Results 2,961-2,980 of 18,450 for speaker:Brendan Smith

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

Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme was introduced by my Department in July 2007 with funding of €79 million as agreed under the 2006 Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, and was suspended on 31 October 2007 as applications received had reached this level of funding. The applications received under the Scheme are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding available.

Written Answers — Agricultural Exports: Agricultural Exports (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Bord Bia, under the aegis of my Department, is the State agency responsible for market development of food, drink and horticulture. In addition to specific allocations for quality assurance measures and healthy eating initiatives, Bord Bia has a marketing and promotional budget for 2009 of €20m. This has enabled Bord Bia to implement a comprehensive set of promotional programmes and...

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

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 144 together. My Department has been actively progressing an initiative to improve the health of the national herd and flock for many years and this was given added impetus by the inclusion in the Programme for Government of a commitment to introduce a herd health initiative to deal with non-regulated diseases. To advance these objectives, I recently...

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

Brendan Smith: The number of confirmed BSE cases here was 23 in 2008 which represents a continuation of the trend of falling numbers of cases since 2002 when there were 333 cases.

Written Answers — Farm Safety: Farm Safety (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I am very concerned with the level of farm safety on our farms. Last year 21 people died on Irish farms and this year to-date 3 people have died on Irish farms. I strongly support the work of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA), which is the national body in Ireland with responsibility for securing health and safety at work. In 2002 the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee was...

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

Brendan Smith: A total of €57,705,655.80 was paid to REP scheme participants in December 2008.

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: I am fully aware of the importance of the live export trade to Irish farmers and exporters. My Department has provided the necessary services to facilitate the live export trade on Saturdays at the export assembly locations. Nevertheless and in line with all services being provided by Government Departments, it is essential that the required service is provided in the most cost effective...

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

Brendan Smith: Since 1995, my Department has made ex-gratia payments to animal welfare organisations to assist in their work in the direct delivery of animal care and welfare services. Initially, these payments were made from residual funds in my Department's Vote at the end of each year. However, specific provisions for this purpose have been included in my Department's Estimates in recent years. Ex...

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. Last week, the Government took a number of decisions on the overall Expenditure Control and Economic Strategy that included the funding for the...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The considerable potential of the Irish aquaculture sector to create wealth and jobs in coastal communities has been recognised by the Government for some time. The Seafood Strategy, Steering a New Course — Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007-2013, identifies a much bigger role for aquaculture in meeting the increasing demand for seafood and...

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

Brendan Smith: Invoices/receipts submitted by farmers for the purposes of grant payments under the Farm Waste Management Scheme are available on request from the Department's local AES offices.

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

Brendan Smith: Chicken fillets produced within the EU are subject to the same health and safety requirements regardless as to their origin. For poultry products imported from outside the EU these must come from plants approved under the European Union veterinary inspection regime and having equivalent standards as that within the EU. There is a set of inspection procedures in place to ensure compliance...

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the European Economic Recovery Plan the EU Commission has proposed that an amount of €1.5 billion should be made available to all Member States in their Rural Development Programmes via the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). One third of this amount (€0.5 billion) is proposed to be spent on new challenges related operations, being climate change adaptation...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (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...

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the Health Check agreement modulation funds of approximately €120m will be allocated to Ireland's Rural Development Programme over a four year period beginning in 2010. This funding may only be spent on measures addressing the new and ongoing challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energies, water management, biodiversity, innovation measures relating to...

Written Answers — Agricultural Imports: Agricultural Imports (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Central Statistics Office is responsible for the collection of statistics in relation to imports and trade in products of animal origin. The last full calendar year for which information is available from the CSO is 2007. The following tables therefore cover 2007 and for dairy products the period up to August 2008 and in the case of beef, the period up to up to October 2008. The...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: With regard to the farming of Atlantic salmon, the facts are that Ireland turned out just less than 10,000 metric tonnes in 2007, the Scottish industry produced some 170,000 metric tonnes (about 17 times more than Ireland) and the Norwegians produced approximately 770,000 metric tonnes. It should be noted that the Irish aquaculture industry also has a substantial shell fish farming component,...

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

Brendan Smith: Insofar as commitments have been entered into by my Department, the liabilities arising will be met subject, of course, to such verification as may be required to ensure that the claimants have complied with the terms and conditions of the schemes. The timing of payment is subject to the provision of adequate funding on the Vote for my Department. Last week, the Government took a number of...

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

Brendan Smith: The Estimate for my Department is prepared to provide for liabilities that are expected to arise in the year in question. A substantial element of the funding in the Vote for my Department each year is provided for demand led schemes that are subject to variables such as farmer up-take and the rate at which approved projects are completed which in turn is influenced by market and economic...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (11 Feb 2009)

Brendan Smith: My Department has responsibility for foreshore functions under the Foreshore Acts 1933 to 2005. When considering applications under the Foreshore Acts, including offshore energy projects, the role of my Department is to ensure the protection of the environment and the sustainability of developments on the foreshore. Foreshore consents for offshore wind developments already granted from 2002...