Coveney, Simon

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Continued)

There are four Ministers here willing to listen to the Deputy's proposals.

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed)

They do.

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed) (Continued)

The Deputy is only trying to frighten people.

It is a cap, not a flat charge.

Having a cap is not the same as having a flat charge.

Departmental Schemes

Was asked: if he will provide in tabular form since 2008 the total amounts drawn down by Ireland for the school milk scheme and the school fruit scheme; the number of schools and pupils which benefit from the...

The School Milk Scheme (SMS) was introduced in 1977, and over 20 million EU children benefited from it in 2011/2012, an 18% jump compared with 2010/2011. The SMS has operated in Ireland since 1982 ...

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Was asked: if farmers who have completed relevant courses in Northern Ireland, achieving agricultural qualifications, will have these qualifications recognised automatically on a like for like basis when appl...

Taxation policy is primarily a matter for the Minister for Finance. However I have on-going contact with Minister Noonan to ensure that tax policy reflects the Government’s commitment to agricultur...

The eligible qualifications are published as part of the relevant legislation that provides for these measures and only include qualifications awarded within the State. However, while Northern Ir...

The new investment schemes under the Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 will provide for higher grant rates for certain qualified young farmers. The new direct payment scheme (the Basic Paym...

Was asked: if he will review an application and entitlements for single farm payment, disadvantaged areas aid payment and agri-environment options scheme payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in ...

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application on 05 May 2014. Processing of this application has recently been finalised with payment under both sch...

Forestry Grants

Was asked: when farmers who have applied for forestry grants and were awaiting assessment of the possible effects of afforestation on the hen harrier habitats will be issued with a decision on their applicati...

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is currently developing a Threat Response Plan (TRP) for Hen Harrier, which is one of Ireland's rarest species of bird, and which is protected at ...

Agriculture Scheme Payments

Was asked: when payment of single farm and disadvantaged areas grant will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 9 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and compr...

The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection. Initial processing of this inspection identified a requirement to verify the eligibility of land declared by mean...

On completion of this inspection the results will be finalised with the intention of issuing any payment due as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department wi...

Was asked: when payments will be made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway in relation to disadvantaged areas scheme and single payment scheme.

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 13 May 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comp...

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Was asked: when a single farm payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

An application under the 2014 Single Farm Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 7 May 2014. During processing of this application a dual claim error arose where two of the parcels d...

Was asked: the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork had their single farm payment reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 16 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and co...

The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection.

The inspection identified discrepancies between the areas declared and the area found resulting in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%. Under the Terms and Conditions of these schem...

Payment, on the basis set out above, of the advance payment under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 10 November.

Was asked: the reason single farm payment was reduced in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 16 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and co...

The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection.

The inspection identified discrepancies between the areas declared and the area found resulting in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%. Under the Terms and Conditions of these schem...

Payment, on the basis set out above, of the advance payment under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme issued to the nominated bank account of the person named on 10 November.

Agriculture Scheme Administration

Was asked: if there is a compensation scheme available in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork who lost cattle due to electrocution.

The situation in which this farmer finds himself is extremely unfortunate. However, there is no specific compensation scheme in place for farmers who suffer casualties in their herd due to electric...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments

Was asked: when agri-environment options scheme payments for 2014 will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Area-based schemes under the Rural Development Programme 2007-13 are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including cross checks with the Land...

All checks are now nearing completion and AEOS payments in respect of the 2014 scheme year will commence shortly.

Commonage Division

Was asked: further to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine hearing on 4 November 2014 in which a person (details supplied) stated that there was a risk of financial corrections being impose...

Each year farmers in Ireland benefit from funding of over €1.5 billion under Schemes such as the Single Farm Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Agri-Environment Schemes, etc. This ...

The European Commission has an obligation to ensure that Member States manage and use the EU funding granted to them in accordance with the very restrictive provisions governing the Direct Aid Sc...

Under the Terms and Conditions of the Direct Aid Schemes, which includes the Single Payment Scheme, farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their applications, and to exclud...

To ensure the eligibility of lands declared, farmers must maintain lands through normal farming practices such as cropping, cutting hay/silage or grazing by animals with an appropriate stocking r...

Commonage lands form a significant area of the lands declared annually by some 14,936 farmers in Ireland for the purposes of claiming under the Direct Aid Schemes, with approximately 7% of the la...

However, due to reasons such as previous destocking requirements and the age profile of farmers on commonage lands, there is a growing risk of land abandonment on commonages as under-grazing beco...

In 2015, all farmers will be strongly urged to ensure that all of the land that they declare is eligible and is farmed by them. The entitlements established under the Basic Payment Scheme will be...

Ministerial Transport

Was asked: the ministerial transport costs for the years 2010 to 2013, inclusive, for each Minister and Minister of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The ministerial transport costs paid by my Department in respect of the Ministers and Ministers of State in the years 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table.

  The co...

Was asked: the ministerial transport costs for the years 2010 to 2013, inclusive, for each Minister and Minister of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

In 2010, all Government Ministers were provided with a State car that was driven by a member of An Garda Síochána from a pool of Gardaí, two of whom were assigned to the Minister at that time. The ...