Results 2,921-2,940 of 18,450 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Young Farmers' Installation Scheme and the Early Retirement Scheme were suspended for new applications on 14 October 2008 due to budgetary constraints. I have no proposals to re-open the schemes.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Nitrates Regulations (SI No. 378 of 2006) are a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in the first instance. The objective of the Regulations is to protect water quality and the various provisions are designed to control the management of fertilisers, including the timing, method of application and maximum amounts that may be applied, in order to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: In December 2008 I announced details of a grant-aid package of €16.7 million under my Department's capital investment scheme for the marketing and processing of agricultural products. The grant-aid will benefit 66 enterprises and is expected to contribute to an actual investment on projects in the region of €70 million across the horticulture, livestock marts and small meat sectors. These...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 98 and 122 together. One of my primary objectives in the Health check negotiations was to get access to unspent funds within the EU's agriculture budget for use by Member States with a wide range of discretion. This was achieved in the final deal and, as a result, Ireland will receive additional funds amounting to approximately €7m in 2009 (from the...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Out of 12,773 farmers who have applied for REPS 4 (including those whose applications have been received since the 2008 closing date of 15 May), 935 farmers have applied for the mixed grazing supplementary measure.

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The current position in regard to the WTO negotiations is that talks are stalled following the failure to reach agreement at the Ministerial meeting last July and the decision to defer indefinitely a second Ministerial meeting planned for last December. The World Economic Forum at Davos last month provided no new momentum for the negotiations and the next key event will be the G20 meeting in...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Bord Bia has a comprehensive set of marketing and promotional programmes in place. These programmes are target driven and have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders in the Irish food industry. The UK will continue to be Ireland's single largest export market and a major priority for exporters. While Bord Bia will continue its marketing activities in the UK, however other...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Farm waste Management Scheme was introduced by my Department in March 2006 in order to assist farmers meet the additional requirements of the Nitrates Directive and closed for the receipt of payment claims on 31 December 2008. Almost 17,400 payment claims remain to be processed in 2009 and my Department is continuing to carry out inspections on completed work carried out under the...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The deadline for completion of work and the submission of claims for grant payment under the Farm Waste Management Scheme expired on 31 December 2008 although applicants were permitted to submit certain supporting documentation up to 9 January 2009. Almost 17,400 payment claims remain to be processed to payment stage under the Scheme in 2009. The Book of Estimates provides €125 million...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Brucellosis is now at a historically low level in Ireland. The last confirmed case was disclosed in April 2006. If no case of Brucellosis is disclosed between now and March 2009, my Department will apply to the EU Commission for Official Brucellosis Free status in April 2009. At that stage, I would envisage a relaxation of some of the programme's control measures which will reduce the burden...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Checking of REPS 4 applications to the standard required in EU Regulations requires extensive administrative checks including cross-checking REPS applications against the Department's land and animal databases. The detailed examination of plans has revealed a number of issues requiring further assessment. These include: the presentation of biodiversity options and the other mandatory area...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 149 together. Additional support to the sheep sector is being considered in light of the outcome of the recent CAP Health Check. One of my primary objectives in the Health check negotiations was to get access to unspent funds within the EU's agriculture budget for use by Member States with a wide range of discretion. This was achieved in the final...

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The EU has agreed two measures with potential total support of €35.7 million. The first measure allows temporary storage of 30,000 tonnes of product for up to 6 months at a potential cost of €15 million. The second measure allows support of €20.7 million to the costs of the disposal scheme adopted following the dioxin incident.

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. The CAP Health Check agreement last November represented a very positive outcome for the Irish dairy sector, and the milk quota elements of the final package will be particularly beneficial to milk producers in this country. It was agreed that quotas will be increased by 1% per year for the next five years, commencing on 1 April 2009....

Written Answers — Milk Prices: Milk Prices (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Common Agricultural Policy contains various market support measures for the dairy sector. The initial CAP Health Check proposals had planned to abolish or weaken most of these. During the negotiations I argued very strongly in favour of keeping critical market instruments in place and using them effectively. These support measures can now be used to respond to price volatility in the...

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The product recall scheme provides assistance in respect of eligible product manufactured from pigs slaughtered in Ireland between 1 September and 6 December 2008. A case has been made for other products manufactured in Ireland and that were affected by the product recall to be considered for assistance. These would include products containing both Irish and imported pigmeat and products made...

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The main organic food promotion event this year will be National Organic Week, which will be held for the fifth year in a row this September. The National Organic Awards will take place in conjunction with National Organic Week. Bord Bia, in collaboration with Bord Iascaigh Mhara, have invited a number of organic companies to exhibit at Biofach, the World Organic Trade Fair in Nuremberg later...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I have no role in relation to contractual relationships between retail buyers and their suppliers. The Competition Authority, established under the 2002 Act has a role in relation to ensuring that markets operate freely and this includes the retail sector.

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 131 together. The package of measures agreed at the December 2008 EU Fisheries Council were in my opinion the best possible deal available to Ireland in what were very challenging circumstances. The main elements of the package include an increase of 5% in the value of quotas available to Ireland from €194m to €200m and the successful defence of...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware since my appointment as Minister I consistently requested the EU Commission to raise the age for BSE Testing in the light of the on-going reduction in case numbers and the ages of confirmed cases. Consequently, I warmly welcomed the decision to raise the testing age of both animals slaughtered for human consumption as well as emergency slaughtered and fallen...