Results 2,921-2,940 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Under the EU sugar regime, each member state has a quota for manufactured sugar. There is no quota for sugar beet. The EU regulations stipulate that the quota must be made available to the sugar manufacturing enterprises in the member state. Accordingly, in Ireland the entire sugar quota is processed by Irish Sugar Ltd., which is the only sugar manufacturer in this country. Irish Sugar Ltd....

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am very satisfied with the outcome of the discussions with the European Commission. My main objective in proposing an updated costing basis for the REPS measure A payment was to ensure that farmers who had to destock could maximise their single payment entitlements while retaining the full payment of €242 per hectare of commonage in REPS. The success of the discussions will deliver a...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The incidence of brucellosis has been falling progressively since 1998. For example, the number of laboratory positives has fallen from 6,417 in 1998 to 664 in 2004. The total number of animals slaughtered under the eradication programme fell from 29,778 to 6,195 during the same period. There has been a further improvement in the situation in 2005 compared with 2003 and 2004. In the period to...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 94 together. Responsibility for energy policy, including the promotion of the biofuels sector, rests primarily with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. It will be a matter for beet growers and Irish Sugar Ltd. to make decisions about sugar beet growing in Ireland in light of the reformed sugar regime, on which...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Work on drafting the animal health Bill is proceeding in my Department. There is still a significant body of preparatory work to be completed and it is not possible at this stage to indicate a date for publication.

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In August 2003 an interdepartmental group, which comprised of representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Teagasc and the EPA, was established to examine issues relating to coexistence and draw up recommendations for coexistence arrangements in Ireland. I have recently received and examined the group's reports...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 73 together. The regulation of food safety will be simplified under the new food hygiene legislation which comes into effect from 1 January 2006. This legislation consolidates and updates 17 EU regulations and directives which will be repealed next January. Food safety is non-negotiable and our experience is that consumer confidence is essential for the...

Written Answers — International Trade: International Trade (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Food has been identified by the Government as one of the most promising in regard to developing co-operation with the People's Republic of China. The market potential there is huge and it has to be said that we are at the very early stages of establishing a foothold in that country. I participated in a major trade delegation to China, which was led by an Taoiseach in January of this year, in...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I have recently received the report and recommendations from the interdepartmental working group established to draw up recommendations on national strategies and best practice for the coexistence of GM crops alongside non-GM crops. This report is now being placed on my Department's website and I am inviting observations on the recommendations in the report from all interested parties. These...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that, over the past year, meetings of the single payment advisory committee, comprising representatives of my Department, the farming organisations and Teagasc, were held on a number of occasions to discuss the rules governing the allocation of entitlements from the national reserve. At more recent meetings, the committee assessed progress on processing the national reserve...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 52, 54, 81, 83, 102 and 106 together. The recent political agreement by the Council of Agriculture Ministers in relation to reform of the EU sugar regime was the culmination of a protracted and difficult negotiating process. The outcome, in my view, represents the best possible deal that could have been achieved for Irish stakeholders in the circumstances...

Written Answers — Potato Sector: Potato Sector (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In August this year I announced a grant aid programme for the development of the seed potato sector. The programme which comes under the national development plan funds capital investment projects for specialised seed production in 2005-06. A grant package of 35% applies under the scheme. To date, 18 applications have been received under the scheme and 12 approvals have been issued amounting...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 50, 56, 67, 68, 76 and 96 together. The implementation of the nitrates directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Ireland's national action programme was formally submitted to the European Commission in July and regulations giving legal effect to it are being finalised following a...

Written Answers — Avian Influenza: Avian Influenza (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has introduced a series of measures aimed at preventing the introduction of avian influenza to Ireland and, along with our colleagues in the European Union, are implementing safeguard measures in respect of those countries where the presence of the H5N1 virus has been confirmed. Specifically, a ban has been placed on the importation of all captive birds from outside the European...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The agreement on the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 provided a financial envelope to each member state. This envelope represented the average value of livestock and arable aid premia paid in the member state during the three-year reference period 2000-2002 calculated at 2002 rates of payment together with the 2005 decoupled dairy premium. The outcome, which will reshape the Common...

Written Answers — Animal Health Strategy: Animal Health Strategy (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 75 together. There is already a long history of co-operation between the administrations North and South on animal health issues. The administrations have traditionally shared information at local and national levels on disease control and surveillance issues and have worked together to combat illegal movements of animals and animal products. The foot...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: REPS 3 has been a major success and participation has broken previous records. Spending on REPS has increased from €208 million in 2004 to more than €270 million by the end of this year, and provision has been made in the 2006 Estimates for a further increase to €323 million next year. The increased allocation for 2006 reflects the fact that I expect that there will be further...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I believe that the food industry must be developed at all levels in the new more market oriented CAP framework. In this context, a new initiative involving the holding of regional food fora to promote local and regional food economies was launched recently. The first regional food forum organised by my Department and Bord Bia with all other State agencies responsible for food industry...

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department directs a substantial amount of funding into the organic sector in proportion to its size. Organic farmers, while entitled to the investments and supports available to conventional farmers, can also avail of additional supports under the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, and the scheme of grant aid for the development of the organic sector. Organic farmers in REPS can...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (8 Dec 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The Food Agency Co-operation Council has met on 20 occasions since its inception in 2000. During 2004 a number of factors contributed to difficulties in scheduling meetings and priority was given instead in 2004 and 2005 to meetings of the food development agencies directly concerned with the food programme components of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Two such meetings took place in...