 21 March 2011, I arranged a bilateral meeting in Madrid with Rosa Aguilar, Minister of Environment, Rural and Maritime Affairs and who is the Spanish Minister with responsibility for fisheries, to discuss the planned reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP,...

Common Fisheries Policy (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for that question. I am flying to Brussels this evening and am to meet the Fisheries Commissioner tomorrow. I have not yet met her but would like to do so. I have met the Agriculture Commissioner. The Common Fisheries Policy review is very important for Ireland. It must not be in the political shadow of the Common Agricultural Policy review, which is happening at the...

Common Fisheries Policy (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: That is a good question on an important issue. Ireland is very anxious to make progress with electronic log books on boats such that when trawlers, be they French, Spanish, British or Irish, catch fish instant information will be obtained on the catch volume. The Naval Service, which is monitoring catch, would have access to the information instantaneously. Manual log books can be doctored...

Food Harvest 2020 (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: We have returned to the subject of Food Harvest 2020, the potential and value of which I hope people outside the farming sector will begin to appreciate. The question concerns whether we can introduce tax breaks for dairy farmers who need to invest to increase capacity in the period after 2015. Taxation policy is a matter for the Minister for Finance. My officials are in contact with the...

Food Harvest 2020 (13 Apr 2011)

Simon Coveney: If I had had a little more time, I would have spoken about some of the grant aid that is being planned for the sector. The Deputy will probably be aware of the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme for the dairy sector, which is about providing grant aid for dairy equipment, rainwater harvesting and the modernisation of parlours. Some targeted grant aid will be made available. A quite...