Results 12,221-12,240 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Departmental Contracts: Departmental Contracts (6 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: No printing contracts on behalf of my Department have been awarded to companies based outside this country.

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulation: Health and Safety Regulation (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am deeply concerned with the level of safety on our farms and I fully support the work of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which is the national body in Ireland with responsibility for securing health and safety at work. The HSA is also responsible for the collecting and recording of workplace accident data. The most recent CSO estimate for accidents in the agricultural, forestry...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to protect expenditure for major developmental measures in the agri-food sector. To achieve this objective, savings had to be found in other areas and I decided, reluctantly, to reduce expenditure under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for 2009 by reducing the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has 13 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. It is a condition of this Scheme that for herds of more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named weaned all animals on 14/11/09 and consequently did not comply with this condition. Therefore,...

Written Answers — Tax Audits: Tax Audits (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: No circumstances arose in my Department that required an unprompted voluntary disclosure to be made to the Revenue Commissioners in the years 2005-2010.

Written Answers — Tax Audits: Tax Audits (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department did not make any settlements with the Revenue Commissioners in the years 2005-2009.

Written Answers — Tax Audits: Tax Audits (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The following tax audits were carried out by the Revenue Commissioners on my Department in the period 2005- 2010: A Value Added Tax audit took place in February 2005 and the Department's operations were found to be in order. A Relevant Contracts Tax audit took place in November 2005. The audit found that the Department was a principal contractor when it engaged hauliers to bring animals to a...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2009 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 10 April 2009. The Terms and Conditions governing the Scheme require, inter alia, that applicants maintain a minimum stocking density on their holding of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare declared, for at least three consecutive months, during the calendar year of application. However, where...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The new Grassland Sheep Scheme, which has a total budget of €54 million, will operate for three years: 2010, 2011 and 2012. This funding, which comes from the unused Single Payment funds, will provide a very important and timely boost to support incomes in the sheep sector over the next three years. The Scheme has been kept administratively simple, which will facilitate the Department in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has 25 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. It is a condition of this Scheme that for herds of more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named submitted an explanation regarding this issue but his comments did not warrant any deviation...

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: No funding was received by my Department from the National Lottery in the period in question.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Details of the amounts paid by my Department in legal fees for each of the years from 2000 to date in 2010 are being compiled at present and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. The amounts paid in legal fees by each of the agencies and bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the agencies/bodies themselves.

Written Answers — Horseracing Industry: Horseracing Industry (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Irish bloodstock industry makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy and is particularly important to the rural economy with some 22,000 full-time employees in the thoroughbred equine industry. In 2008, 6,222 Irish thoroughbreds, with a value of €216 million, were exported to 42 countries demonstrating the value of the industry to the national economy. In excess of 40% of...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: The information sought in regard to the amounts of grant funding paid by my Department to the organisation concerned in 2008 and 2009, and any allocation in 2010, is currently being compiled and will be sent to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has 37 animals for consideration under the Suckler Welfare Scheme for 2008 and 27 for consideration under the 2009 Scheme. A significant number of errors have been identified and we are still in communication with the person named to resolve these issues.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: The first application from the person named under the Early Retirement Scheme did not satisfy all of the scheme conditions. The applicant was notified on 21 January 2010 of the reasons for the refusal of his application. The application was resubmitted on 18 February 2010, but once again it did not satisfy all of the scheme conditions. The person named was notified on 1 March 2010 of the...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to protect expenditure for major developmental measures in the agri-food sector. To achieve this objective, savings had to be found in other areas and I decided, reluctantly, to reduce expenditure under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for 2009 by reducing the...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: REPS 3 payments, which are issued in advance, are made on an ongoing basis to those applicants who submit claims on the anniversary of their contract starting date. A total of €19,737,525 was paid to participants in REPS 3 in Co Donegal in 2009, and €5,388,798 has been paid to date in 2010. A total of €7,960,118 has been paid this year to REPS 4 participants in Co Donegal in respect of...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: I announced details of the 2010 Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants on 24th February last. Following this announcement my Department published a document detailing the eligibility and other terms and conditions attached to the Scheme. Among the criteria, which were produced in consultation with the farming organisations and ICOS, was the requirement for applicants to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Jun 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has 24 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. It is a condition of this Scheme that for herds of more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named weaned all animals on 24/10/09 and consequently did not comply with this condition. Therefore,...