Tag Archives: Minister for Agriculture

The compulsory microchipping of dogs will be rolled out on a phased basis, beginning with pups in September and expanded to all dogs in March 2016. The announcement by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has been welcomed by the ISPCA as an indication of the Government’s clear commitment to animal welfare. ISPCA CEO, Dr Andrew Kelly said, “The introduction of compulsory microchipping is a major step forward for dog welfare in Ireland and is a key component of responsible dog ownership. The permanent identification of a dog will increase the likelihood of it being returned to its owner if it is lost or stolen. Compulsory microchipping will also reduce the burden on animal welfare organisations and dog rescue organisations caused by stray dogs and should result in fewer dogs entering the local authority dog shelters around the country. “Don’t wait until 2016, get your dog microchipped now”.

There’s good news for Clare farmers this week, as payments under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme have started issuing on schedule. “I am particularly pleased to see that these payments, worth some €149 million, are issuing on target, particularly given the significance of Direct Aid payments to individual farmers and the wider rural community,” the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney said in making the announcement. The minister confirmed that payments will continue to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible for payment. “I expect in the region of 71,500 eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days, although it will in reality take at least one week to issue such a large volume of payments. However, there are a significant number who currently appear ineligible under the stocking provisions; these farmers can submit appropriate evidence to my department’s Portlaoise office, following which their payments will then be released.” Minister Coveney noted that the value …