Results 12,381-12,400 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Grant Payments (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I outlined our preferred option and I do not believe there will be any disagreement in this House. There was no disagreement in the committee on the occasions I attended. We want direct payments retained. We want adequate and improved market support measures. That reflects the important comment the Deputy made earlier about income stabilisation. We must have adequate anti-volatility...
- Grant Payments (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, is taking that question.
- Grant Payments (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: Can we move on and go back to it?
- Grant Payments (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: No.
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I apologise to Deputy Doyle on that particular issue but if there is any mix-up I will meet Deputy Doyle following Question Time and give him the exact details.
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: No. Since the first policy debate took place under the French Presidency in September 2008 on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, I have been fully engaged with the EU Commission and my colleagues in other member states to present the Irish position. I have participated in all policy debates under subsequent Presidencies and I have had informal discussions with a number of my...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: It would be well known that the 12 most recently acceded countries to the European Union have voiced strong opposition to the current system of payments. They regard the current system as being unfair to them. That is their strong view and they have been very vocal in that regard. Some of the member states that would have been supportive of the historic model in the past are not...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I would have mentioned it previously both in this House and earlier during Question Time that the Department has been doing a great deal of work on different models. Our work is not complete. I can give the spokespersons some access to the particular data on a confidential basis if they can understand where we are coming from in that particular respect. I have made the point continually and...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I accept the point Deputy Sherlock made. It is one I have made consistently, that those resources must stay within the farm gate and they are not for rural development. I am very much of the opinion that resources voted to agriculture must remain, in whatever systems are finalised - we know what are our preferences - within the farm gate and not be broadened out into the wider rural economy.
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: At a recent special debate in the Seanad on the future of the CAP post-2013, I set out some of my views on the need to ensure security of food supply and to maintain family farming in Europe. It must be borne in mind that negotiations on the future on the CAP post-2013 are taking place against the background of an EU budget review and a new EU financial perspective for the period 2014 to...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: With regard to timing, the Commission is expected to issue a formal communication later this year. Prior to the formation of the new Commission, it was expected during the time of Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel that the communication would issue in the middle of this year. However, the Commission was delayed in being established by a number of months. It was expected to take office in...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I share the view that we should be supporting active farmers. Whatever about drawing a minimum, I know where I would draw a maximum line. I am not going to say where, however.
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I said we would have discussions in regard to models that we have done, so we will let the Deputy in on some of the thinking. However, there are always calls to public representatives' offices when the figures are published, which include some people with very large payments. I believe there should be a cut-off point and it should be directed more towards active farmers. There is a good...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: There is absolutely no problem with that. The Irish permanent representation in Brussels will be echoing our views. On both ministerial and official level, the Department has ongoing contacts, including dialogue and briefings, with MEPs of all parties on a weekly basis. In addition, there is interaction between our MEPs and our permanent representatives in Brussels. I understand that our...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: As I said earlier in response to Deputy Blaney's question, Ireland was one of the very active members in putting this particular group together, along with France, Germany and Austria. Last December, we got 22 of the 27 member states to sign up to the need for proper CAP resources. Within that group of 22 not everyone shares the same view on the direct payments system, but we are working on...
- Common Agricultural Policy (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: Neither will the Deputy, but he should.
- Single Farm Payment Scheme (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: As part of proposals on the use of unspent single payment scheme and modulation funds and the European economic recovery programme, I announced in 2009 that, subject to the receipt of EU Commission approval, I intended to introduce support for a number of specific categories of farmer, which would be focused on supporting productive investment. The measures include a scheme for dairy farmers...
- Single Farm Payment Scheme (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I introduced the other two schemes because they are the ones with the nearest deadline, which must have their systems changed. That is why I am prioritising those two particular schemes. I hope to launch them before mid-June. We have been involved in discussions with the relevant representative groups and farming organisations to ensure that the technical details of these schemes are as...
- Single Farm Payment Scheme (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: For the information of the House - and I have mentioned this privately to Deputy Crawford - within the last two weeks I met with the chief agricultural advisers of all the main banks, as well as their support staff. I outlined the position regarding the roll-out of these schemes, particular for poultry and pigs. I asked that the relevant credit be put in place to ensure that people who need...
- Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (26 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The bio-energy market is an important segment of the renewable energy sector. Important and challenging EU and National targets now exist to develop renewable energy in response to concerns about climate change and energy security. Two key policy documents have been published in Ireland to increase renewable energy output. The White Paper on Energy "Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for...