Results 18,461-18,480 of 18,645 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Animal Diseases. (18 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: He obviously was not listening.

Animal Diseases. (18 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: I said, as I did when Deputy Upton asked a similar question, that the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, had consistently raised this issue at meetings of the EU Council of Ministers. It will arise again in the context of the WTO negotiations and deliberations at the EU Council of Ministers next Monday. There will be a further European audit and a further FVO inspection...

Genetically Modified Organisms. (18 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: I am well aware of the degree of opposition by some members of the public to the cultivation and use of GM crops here and of concerns about those crops from both a health and an environmental perspective. It has been for these very reasons that the European Union has adopted a series of legislative measures in recent years that ensure the most stringent conditions are in place in the...

Genetically Modified Organisms. (18 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: If we get a chance. I want to emphasise that we will continue to adopt our precautionary approach in this area. Decisions have not yet been made on co-existence. GM co-existence is the one area where subsidiarity is permitted within the GMO regulatory framework. Co-existence refers to the ability of farmers to make a practical choice between conventional, organic and GM crop production. EU...

Farm Household Incomes. (17 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Crawford for raising this issue and welcome the opportunity to outline the facts. By any measure, 2005 was an exceptional year for the farming sector with the introduction of the single payment scheme. Aggregate farm income reached a record level of €2,765 million. This was a 24% increase on 2004, reflecting a once-off overlap in direct payments, as farmers received over €1...

Seanad: Departmental Information Services. (11 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator McHugh for raising this issue and his complimentary remarks on the officials in the Department and Teagasc. Dissemination of information to farmers is accorded a very high priority by the Department. The full range of communication channels are employed to ensure widespread availability of information on the schemes and activities of the Department of Agriculture and Food....

Seanad: Departmental Information Services. (11 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Senator and the House can be assured there will be adequate human resources to deal with the ongoing work of the Department in administering our various schemes. The fact that we paid out over €1 billion on the first day of a new scheme illustrates the efficiency of the Department in that regard. Our neighbouring jurisdiction has not yet issued its payments but over 85% of farmers, some...

Seanad: Departmental Information Services. (11 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Senator has nothing to worry about on that score.

Energy Sector: Motion. (9 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy knows that what he is saying is nonsense. Deputy Noel Dempsey is an excellent Minister.

Energy Sector: Motion. (9 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: It is an absolute fabrication.

Energy Sector: Motion. (9 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: Fianna Fáil Governments have often had to pick up the tab for mistakes made by Fine Gael-led Governments in the past.

Cross-Border Projects. (9 May 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Food Safety Authority comes under the Department of Health and Children.

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion (Resumed). (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Minister has other commitments.

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion (Resumed). (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: I noticed on the chart of attendance that was published last week that he is a good attender in Dáil Éireann.

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion (Resumed). (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy is looking for a different way of measuring it.

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion (Resumed). (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Minister is doing a good job.

Live Exports. (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: The function of the Department of Agriculture and Food with regard to the transport of livestock by sea is to approve vessels based on statutory requirements regarding the protection of animal welfare. The actual provision of such services is a commercial matter. Approval for the carriage of livestock on roll-on roll-off vessels is considered on a case-by-case basis, having regard to the...

Live Exports. (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: I accept Deputy Crawford's point that the export market is very important. We have a very successful and important export market. The exports to date this year represent an increase of 35% on the comparable period last year. I reiterate that the Department acts in a speedy and efficient manner when applications are made for the licensing of vessels. Certain criteria must be met with regard to...

Live Exports. (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: The main destinations of Spain, Italy and the Netherlands are very important markets, as everybody in the House will be aware. The Department understands that some commercial interests are considering the commissioning of an already approved dedicated vessel to provide additional capacity for live exports, particularly to the Spanish market. Were such an application to come before the...

Live Exports. (29 Mar 2006)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Crawford knows, the matter is not straightforward and it is a difficult issue. It is under consideration by Bord Bia.