Results 261-280 of 2,304 for speaker:John Browne

EU Directives. (6 Dec 2005)

John Browne: I thank Deputy Naughten for raising this issue. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, would like to thank him and apologise for his absence. The nitrates directive was adopted on 12 December 1991. It has the objective of protecting waters against pollution from agricultural sources, with the primary emphasis on the management of livestock manure and...

Agriculture Industry. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: A report that was launched recently, Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight Perspectives, was compiled by a working group from NUI Maynooth, UCD and Teagasc. The report outlines the group's perspective on rural Ireland in 2025 and gives its view on "alterative outcomes for the Irish rural economy in the next 20 years". According to the report, it is unlikely that Ireland will have appreciably more...

Agriculture Industry. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: The 2015 programme will be progressed in 2006. We all want a prosperous rural economy. Ireland must also adopt the Rural Development Regulation 2007-2013. This will be followed by detailed support measures. The consultative process with stakeholders will commence in coming weeks and I hope we will have that with the Commission in March or April. The programmes setting out support measures...

Agriculture Industry. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: This is one of the areas of the report we would be willing to take on board. The Minister has managed to secure increased funding for research in 2006.

Alternative Energy Projects. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: Political agreement on reform of the EU sugar regime was reached at the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24 November 2005. It will be a matter for beet growers and Irish Sugar Limited to make decisions about sugar beet growing in light of the reformed sugar regime. The reform agreement, as the Minister has already outlined, includes a compensation package with a potential...

Alternative Energy Projects. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: As I come from the south east, I have had numerous meetings with farmers' organisations in recent weeks about possible alternatives for the beet industry, one of which relates to ethanol. Other areas in the beet industry need to be resolved first. Yesterday's announcement by the Minister for Finance of excise duty relief for biofuels of €20 million in 2006, €35 million in 2007 and €50...

Alternative Energy Projects. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: When the sugar company and the farmers' organisations sort out the difficulties, I hope that beet will be grown in 2006 and 2007. Later we can consider the production of ethanol and other alternatives. We are also considering the area of willows. Next year we will introduce a pilot scheme to produce a certain number of hectares. That would also be an important rotation crop. We are also...

Live Exports. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: I am always prepared to facilitate trade in live sheep, which is subject to EU rules governing intra-community trade. Trade in sheep between member states of the European Union is subject to the provisions of Council Directive 91/68/EEC as amended, as regards reinforced controls on the movement of sheep and goats. These controls provide as a minimum requirement that breeding and fattening...

Live Exports. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: In simple language, the Minister and I had a number of meetings with the IFA, sheep exporters and others, who pointed out the difficulties in respect of the residency and standstill requirements, which the veterinarian had to sign off on. Now the veterinarian will not have to sign off and the declaration of the farmer involved will be acceptable. The Commission has accepted that, it has gone...

Live Exports. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: No.

Grant Payments. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: To assist farmers to meet the additional requirements of the nitrates action programme, I have announced details of a proposed revised farm waste management scheme for which EU state aid approval has been sought. I hope that early approval of the scheme will be forthcoming so that the revised scheme can be introduced next January. Negotiations are taking place with the European Commission on...

Grant Payments. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: Yes, but they will have to withdraw their original application if they have not begun work. In answer to Deputy Crawford, the decision rests with the Commission. Following the discussions for the protocol on direct payment to farmers, the Department's standard costings will be revised at the beginning of each year so any increase in the cost of steel and other inputs will be taken into...

Grant Payments. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: Under the capital programme there will be adequate funding for 2006. If extra money is required we will make that available.

Job Losses. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: The introduction of the single payment system, SPS, brought about a reduced workload for Department of Agriculture and Food staff in Castlebar previously involved with headage and livestock premia payments. The work concerned with the single payment scheme is in the process of being centralised to Portlaoise. At present, there are approximately 135 staff in the Castlebar office and, while...

Asylum Applications. (8 Dec 2005)

John Browne: I thank Deputy Costello for raising this issue and I apologise for the absence of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell. It is important that I preface my remarks by pointing out that it has been the policy of successive Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform not to comment on individual asylum applications or categories of asylum claims from particular...

Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 (Prescribed Accountancy Bodies) Regulations 2006: Motion. (2 Feb 2006)

John Browne: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following regulations in draft: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 (Prescribed Accountancy Bodies) Regulations 2006, copies of which have been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 24 January 2006.

Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

John Browne: I wish to share time with Deputies Callanan, Finneran, Moloney, Michael Moynihan, Wilkinson and Hoctor. The past year has been busy and fruitful for forestry. At the start of the year, we faced the prospect of a new rural development regulation which would have seriously damaged Ireland's afforestation programme. Negotiations were long and difficult and Ireland was frequently isolated in its...

Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

John Browne: Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens still will not have enough to form a Government.

Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

John Browne: Nonsense.

Seanad: Energy Resources: Statements. (16 Feb 2006)

John Browne: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I welcome this opportunity to speak to Members of this House on the two important issues of security of energy supply and the development of renewable energy sources. Recent events in the Ukraine have brought these issues to the forefront of many people's minds. In common with other member states of the European Union, Ireland is consuming more and more energy...