Results 14,141-14,160 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The information requested by the Deputy is set out as follows. Year Staff Dismissed 2005 2 2006 0 2007 0 2008 0 2009 1

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The lease costs for all of my Departments' offices are a matter for the Office of Public Works. Costs of staff, light, heat and telecommunications are being prepared and will be communicated directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007–13 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including plan checks, to be completed before the first 2009 payments issue. Processing of applications, including the application from the person named, has commenced to facilitate the release of payments at the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: Following direct contact between an official of my Department and the person named, it has been agreed that this case will be fully reviewed, on receipt of the further documentation, which the person named has been requested to provide.

Written Answers — Beef Exports: Beef Exports (6 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: As set out in my previous reply, the service provided by my Department for the export of cattle involves a considerable amount of checking on the transport vehicle(s), documentation, identification of the cattle, fitness for transport, and health status, as well as preparing the health certificate to accompany the consignment and sending a notification of the details of the export to the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: In the first instance, the designation and protection of Natura 2000 sites is the responsibility of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. EU funding is provided under the rural development Regulations for the overall improvement of the environment and the countryside. This funding is channelled through the Rural Development Programmes of each Member State and may...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Single Payment Scheme application for the person named was selected for eligibility inspection by Remote Sensing (satellite) in 2009. The inspection has been completed. Following the exclusion of ineligible area, an area over-claim has been found in respect of one of the land parcels declared by the applicant. A letter, along with a map of the land parcel in question, has issued to the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: I presume the Deputy is referring to an application for grant-aid by the person concerned under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Grant-aid was paid by my Department under that Scheme to the person concerned on 22 September 2009.

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publishes detailed data on the agri-food sector based on CSO Census of Industrial Production (CIP) data. This data is published in the Compendium of Agriculture Statistics on an annual basis. The Compendium is available under the Publications section of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's website at www.agriculture.gov.ie. The...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes detailed data on the food-manufacturing sector in its Census of Industrial Production (CIP), which is an annual publication. The CIP is available under the Industry publications section of the CSO website at http://www.cso.ie/ The table gives details, in terms of the breakdown between larger and smaller companies involved in food processing for...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publishes detailed data on the agrifood sector based on CSO Census of Industrial Production (CIP) data. This data is published in the Compendium of Agriculture Statistics on an annual basis. The Compendium is available under the Publications section of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's website at www.agriculture.gov.ie . The...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publishes detailed data on employment in the agrifood sector based on two sources, the CSO Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and the CSO Census of Industrial Production (CIP). This data is published in the Compendium of Agriculture Statistics on an annual basis. The Compendium is available under the Publications section of the...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: At present, there are total of 213 companies involved in organic food production in this country. The number of companies involved in organic food production over the past 5 years is as follows: 2004 – 107 2005 – 112 2006 – 142 2007 – 200 2008 – 210 The figure of 213 companies involved in organic food production includes farm based food processing units and is therefore not...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes detailed data on the overall Industry sector, including the food-manufacturing sector in its Census of Industrial Production (CIP), which is an annual publication. The CIP is available under the Industry publications section of the CSO website at http://www.cso.ie/ The CIP indicates that in 2006 (most recent data available) a little over 14% of...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (24 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named submitted an application for additional milk quota to the Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal under the Hardship category in respect of the 2009/2010 quota year. The application was acknowledged on 10 July last. The Tribunal is currently working through all of the Hardship applications. When a recommendation has been made in this case, a letter will issue to the person named and his...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (23 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The management and conservation of fish stocks is provided for under the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). To ensure that the fishing pressure is not higher than the stocks can sustain and taking into account the scientific advice on fish stocks provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES), Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas are agreed by the EU...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (23 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Marine Institute publishes on an annual basis a Stock Book setting down scientific advice on the state of fish stocks which are the subject of EU Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. This report sets down the advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) on stocks of importance to the Irish fishing industry and supports it with additional material...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named, who established 2.34 Single Payment entitlements with a net unit value of €41.67 applied for and was paid under the 2005 and 2006 Single Payment Schemes. The Department has no record, however, of applications being received from the person named under any of the years 2007, 2008 or 2009.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named joined REPS 3 for a period of 3 years. Following a farm inspection and two audit inspections by Department Inspectors in March and April, 2008, a letter issued to the person itemizing a number of documents that were required and a number of issues that needed clarification. As none of the requested documentation or clarification was received, a letter terminating the...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (23 Sep 2009)

Brendan Smith: On 15th July, the Government approved my plan for a reorganisation of my Department's Local Office Network. The plan involves reducing, from 57 to 16, the number of offices from which the Department will operate District Veterinary, Forestry and Agricultural Environment and Structures support services in the future. This will result in a reduction of some 400 in the number of staff working in...