Results 17,501-17,520 of 18,645 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: All tree species grant-aided by my Department under the forestry grant schemes achieve high levels of carbon-sequestration. The potential of different tree species to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere depends mainly on their rate of growth. Some conifer species grow rapidly and will begin to sequester considerable amounts of carbon early in their life. Other species, including...

Written Answers — Sectoral Development: Sectoral Development (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 413 together. There are in place a number of strategic plans operated by my Department which have the overall objective of developing and enhancing the capacity and competitiveness of the agriculture, food, forestry and fishing sectors. These include the Agri Vision 2015 Action Plan, the relevant commitments in Towards 2016, the National Development...

Written Answers — Farming Sector: Farming Sector (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The most recent figures available from the Central Statistics Office are for the year 2005 and these show that there were 73,500 farmers whose sole occupation was farming or 56% of the total, this compares with a figure of 49,300 for 1997 (figure for 1998 is not available). Over this period the number of farmers with another either major or subsidiary occupation rose from 49,300 to 58,900....

Written Answers — Farming Sector: Farming Sector (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: Official data on deer farming is available from the Census of Agriculture which is carried out by the Central Statistics Office roughly every ten years. The first and so far only Census of Agriculture that included deer was in June 2000. This stated that there were farmed deer on 266 farms. Teagasc has estimated that the number of farms involved in deer production peaked in the mid 1990s at...

Written Answers — Dairy Exports: Dairy Exports (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: Ireland has been successful in building EU and world market trade over a sustained period. This has been supported by consistent efforts to promote and market Ireland's dairy produce in these markets by Irish operators. Over 80% of Irish dairy production is exported to EU and world markets. 2007 was another successful year for the Irish Dairy Sector with exports up 13% to €2.36bn. This...

Written Answers — Meat Exports: Meat Exports (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The following chart sets out the number of countries to which Irish beef, pigmeat and lamb are exported: 2000 2007 Beef 56 36 Pigmeat 51 43 Sheepmeat 14 19 Beef The distribution of Irish beef exports has undergone significant change since 2000. Irish exports have gone from a position where only 50% of exports went to other European markets in 2000 to 97% in 2007. The principal...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together. The area devoted to energy crops increased from 137 hectares in 2003 to just over 9,000 hectares in 2007. The varieties of energy crops sown to date are Oilseed Rape, Miscanthus, Willow, Oats and Wheat. A figure for the number of hectares planted under energy crops in 2008 is not yet available. This figure will be forwarded directly to...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: As part of the EU sugar reform package diversification aid worth €44m approximately to Ireland was made available. The main objective of this aid was to provide funding towards the cost of establishing alternative farming enterprises by the former beet growers and thus assist these farmers to earn a replacement income and contribute to the viability of the wider rural economy of the former...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The placing of animal products on to the market for human consumption must be in accordance the provisions of the European Communities Food Law applying at all stages of the production, processing and distribution of food, including importation. It is the responsibility of Food Business Operators under this legislation to ensure food of animal origin, such as beef, they place on to the market...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: A Scheme of Investment Aid for Demonstration On-Farm Waste Processing Facilities was introduced by my Department in June 2006 under the aegis of the 2000-2006 National Development Plan. In 2007, grant-aid was made available under the Scheme for the development of ten on-farm anaerobic digestion facilities. In accordance with the standard practice under my Department's on-farm investment...

Written Answers — EU Funding: EU Funding (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: Agreement on the Financial Perspectives of the EU for the period 2007-2013 was reached in the European Council in Brussels in December 2005. The main elements of the European Council's decision insofar as agriculture and rural development are concerned were to confirm budgetary allocations representing funding of €320 billion in current prices to pillar 1 of the CAP in the period to 2013,...

Written Answers — Sectoral Development: Sectoral Development (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: As outlined to the Deputy in a reply on 21st February, plans for the development of the agrifood sector are set out in the AgriVision 2015 Action Plan, the Programme for Government, the National Development Plan and the Rural Development Plan. The AgriVision Action Plan was the Government's response to the seminal Report of the AgriVision 2015 Committee on what needed to be done to secure...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Industry: Aquaculture Industry (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department has under consideration an application for an aquaculture licence in respect of 3 sites in the Kenmare River area from the CoOp in question. A number of letters of objection to this application have been received in my Department recently. My Department has accordingly written to the CoOp requesting its comments on the issues raised by the objectors. When a response is...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: Under the EU regulations governing the operation of REPS 4, payments will relate to the period in each calendar year during which a participant is in the scheme. In this instance, as the plan commenced on 1 December 2007, the person named is due a payment in respect of the month of December 2007.

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes: the commitment of the Government to the implementation of report of the Seafood Industry Strategy Review Group, Steering a New Course, for the delivery of a restructured, sustainable and profitable Irish seafood industry; the commitment of the Government to seafood development through an...

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: This round of decommissioning grants is a substantial commitment to the seafood industry and will help to put the sector on a more sound financial footing, delivering a sustainable future for Ireland's fishermen into the future. It will help to bring about a viable future for the fishing sectors that will support the economies of coastal communities dependent on fishing. To meet the...

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The levels of sanctions in that Act are lower in many cases than those provided for under the amended 1959 Act.

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The sanctions in place apply equally to Irish, Spanish, French or other operators found to have infringed the rules.

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: The actual sanction applied in each case is a matter for the judge, taking account of the maximum fine limits set in the legislation. The regime in place is required to protect fish stocks and the long-term future of coastal communities. In order to inform these discussions, I asked the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority for data on the current level of inspections being undertaken by both...

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am pressed for time. The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority has also confirmed that not all those responsible for infringements detected are subject to prosecution in the Circuit Court. The Act provides for perpetrators of lesser infringements to be prosecuted in the District Court and many cases are pursued in this way, which is entirely appropriate for such offences. A warning notice is...