Results 221-240 of 18,442 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (5 Jul 2006)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senators Browne, Bradford and John Paul Phelan for raising this important issue, which they have also raised on previous occasions. I am pleased to have this opportunity to give Members of the Seanad on update on the arrangements for implementing the European Union restructuring scheme for the sugar industry. The restructuring scheme forms part of the agreement on reform of the EU...

Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (5 Jul 2006)

Brendan Smith: To be absolutely accurate I will revert to the Senator tomorrow.

Farm Waste Management. (6 Jul 2006)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Finneran for raising this important issue and making such a positive contribution. I am pleased to have this opportunity to clarify the current position regarding the updating of the Department's standard costings for the purposes of grant payments under the new farm waste management scheme. Deputy Finneran has been in constant contact with the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, and...

Schools Building Projects. (6 Jul 2006)

Brendan Smith: I apologise for the absence of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who is unavoidably absent owing to other commitments. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter of the application for capital funding for Scoil Ruain, Killenaule, County Tipperary. I am happy to be able to outline to him where the project stands in the context of the huge amount of capital works being...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (10 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I join other Members in paying tribute to the memory of the late Tom Fitzpatrick. As stated by previous speakers, Tom Fitzpatrick served with great distinction as a member and chairman of Cavan Urban District Council and as a member and vice chairman of County Cavan VEC. As a member of the Seanad and the Dáil, he worked extremely hard and with great diligence on behalf of his constituents...

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: The cost of fuel and energy, driven by international oil prices, is an issue for all parts of the economy, including farmers and the food industry, and is the subject of regular analysis by, among others, the Competitiveness Council in its annual reports. Such studies underline the need to use inputs in an efficient manner and to maintain and, where possible, improve productivity. The...

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: In the Agri-Vision 2015 report published earlier this year by my Department, we emphasised the factors that have to be taken into consideration in the development of the food industry and they include the increasing cost of oil, the volatility of oil supply and the need to reduce emissions. Over the past 18 months, the Minister for Agriculture and Food and I have met different people...

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I did not say that.

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I said that in visiting all food companies over the past two years, even before energy became a key issue in recent months, we were conscious of the substantial burden on industry due to energy costs.

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy should not minimise the word "conscious".

Energy Policy. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: When introducing the farm waste management scheme, we made funding available for anaerobic digestion projects. We have asked farmers' organisations and businesses to come up with proposals. Substantial grant assistance is available to help people develop viable projects. The other matter can be considered in the context of the publication of the Green Paper and is a matter for the...

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 115 together. Regarding the labelling of beef, this is governed by comprehensive EU regulations which were introduced in 2000 and are underpinned by a full national animal identification and traceability system. These compulsory labelling regulations require all operators and organisations marketing beef within the Community to provide information on...

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: The area of food labelling was centralised in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and enormous progress has been made since 2000 on the general labelling of meats. The Oireachtas passed legislation earlier this year to enable the Minister for Health and Children to implement the regulations governing the labelling of beef in restaurants and other catering houses. There are 44,000 food...

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: The environmental health officers, who work for the HSE, are contracted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to carry out inspections in the food service sector. Their primary role is in the area of hygiene, safety, health and risk assessment. Implementing the new regulations is an additional duty for them. The Department of Agriculture and Food has a contract with the Food Safety...

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I do not think some of the media comment on labelling we have read and heard is accurate.

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: Some of the comments of the establishments and well known restaurants that had not labelled their beef as Irish have stated that they consistently used quality Irish beef since they were founded, in some cases 20 or 30 years ago. It is an additional bonus for any restaurant to display a statement that it sources its beef locally, for example. The consumers demand to know the source of the...

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: It has to be a benefit and bonus to any restaurant or catering establishment to demonstrate that the food is sourced locally.

Food Labelling. (17 Oct 2006)

Brendan Smith: I take Deputy Upton's point. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland indicated recently that it is distributing written guidance to all caterers on how to comply with regulations. That would take account of the issues which have arisen since the regulations were brought into effect on 3 July last. During the months since, people on all sides of this House spoke of the value of having...

Estimates for Public Services 2007: Motion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2006)

Brendan Smith: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the 2007 abridged Estimates. The provision of more than €54 billion for supply services reflects an ongoing commitment to strategic infrastructural development and the improvement of critical public services within the overall context of responsible government and good governance. Within this context, it is clear that support for the agrifood sector...

Grant Payments. (22 Nov 2006)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The introduction of the single payment scheme in 2005 brought the new concept of payment entitlements into the direct payments system. Payment entitlements are not attached to land but they are the property of the farmer who was farming during the reference period and was in receipt of direct payments under one or more of the livestock...