Results 2,181-2,200 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Common Agricultural Policy. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am satisfied that I have secured a very good deal for Irish farmers in the recent health check negotiations. The deal is worth €70 million in additional payments to farmers over the coming years. In addition, the increase in milk quota will deliver €100 million worth of additional milk production in 2014. This is enormously positive for the sector and, although there are elements in...

Common Agricultural Policy. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I assure Deputy Sherlock that we are considerably in excess of the EU requirement. My understanding is that we will continue to be so, even with the new programme. If the need arises we will discuss that matter with Europe. During recent years our Exchequer has been fortunate in that we have able to put much more funding from national resources into schemes that are partially funded by the...

Common Agricultural Policy. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I assure the Deputy that large member states such as France and Germany were totally opposed to any increase in milk quota. We got the butterfat adjustment which is the equivalent of a 2% increase which is very important also. All of us who speak to dairy farmers will talk of their frustration when the calculation is made with regard to butterfat. It lifts up delivery levels as such. I was...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Ireland has a very important position as custodian of some of the largest and richest fishing waters within the EU, but also in our location on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Ireland continues to maintain high standards in the enforcement of regulations within the exclusive fisheries zone, using the resources of the Naval Service, the Air Corps and the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority....

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: This is not the first time I have heard Deputy Sheehan raise this issue at either the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or this Chamber. I indicated in my reply: Previous advice from the Attorney General in this regard indicated that under the Irish legal system the types of penalties which Ireland is obliged to apply under the Common Fisheries Policy would be viewed as...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: No.

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: First, I wish to correct Deputy Ferris by stating there is no lack of political will or sincerity on this side of the House in respect of this or any fisheries issue. Neither he nor I is in a position to give a detailed response to Dr. Hogan's legal opinion. Professor Hogan is a eminent constitutional lawyer. As I stated to Deputy Sheehan, no doubt the committee will forward that...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: According to the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, Deputy Jim O'Keeffe put forward some constructive proposals on this matter and I thank him for them.

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Yes. I repeat the advice available to me, that the possibility of introducing a Minister's sanction was comprehensively considered, including examination of practice in other member states, at the time of the passage of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 through the Oireachtas. The position taken by the Minister at the time was based on the legal advice from the then...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: In the many meetings that the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, and I have had with individual Members of the Oireachtas and with the Federation of Irish Fishermen, these issues have been raised. Indeed, we have raised them subsequent to our meetings with the fisheries' representative organisation. Naturally, when the advice of Professor Hogan is received by us from the Oireachtas...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am not going to state that I can bring in legislation immediately. The Government is advised by the Attorney General and that advice will be forthcoming.

Farm Waste Management. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The deadline of 31 December 2008 for completion of work by farmers under the revised farm waste management scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a condition of the EU state aid approval for the scheme. The European Commission has since reaffirmed that it expects Ireland to respect this deadline strictly. This has been made known to all farmers who have been approved to...

Farm Waste Management. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: There is no merit in comparing the scheme in the three Ulster counties in this jurisdiction with the remaining 23 counties. The scheme rolled out by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the North for its farming community is a scheme where grant aid is only applicable in respect of slurry storage capacity. There was no element to include grant aid for housing, so it is not...

Farm Waste Management. (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: One of the reasons for getting the extension to the end of December 2008 was the existence of adverse weather conditions. Unfortunately, those conditions have not improved in the meantime.

Agriculture: Motion (Resumed) (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: That is not correct. I was asked to do a one-to-one interview.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The possibility of support to the sheep sector will be considered in the light of the outcome of the recent CAP Health Check. That outcome provides that an additional amount of some €24 million annually will be available to Irish farmers from 2010 onwards. That amount may be used to target specific sectors in need of assistance and represents money that would otherwise not be available to...

Written Answers — Pig Sector: Pig Sector (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The relevant EU market support measures — private storage and export refunds — assisted the sector over the last year. Ireland raised the possible re-introduction of export refunds for fresh and frozen pigmeat in the context of a recent EU management committee for animal products. The EU Commission declined, however, to take action at this stage. It holds the view that the outlook for pig...

Written Answers — Food Shortages: Food Shortages (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am very much aware that the future health of Ireland's agriculture sector is inextricably linked with the ability of Irish farmers to respond, in a sustainable way, to both the challenges and the opportunities arising from changes to our climate. There is no evidence to suggest that climate change poses any major threat to our staple fruit and vegetable crops. Indeed, the impact on...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The EU/Norway bilateral negotiations follow on from the Coastal States Negotiations which set the over all Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for certain stocks in the Northeast Atlantic in which Ireland has an interest. The key stocks for Ireland in the Coastal States discussions are Mackerel, Blue Whiting and Atlanto-Scandian Herring. The EU has a long-standing bilateral fisheries agreement with...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (3 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Under the general labelling Directive (2000/13/EC), the place of origin of the foodstuff must be given only if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree. The European Commission is currently undertaking a major review of all food labelling legislation. In this context...