Results 16,821-16,840 of 18,645 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Farm Retirement and Installation Aid Schemes. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for the Department was to focus available resources on the measures that allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agrifood sector. There has been a high level of investment in developing this sector in recent years, with the commitment of significant financial...

Farm Retirement and Installation Aid Schemes. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Like Deputy Sherlock, I have spoken to people who were in the process of preparing their applications, whether under the early retirement scheme or the young farmers' installation scheme, and I know of the disappointment and the break in planning for handing on the farm to the next generation that results. There is never an easy time to suspend or, as has happened in the past, to abolish...

Farm Retirement and Installation Aid Schemes. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I do not accept Deputy Sherlock's contention. I can empathise fully——

Farm Retirement and Installation Aid Schemes. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I have spoken to as many people as Deputy Sherlock who are disappointed that the scheme has been suspended for the present. In the past, when the Deputy's own party was in Government, a scheme was suspended even for those whose applications were with the Department. In this scheme, only entry for new applicants has been suspended, and all applicants who have submitted their completed...

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The 2009 Estimates provide over €1.8 billion for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and, when combined with EU funding of €1.4 billion, that means that total expenditure in 2009 by the Department will amount to over €3.2 billion. While difficult decisions had to be taken in light of the situation of the public finances, account also had to be taken of the very high level...

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I dismiss Deputy Creed's suggestion that the budget is a discussion document.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Creed might listen for a change. He misquoted Deputy Máire Hoctor, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children. The Minister of State did not say any such thing at the meeting with the ICSA.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I checked it with the Minister of State and she gave me the accurate report. She outlined clearly to a spokesperson for the ICSA that of all the contributions she had heard in the room, nobody had suggested alternatives in terms of how funding could be transferred from one subhead to another. The Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, has been misrepresented, as the Deputy has done just now....

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: When somebody is misrepresented in the House, I want to correct it. I stated here that we had to make difficult decisions. This Department did not take a bigger hit than any other Department.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The reality is not what the Deputy tried to portray. If one takes into account a Supplementary Estimate on the capital side that was extremely high — €195 million——

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Yes, I have enough.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Creed issued a statement in August to the effect that nobody would be paid from thence on.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The reality is that in the coming year the following payments will be made to farmers: the single payment scheme, €1,300 million; REPS, €355 million; disadvantaged areas scheme, €220 million; and suckler cow welfare scheme, €44 million. A total of €33 million is being paid out under the suckler cow welfare scheme, which will be paid later this year. That is a new payment.

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: No. Deputy Creed is misrepresenting the situation again. He is obviously not prepared to listen and hear the facts. We had to reallocate some expenditure. I decided reluctantly to reduce the expenditure on the disadvantaged areas scheme. I have already outlined that the vast majority of people in the disadvantaged areas scheme will not have their payment affected. It is people with...

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: This year, as last year, an 8% increase was paid by the Department under the disadvantaged areas scheme. Deputy Creed refers to the suckler cow welfare scheme. It was agreed in the partnership agreement, Towards 2016, that a five year, €250 million suckler cow scheme would be introduced. That commitment will be honoured and no amount of misrepresentation by the Deputy——

Agriculture Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Creed does not want to listen to the facts. The Government gave a commitment and no misrepresentation on the part of the Deputy or others will deflect attention from the fact that it is honouring that commitment, which relates to the payment of €250 million through a new five-year suckler cow scheme. The commitment will be honoured.

Departmental Policies. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: There are 94 commitments in the programme for Government for which my Department has direct responsibility. In the first year of the Government's five-year term, 67% of these commitments have been implemented or are, by their nature, being implemented on an ongoing basis. A detailed report on progress achieved is published on the web site of the Department of the...

Departmental Policies. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The forestry Bill is being prepared. The Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, who cannot be with us this afternoon because he has another commitment, has done extensive work on that Bill. Deputy Sherlock has asked about the animal welfare Bill on the Order of Business on a number of occasions. He is aware that a great deal of work has already been undertaken in that regard. Significant...

Common Agricultural Policy. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Common Agricultural Policy health check dossier was presented to Ministers at the informal Council meeting that was held in May. A full first round examination of the text of the dossier has been completed by the working groups. Most of the technical and linguistic issues have been addressed. Trilateral meetings took place at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 29...

Common Agricultural Policy. (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: On the French Presidency's optimism or expectations on when the health check should be completed, there was an Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The next meeting is on 18 and 19 of November and we have pencilled in another day for the end of November, around the last Friday of November. From speaking to other member states and the French Presidency, their...