Results 3,821-3,840 of 18,450 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment will issue to the person named within the next fifteen days.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment will issue to the person named within the next fifteen days.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: In Ireland, three categories of disadvantage were established initially in 1975:- a) areas which exhibited the conditions as specified in Council Directive 75/272/EEC were designated as Less Severely Handicapped; b) areas at a) where it could be demonstrated that conditions were particularly severe were further classified as More Severely Handicapped; c) certain mountainous areas were...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: An application on behalf of the person named for a REPS 3 payment was received on 29 April 2009. Clarification is being sought on an apparent discrepancy in the area declared for REPS and the area declared for the Single Payment before the file can be processed further.

Written Answers — Installation Aid Scheme: Installation Aid Scheme (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Young Farmers' Installation Scheme was closed for new applications on 14 October 2008. I have no immediate plans to reopen entry to the Scheme at this time.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment issued to the person named on 5 May 2009.

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (19 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I am aware of the concern in Europe in relation to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) which is affecting the honey bee population across Europe. This concern has resulted in the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) initiating a research project to identify factors causing CCD. This will highlight gaps in scientific knowledge and guide future research in this area. At present the cause of CCD is...

Job Protection. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The agrifood sector is Ireland's most important indigenous sector, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout every county at producer and processor level. The sector was never more important to the Irish economy than it is now. We are justifiably proud of our reputation as "Ireland the Food Island" and, notwithstanding current economic difficulties, the Government is continuing to...

Job Protection. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I share Deputy Creed's concerns. Indeed, I heard him express on another fora his concerns in regard to the returns to primary producers and, in many instances, processors. I want to reiterate that while recent reductions in prices will undoubtedly be welcomed by consumers and will help to address the difference in price between here and Northern Ireland, the Government appreciates and is...

Job Protection. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I referred in my earlier remarks to the questions posed by Deputy Creed in regard to the primary producers and processors. I discussed yesterday with the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, and my officials the operation of the UK code, which I understand has been subject to ongoing criticism, in particular by suppliers in terms of its effectiveness. The Tánaiste told the House yesterday...

Milk Prices. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The EU Common Agricultural Policy provides a range of measures that can be used to assist the dairy market. In the health check negotiations last year there was pressure to remove or weaken these considerably. At the time I fought hard to keep the key market instruments in place and these are now being used to help support the market. Dairy farmers' incomes are made up of the market price...

Milk Prices. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Apart from the €7 million that I allocated to sheep farmers, which will be distributed in December, we do not have access to the unused funds until 2010. One of the areas identified as a potential recipient is the dairy sector. However, that is not applicable until 2010. The European Union has not yet outlined to us the specific schemes on which we will be able to draw down unused funds....

Milk Prices. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The provision of additional quota does not in any way contribute to current difficulties because Europe will be more than 4% to 5% under quota this year. Quotas will be abolished in 2015. We have argued for increased quotas so that there will not be a hard landing in 2015. For the primary producers and processors the dairy sector is very sophisticated and has the potential to grow. The...

Animal Carcase Disposal. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: My Department's contribution to the fallen animals scheme ceased with effect from Tuesday, 14 April 2009 as a result of budgetary constraints and in reflection of the greatly reduced incidence of BSE in this country. However, I provided continued financial support for the collection of certain dead animals, notably bovines over 48 months of age, for sampling as required under the ongoing...

Animal Carcase Disposal. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: There is an onus on farmers to notify the Department of the death of an animal. I do not have figures of on-farm deaths for 2007 but the equivalent figure for 2008 was 298,000, which varies significantly from the figure given by the Deputy.

Animal Carcase Disposal. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: We have entered discussions on the scheme with all farming bodies. I have met representatives from each of the three main organisations at least once and my officials have met them on a number of occasions. They agree that the costs had to be taken out of the system. The scheme was introduced to deal with the severe difficulties we were experiencing in respect of BSE and it was never...

Animal Carcase Disposal. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: We all know that competition generally has the effect of reducing prices. It has already had an effect even with a limited amount of product going North of the Border. We have also issued draft proposals to the renderers regarding the possibility of collecting carcasses directly. If they are in a position to collect, we will be able to allow individual farmers to bring products to...

Dairy Sector. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Other than the introductory paragraph, my response to this question is much the same as that given to Question No. 43. My Department carries out analysis of the dairy sector on an ongoing basis. The causes of the current predicament are widely known at this stage. The past year has been challenging for the EU dairy sector. During 2008 international dairy markets fell from the record high...

Dairy Sector. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I fully appreciate the concerns expressed by Deputies Creed and Sherlock and other colleagues on both sides of the House regarding the serious difficulties facing the dairy sector. I am aware of these difficulties having spoken to farmers and processors in the various sectors. We have argued with the Commissioner at Union level that we need to use the market mechanism measures effectively...

Dairy Sector. (20 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Quantifying the value of the supports in place is not straightforward. The one way to increases prices is to remove product from the market. The Deputy correctly said the processors have not had it all their own way because they are not achieving prices on the world market, according to the dairy board and individual processors. At the April Council meeting, I specifically tabled an item...