Results 3,461-3,480 of 18,450 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Dairy Sector: Dairy Sector (24 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: We are facing an unprecedented situation in the dairy sector at present and the outlook for dairy markets in the short term is poor. Following historically high prices in 2007 and early 2008 a market correction is now taking place and there is a further complication of the credit crunch. These two factors have put an enormous burden on the sector and resulted in a slump in demand. In...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 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 — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named established Single Payment Entitlements to the value of €2214.32 based on premia payments made during the reference period 2000-2002 but did not activate these entitlements in 2005 as he did not submit a Single Payment application form in that year. EU Regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme provide that un-activated entitlements are reverted to the National...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment issued to the person named on 9 March 2009.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: A Department officer has been appointed in an acting capacity to this post.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Following a very comprehensive review of the Forestry Act 1946 and an extensive consultation process on current and proposed forestry legislation, the Government has recently approved the General Scheme of the Forestry Bill. This has been forwarded to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Government for drafting to commence. It is not possible at this stage to indicate a date for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: As all payment claims received under the Farm Waste Management Scheme by my Department have not yet been processed to final payment stage, it is not possible at present to provide an estimate of the amounts involved in the phasing of payments to farmers under this Scheme.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The legal instruments referred to by the Deputy do not extend to the payment of grants to farmers under the Farm Waste Management Scheme.

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Almost €125 million was allocated to the forestry subhead in Budget 2009 which will allow for the operation of a number of forestry schemes in 2009. This substantial investment demonstrates the commitment of the Government to forestry in Ireland and recognises the importance of the forest industry in terms of its economic, environmental and social benefits. As regards Coillte Teoranta, it...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the fisheries policy of the European Union which was first put in place in 1983 and has been subject to reviews every 10 years, the most recent was in 2002 and the next is formally scheduled for 2012. Work has already commenced in preparation for the review with the publication of a Commission Working Paper in September 2008 and the launch of a phase of...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Since 1959 Ireland has applied its criminal law in relation to fisheries matters and, since our membership of the European Community, Ireland has applied the criminal law in the enforcement of fisheries policy. Successive Governments have applied the criminal law. We do this to protect fish stocks and to seek to avoid financial penalties being imposed on the State and the Irish tax payer....

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 clearly provides that the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is independent in the exercise of its functions and as such I have no remit as to its work programme or its strategic deployment of resources. Equally, I have no remit with regard to the operational activities of the Naval Service. Consequently, I have no official...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: The 12,675 applications received by my Department under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension for new applications on 31 October 2007 are being processed up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in line with the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Commissioner Fischer Boel presented the report to Ministers. She gave an overview of the actions taken to date to achieve simplification of the CAP. She outlined the work that had been carried out on technical simplification, e.g. consolidation of texts and deletion of obsolete legislation and on simplification of agricultural policies such as recent CAP Health Check reforms involving...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: At this week's meeting of the Council of Ministers there was a debate about the unprecedented situation in the dairy sector at present and the short term outlook for dairy markets. I informed my colleagues that in Ireland we are entering a period of abundant supplies and the levels at which refunds and intervention function will be critical to the speed at which the sector emerges from the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment of compensation under the TB and Brucellosis On Farm Market Valuation Scheme in respect of an animal removed under the scheme been processed by the District Veterinary Office and will issue to the person concerned this week.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: Grant-aid under the Installation Aid Scheme was paid by my Department to the person concerned on 12 March 2009.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 Mar 2009)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme / Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 1st May 2008. This application was selected for a satellite eligibility inspection, which required a follow-up field visit. During this visit, discrepancies were found in relation to parcels D28306026, D28306048, D28306049 and D28306047. As a result of these discrepancies the...