Results 12,161-12,180 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Farming Sector: Farming Sector (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Number of Farmers The following table 1 shows recent data on the number of farmers from the CSO's Farm Structure Survey for 2005 and 2007 and the importance of farm work to them in terms of being either a major or subsidiary occupation. Between 2005 and 2007, the number of farm holders decrease by 3.3% while the numbers reporting farming as their sole occupation declined by 9.4%. Table 1....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Over the past five years, six members of staff at Assistant Secretary level retired from my Department. The total amount paid in lump sums to these staff was €1,317, 352.19, this represents an average of 149.54% of final salary.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Irish Government Offsetting Scheme (IGOS) for greenhouse gas emissions from official air travel, is administered by the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and payment is made annually to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have made the following payments to REEEP: For the first year of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The following table sets out expenditure by the Department on travel and subsistence expenses which were paid to staff in the Department's decentralised offices in Castlebar, Cavan, Clonakilty, Portlaoise and Wexford in respect of attendance at meetings and other official business in Dublin and Brussels. Year Travel & Subsistence Expenditure 2008 € 299,951.69 2009 € 191,277.91 2010...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Government announcement of 8 July 2008 required that all expenditure by Departments on consultancies, advertising and public relations would be significantly reduced for the remainder of that year and by at least 50% in 2009 compared with 2008. In 2008 my Department spent €1.196m on public advertising in national and local print media. The details sought by the Deputy in relation to...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: An applicant for the farmer rate of forestry premium must be engaged in farming activities within the State and must own, lease or be involved in the joint management of at least 3 hectares of an agricultural holding. In addition, the applicant must supply evidence of farming activity in one of the following forms:- an active REPS number, herd number, registration number under the disease...

Written Answers — Complaints Procedures: Complaints Procedures (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: None of the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department fall under the remit of the Ombudsman.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: A review of the land declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme suggested that ineligible areas had been included, contrary to the governing Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. Following direct contact by an official of my Department with the person named regarding this matter, the person named has agreed to submit maps of the land parcels in question, in order to allow a...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: In January 2009, the person named applied for grant-aid under the 2009 Bio Energy Scheme, to plant 9.47 hectares of miscanthus. Following an assessment of the application, approval was issued for the planting of 9.40 hectares. Following an inspection of the crop in September 2009 the inspecting officer advised the applicant that payment of the first instalment grant was deferred until 2010...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The availability of land for the Single Farm Payment and other schemes are clearly set out in the Terms and Conditions governing the 2010 Single Payment Scheme which advise applicants as follows, insofar as land declared under the 2010 Scheme is concerned: 'You are legally required to declare ALL the land that will form part of your holding on 31 May 2010, excluding any land that you have...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: As outlined in my reply to the Parliamentary Question referred to, the person named applied to the 2010 Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants. However, he did not satisfy the educational qualifications as set out in the detailed rules for the scheme, and therefore his application was ineligible. The 2010 scheme is now concluded.

Written Answers — Agri-Environment Options Scheme: Agri-Environment Options Scheme (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application to join the Agri-Environment Options Scheme has been received in my Department from the person named. When all necessary checks on applications received have been completed the successful applicants will be notified in writing of their commencement date in the scheme.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are currently fifteen of the earliest applicants for REPS 4 scheme applicants who have not yet received payment for 2009. Computer error is not a factor in processing these applications. Two of the fifteen persons involved have withdrawn from the scheme and are, therefore, not entitled to any payment for 2009. My officials are dealing with queries in another seven cases which will...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Grant–aid under the Installation Aid Scheme was paid by my Department to the person concerned on 19 December 2006.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The persons named were joint applicants for REPS and started their contract in January 1997. They were paid for three years. As they failed to lodge an application for payment in their fourth year and did not comply with the five-year commitment required under the Scheme, their contract was terminated and my Department set out to recover the payments they had received. Their subsequent...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named had 22 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, animals from herds of more than 10 cows must be weaned in at least two separate groups with at least five days between the weaning of each group. According to information originally provided by the person named, all of the animals were weaned on the same day....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department is aware of 20 external transfer applications of which 17 were facilitated and three refused. Details of staff matters in respect of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is a matter for the Bodies themselves as part of their day-to-day activities.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, payment of the grant is made once it has been established that the requirements of the Scheme have been met, including the conditions in relation to property, education and income. The outcome of my Department's examination of the application will be made known to the applicant...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (7 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: A sum of €2,066,000 funding was made available for training in my Department in 2010. This sum was further reduced since the initial allocation to €1,989,000. The total expenditure to end of June 2010 was €436,865.

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (6 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants was introduced in 2009 with a second scheme implemented in 2010. Applications that satisfied the eligibility criteria as set out in the detailed rules of the scheme were required to be presented for assessment to establish the extent to which each applicant could demonstrate a real and long-term commitment to dairying. A panel was...