Results 11,681-11,700 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: A total of €100m has been paid out under the Scheme to date: €35m in 2008, €55m in 2009 and €10min in 2010. Co funding in the sum of €8m was provided by the EU in respect of some 7,500 tonnes of the affected pigmeat product. A total of 120 companies have been paid to date. The information requested by the Deputy relating to how much each company received is commercially sensitive...

Written Answers — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 43 and 63 together. According to records held in my Department, some 79 poultry flocks are involved in the production of hatching eggs, with a further 33 involved in rearing these birds to laying age. During 2009, approximately 6 million eggs were imported into Ireland for the purpose of hatching, while for the first nine months of 2010 some 6.6 million...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department is involved in the payment of a wide range of grants and subventions including, for example, payments under the Single Payment Scheme to some 130,000 beneficiaries and area based compensation allowances to some 102,000 farmers. The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department and the resources required to compile the level of detail would not be...

Written Answers — Veterinary Medicines: Veterinary Medicines (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department does not have any statutory function in relation to the pricing of veterinary medicines. However, my Department does have statutory responsibility for the regulation of veterinary medicines from the point of view of public health and animal health and welfare. In exercising these functions, my Department is conscious of the need to minimise costs for farmers and pet animal...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: To date under the local office reorganisation plan Department services provided by 31 former local offices have been consolidated at 10 enhanced regional offices. These regional offices allow my Department to provide in a more efficient and effective manner the full range of services to our clients at Castlebar, Clonakilty, Drumshanbo, Enniscorthy, Navan, Limerick, Roscommon town, Tipperary...

Written Answers — Beef Industry: Beef Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The classification results for beef carcases are forwarded to my Department by meat plants on a weekly basis. The classification results are in turn reported to the European Commission in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) 1249/2008. The computerised reporting systems that report classification results make use of main classes for both conformation and fat and were not designed to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is intended that the ex-gratia payment due to farmers, whose grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme were paid on a phased basis, will be made in January 2011.

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Incredible Edibles challenge is funded by the fruit and vegetable industry and Bord Bia and is administered by Agri Aware on their behalf. In 2010, 2,635 equating to 79% of all primary schools, participated in the Incredible Edibles programme. The challenge has the aim of educating pupils about how fresh produce is grown and what is involved in taking it from the field to the fork. The...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department had now processed 111,500 SPS applications with payments worth in excess of €519 million having been issued in just two weeks. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme of the order of €177 million have also issued to 90,000 farmers. Those who have yet to receive an advance payment or have received a partial advance payment under either the Single Payment Scheme or the...

Written Answers — Greyhound Racing Industry: Greyhound Racing Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: A Bill providing for the welfare of greyhounds is currently being drafted with a view to presentation in the current Dáil session.

Written Answers — Health and Safety: Health and Safety (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 67 together. Firstly I would like to express my deepest concern and sadness at the number of fatalities on Irish farms this year. The tragic deaths of 23 people through farming activities is of grave concern to us all. Needless to say I strongly support the Health and Safety Authority, which is the national body in Ireland with responsibility for...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: This year has proven to a particularly challenging one from the point of view of keeping my Department's Land Parcel Identification System up to date. By the time the processing of the 2010 applications is completed, it is expected that my Department will have processed and digitised maps received from over 70,000 farmers. This compares with a figure of 30,000 for 2009 and an average of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The EU Regulations governing REPS 4 and other area-based schemes provide that payments issue in two instalments. The first instalment of 75% may be paid once all administrative checks on all applications, as well as cross-checks against areas declared on Single Payment Scheme applications, have been completed. This process is under way and while my objective is to make all payments as soon...

Written Answers — EU Council Meetings: EU Council Meetings (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: At the last Fisheries Council meeting, held on 26 October 2010 in Luxembourg, the fisheries agenda item of particular importance for Ireland was the discussion regarding the upcoming negotiations between the EU and Norway on a bilateral fisheries agreement for 2011. These negotiations are held annually, and Norway and the Community routinely swap fishing opportunities in each others waters...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under the legislation governing the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme it is permissible to pay applicants only in respect of eligible land. This year up to 70,000 applicants have identified ineligible areas and features on maps sent to my Department which is then obliged to have these amendments re-digitised onto its Land Parcel Identification System. The volume of maps received...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Sheep Fencing and Mobile Handling Equipment Scheme opened for applications on 1 November 2010. The Scheme will remain open for valid applications until 31 December 2013 and selection criteria will be applicable in order to determine those grant applications which will proceed to the approval stage. Under the terms of Ireland's Rural Development Programme, a sum of €8 million will be...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 86 together. I recently announced the ninth Milk Quota Trading Scheme, which will be the first of two Trading Schemes to allocate quota in respect of the 2011/2012 milk quota year. The structure of the Scheme will remain largely unchanged. It will again be run in respect of each Co-op area, and will be comprised of a priority pool and a market...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department remains committed to investing in research and innovation in the Irish Agri-Food sector. I believe that both public and private investment in research and innovation is critical to ensuring that the Agri-Food industry becomes part of the smart economy thereby enabling it to play a key role in leading our country to better economic times. The Food Harvest 2020 Report, recently...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The new conditions relating to farmer status were recently agreed following a long consultation with a wide range of forestry stakeholders. I am satisfied that the new conditions are appropriate for applications for forestry grants.

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An Bord Bia is undertaking a series of market research, development and promotion initiatives in 2010 to support the food, beverages, seafood and horticulture sectors including the following. The Marketplace 2010 event in Croke Park in February 2010 brought together 383 buyers with 155 Irish companies for 3,863 pre-arranged meetings to identify business potential. The net budget for the...