Results 18,521-18,540 of 18,645 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Seanad: Food Promotion. (16 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I am responding to Senator Mooney on the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter because it has given me an opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Health and Children on it. Senator Mooney outlined succinctly and clearly the issues which arise...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes. (16 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Mansergh for raising this important matter and articulating so well his concerns about an issue that is of importance to many individuals and communities. The primary purpose of community employment as an active labour market programme is to reintegrate long-term unemployed persons into open labour market jobs. Community employment provides unemployed people with temporary...

Seanad: Community Employment Schemes. (16 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: My understanding is that this will not apply to all schemes, but I will check on the demarcation.

Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (16 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Bradford for raising this important issue and for his considered contribution to the debate. This is the third time I have addressed the House on this issue in 2005. On the first occasion Senator Mansergh made an important contribution. This is a matter which has understandably exercised the minds of Oireachtas Members of all parties during the year. The recent agreement by...

Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (16 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I assure Senator Bradford that I will bring his proposal to the Minister for Agriculture and Food early next week.

Seanad: Regional Veterinary Centres. (13 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Finucane for raising this important matter in the House this evening. In his 2003 budget speech, the then Minister for Finance announced the decentralisation of 10,300 public service staff to 53 centres in 25 counties, including eight Department headquarters. The Government's decision on the locations and numbers involved in the decentralisation of the Department of...

World Trade Organisation Negotiations: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: I wish to share time with Deputy Callanan.

World Trade Organisation Negotiations: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Brendan Smith: As we have heard today, the negotiations on the next WTO agreement have entered an intensive phase in the run-up to the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong which begins on 13 December. Although it appears there may be a need to hold a further ministerial conference in the first half of 2006 to finalise all the details of a new agreement, there is no doubt that the negotiations which begin...

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: There are EU harmonised rules in place that govern the importation of animal products to minimise any risks that might be associated with trade with third countries. It is a general requirement that animal products imported in the European Union from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in and trade between EU member states. All meat imports must...

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: Most of the issues raised by Deputy Sargent have already been dealt with. One of the words used by the Deputy in his question was "deluge" when referring to beef imports. In 2004 Ireland exported approximately 411,000 tonnes of beef and imported 22,000. The traffic was in the right direction from our point of view. Both the Minister and I have indicated to this House and other fora that we...

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: The voluntary code is operational in advance of compulsory requirement. There are three regions of Brazil from which exports of beef are banned by the European Union. That was on the basis of the country being regionalised as we experienced ourselves some years ago when Ireland had an incidence of foot and mouth disease. The matter of Gaelic labelling was referred to the Food Safety Authority...

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: I refute that contention.

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: I refute the Deputy's contention. We are determined to ensure that country of origin labelling is advanced as quickly as possible, and the appropriate legislation is currently before the Oireachtas. With regard to general standards, the food and veterinary office of the European Union carries out regular audits in third countries from which exports are allowed into the European Union.

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: The European Commission has a presence in South America and Asia. As I indicated earlier, the Minister wrote to the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection to ensure that equivalence is acted upon and guarantee adequate consumer protection, as well as protection for the industry. The industry in the European Union works to the highest standards. We will ensure that requirements are...

Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: I mentioned at the outset of my reply that I refuted entirely Deputy Sargent's contention about the Thailand product.

Organic Farming. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: The organic production sector in Ireland is still very small by European standards, although in recent years the market for organic food has shown strong growth. Bord Bia estimated the value of the market to be approximately €38 million at retail level in 2003, and it seems an annual growth rate of approximately 10% should be achievable in the short term. I am hopeful the production sector...

Organic Farming. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: Let me respond to Deputy Johnny Brady, who is a very active, progressive and excellent chairman of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food——

Organic Farming. (15 Nov 2005)

Brendan Smith: ——and also of the Fianna Fáil committee on agriculture. As he knows, supply and demand will determine the price of organic food, as is the case in respect of every other type of produce. Farmers' markets are a continuing and very important outlet for organic produce. On Deputy Naughten's point, a submission has been made to the Department in regard to the labelling requirement. What has...

Sugar Industry. (25 Oct 2005)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this issue and welcome the opportunity to comment on the proposals for reform of the EU sugar regime, which were again discussed at today's Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in Luxembourg. It is over a year since the Commission first outlined its thinking on the future shape of the sugar regime but formal legislative proposals only emerged at the end...

Code of Conduct. (25 Oct 2005)

Brendan Smith: It depends on the quality.