Search Results for 'Simon Coveney'

Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has welcomed the announcement today by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, that the first payments to farmers in AEOS 1 have been issued. Some 8,400 farmers who applied for AEOS by the closing date of May 17 last year have been approved into the scheme, and under EU rules administrative checks for all applicants had to be completed before the first payments could issue. The first tranche of payments has been issued and the remainder will be paid on an ongoing basis.

After months of delays and uncertainty, farmers have finally received assurances that the first payments of the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) are imminent. Applications for the scheme had been submitted since May 17 of last year and the payments were due for almost a year.

The Mayo branch of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has voiced its anger at the Department of Agriculture on its failure to commence payments on the Agri Environment Options Scheme (AEOS). But there was confirmation this week that the payments for 2010 will be released in two weeks time, later than the July and August deadlines initially outlined.

Because of a chance meeting in Áras an Uachtaráin last year, two well known organisations are coincidentally, this year, celebrating their 185th year in existence; namely The Iverk Agricultural Show and The Blanchardstown Brass Band.

Drowning is frighteningly the second cause of death and injury for children in the EU, the primary causes are inability to swim and alcohol induced poor supervision of children - particularly on holidays. “We must remember that children can drown in as little as two inches of water and they drown in silence,” warned Jim Higgins MEP this week.

Drowning is frighteningly the second cause of death and injury for children in the EU, the primary causes are inability to swim and alcohol induced poor supervision of children - particularly on holidays. “We must remember that children can drown in as little as two inches of water and they drown in silence,” warned Jim Higgins MEP this week.

With Kilkenny’s Food Strategy now on hold since January, Kilkenny Leader Partnership, has renewed calls to Government to solve the current EU food funding crisis. Confusion over the allocation of EU funds for rural Irish food businesses arose earlier this year resulting in the indefinite suspension of Leader funding for the Irish food sector.

Farmers in County Kilkenny have delivered a clear message to Government TDs following a 50 per cent cut in the funding for the promised AEOS Scheme.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, has confirmed the appointment of Phil Meaney as chairperson of Bord na gCón, in succession to Dick O’Sullivan, who retired from his position last month.

The possibility of US President Barrack Obama coming to visit Mayo picked up momentum this week. Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said this week that there were “obvious reasons” why Mayo could be included on the State visit of the US President with it being the home of Taoiseach Enda Kenny.