Results 2,841-2,860 of 18,450 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: In respect of applications made under the Farm Waste Management Scheme, arrangements are being made in my Department's local offices for the return to farmers of original invoices as soon as possible to facilitate any such farmers who require those invoices to claim VAT refunds from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. The first payments for 2008 REPS 4 applications issued in the last week of January to those whose applications required no correction following the administrative checks....

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of my Department is set out in the table below. Consultant 1 Jan to 14 Oct 2008 15 Oct 2008 to 5 Feb 2009 € € Fitzpatrick Associates Independent Ex-post evaluation of the Rural Development Plan 2000-2006 Commenced: 3 Oct Deloitte & Touche Independent certification of the EAGF/EAFRD annual accounts as required under EU Regulations...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: There are two bonus schemes operating in my Department. The first is a scheme of performance-related awards that applies to Deputy and Assistant Secretaries and equivalent grades. It does not apply to the Secretary General. Details of awards to individual officers under the performance related scheme are not disclosed on the basis that they are confidential to the officer concerned. In...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant for grant-aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. A decision will be made in respect of the application as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 30 April 2008. This application was selected for a satellite eligibility inspection, which required a follow-up field visit being carried out by a Department inspector. During this visit, discrepancies were found in relation to parcels A11812095, A11812096, A11812097 and...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Installation Aid Scheme. His application has been approved and payment will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant for grant aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. A decision will be made in respect of the application as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. The first payments for 2008 REPS 4 applications issued in the last week of January to those whose applications required no correction following the administrative checks....

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to different EU regulations from the preceding versions of REPS. Under REPS 4, all payments are to be made in just two instalments. The first payment of 75% can be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the single payment scheme are completed. These include...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I am also concerned with the delay in getting out a REPS payment for which the funding has been provided and is in place. Almost 11,000 applications were submitted until 15 May 2008, which were related to 2007. Of the 12,292 REPS 4 applications in 2008, only 11% passed all the administrative checks. We went to Europe towards the end of the year and we sought permission from the European...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: This influences the technology. These are minor errors, but there also errors in which plans are omitted and where there are inadequate biodiversity provisions. The Department officials have gone back to many individual farmers and their planners and have been in a position to rectify the errors made by the people who submitted the plans in the first place. We want to eliminate the...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I said that there was a range of errors from omission of plans to wrongly designated areas. Surely the official examining that particular application in the Department is not responsible for sending in the wrong information——

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: During the course of 2008, REPS 4 was not the only REPS programme analysed and funded by the Department. The Department paid out €330 million in 2008 under the REPS 3 programme. Those applications were processed and paid out. The European Commission has made it known to us in no uncertain terms that it wants all applications checked and all errors rectified before payments can be issued....

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Very substantial funds have been issued and are being issued.

EU Directives. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: In adopting the sixth environmental action plan in 2002, the European Parliament and the Council agreed an approach involving implementation and revision of the relevant legal framework for pesticides, through the development of a thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. The thematic strategy is designed to revise and enhance the existing legislative framework and to target...

EU Directives. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Sherlock's questions relate to the regulation rather than the directive. Ireland, like other European countries, will have to draw up an action plan. With regard to the regulation, we oppose the proposal to introduce hazard-based cut-off criteria for the approval of substances. The Deputy asked about training. People will be trained to apply and use pesticides properly, in line...

EU Directives. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: If these proposals are approved by the Council, an action plan will be put in place by the middle of 2011. We received support at official and political level from our counterparts in Britain and Hungary for our position, which we argued consistently. If I recall correctly, no other country supported the position. We expressed particular concerns about the proposal to base decisions on...

Pigmeat Sector. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the agreement that was concluded with pig processors in December 2008, €180 million is being made available from the public finances to help processors to fund the recall and destruction of certain pork products that were in the market or in storage at the time of the recall. The details of the agreement, which allowed processing plants to resume operations within a week, are...

Pigmeat Sector. (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I reject the Deputy's final comments. I fully appreciate the serious difficulties arising from the contamination incident caused to individual pig producers, the processing industry and everybody involved in the pork trade. From day one the Department and Government worked extremely hard to bring a conclusion to that incident as rapidly as possible. This House agreed a Supplementary...