by Christina Nic Dhonnacha | Nov 5, 2015 | Press Releases |
On a radio programme on Tuesday 27th of October 2015, Sean Kyne T.D. stated that the Minister for Health had indicated that he was willing to meet a delegation from Leenane and Maam Ambulance Steering Group. I have to say that I find this statement extraordinary, in view of the fact that on the 21st of October 2015, the Minister wrote to me in the following terms.
Dear Éamon,
Thank you for your recent letter inviting me to meet a delegation from Leenane and Maam Ambulance Steering Group, to discuss the lack of ambulance services in Connemara
I have passed your correspondence on to Martin Dunne, Director the National Ambulance Service in the HSE for his consideration and direct reply to you.
Yours sincerely,
Leo Varadkar, T.D. Minister for Health.
I have now contacted the Minister as a matter of urgency, asking that he clarify whether he is indeed willing to meet a delegation as stated by Sean Kyne, T.D. and if he is, why he wrote to me saying that he had passed on the letter to Martin Dunne, Director of the National Ambulance Service, rather than indicating to me that he was indeed willing to meet a delegation. This matter needs clarification, as there is an absolute duty on the Minister to treat all public elected representatives equally and to also give them accurate facts.
by Christina Nic Dhonnacha | Nov 5, 2015 | Press Releases |
Fianna Fáil Agriculture Spokesperson Éamon Ó Cuív has welcomed clarification that grants to convert existing sheds to slatted units is covered under the TAMS2 Scheme.
The Galway West TD sought clarification on the issue from the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who has confirmed that funding is covered under the TAMS2 programme.
Deputy Ó Cuív commented, “I had been contacted by a number of farmers who were unsure if they could apply for a grant to convert existing hay sheds and other similar sheds to slatted units. Having submitted questions to the Agriculture Minister, he has now confirmed that in the case of existing loose houses grant aid is available for installing both slurry tanks and slats.
“This will be of major interest to many farmers, as the conversion of sheds could prove a much more cost economic way of converting sheds, than the building of new sheds. It could also, in certain circumstances, be easier to get planning permission for a conversion rather than a new build.
“I would encourage farmers thinking of taking up this option to apply for the TAMS2 scheme without delay to ensure you comply with the specifications laid out under the scheme. However, the grant could provide an ideal solution for farmers who want to extend their available space without having to construct new buildings”.
by Christina Nic Dhonnacha | Nov 5, 2015 | Press Releases |
Fianna Fáil Agriculture Spokesperson Éamon Ó Cuív is putting renewed pressure on the Agriculture Minister to review the current Beef Data Genomics Scheme. New figures released to the Galway West TD reveal that almost two-thirds of farmers have not submitted the relevant data to qualify for the programme.
Deputy Ó Cuív explained, “Following a series of questions, Minister Coveney has confirmed that only 10,542 herd owners have submitted genotype samples to the laboratory. More than 27,000 farmers applied for the scheme but many have not followed up with the required lab and paperwork. Not only has the Minister failed to meet his own target of 35,000 farmers on board with the scheme, those who have applied are being turned off because of the large volume of paperwork and specimen requirements.
“It is quite obvious from this data that there are still a lot of farmers who are very sceptical about the scheme and are particularly concerned about possible penalties in years to come. A budget of €300m has been allocated for the programme over the next six years; however, this information would indicate that less than €10m will be spent on the scheme this year.
“Minister Coveney needs to seriously re-evaluate the programme. It is not working in its current form. Targets are already being missed and farmers are not being incentivised to take part in it. These figures should act as a wake-up call for the Minister. I am urging him to undertake a review of the scheme in order to get more farmers to participate and to ensure that it is successful”.
by Christina Nic Dhonnacha | Nov 5, 2015 | Press Releases |
Fianna Fáil Agriculture Spokesperson Éamon Ó Cuív has accused Minister Simon Coveney of having completely failing to deal with the issue of Aquaculture Licences during his time in office. According to the latest information supplied to Deputy Ó Cuív by the Department, the number of shellfish licences awaiting decision has risen by over 10% over the past five years.
Deputy Ó Cuív commented, “After almost five years in office only 302 out of 408 applications for shellfish licences have been processed. There are now 61 fin fish licences awaiting decision, almost double the number that was outstanding when Minister Coveney arrived into the Department. Thirty four finfish aquaculture applications have been lodged since then, but only 5 decisions have been made.
“It is time for the Minister to start making decisions and to stop putting this matter on the long finger. He recently announced that he has undertaken to commission a review of the existing aquaculture licensing system. He has promised that this will include all of the stakeholders involved, and will identify the current shortcomings and bottlenecks (legislative, resource and logistical) so that the necessary changes can be made as a matter of priority.
“I have been pressing the Minister for three years to do this. The fact that he is only initiating this review months before a General Election speaks volumes about the importance he attaches to this issue. I want to see a transparent, open and efficient applications and assessment process put in place so that licences can be granted or refused in a timely manner and to ensure that the huge delays that have developed under this Minister are significantly reduced. Anything else is an injustice to both applicants and those who might oppose the granting of licences”.
