Results 3,881-3,900 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Tá lúcháir orm a bheith ar ais sa Seanad arÃst agus páirt a ghlacadh sa dÃospóireacht seo. Gabhaim mo bhuÃochas as ucht an mhéid a bhà le rá ag na SeanadóirÃ, is cuma cén áit a bhfuil siad ina suÃ. I will deflect from my script on a number of issues if Senators do not mind. Agriculture is central to the economic and social life of this country. By and large, the Common...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The State is playing its part, both through the direct research effort of Teagasc and the universities and through its competitive research funding programmes such as the food institutional research measure, FIRM, the research stimulus fund, RSF, and the forestry measure, COFORD. Funding of food industry applied research is also available through Enterprise Ireland. These developments must be...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Competitiveness is literally a life and death issue for our food firms, and ultimately for farm incomes and the commercial future of farming. This is the longest chapter of this plan, covering over 90 specific actions including a substantial change in the milk quota scheme which will commence in 2007. The new arrangements will facilitate consolidation of holdings, increase sufficiency and...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Some of us on this side of the House wish to be positive about the industry. Consolidation has taken place at dairy processing level in line with prospectus recommendations but its main recommendations remain to be implemented. This is primarily the responsibility of the processing sector. We will continue to engage with the processors to achieve the optimum configuration within the sector,...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Teagasc will put in place a specific programme to support people wishing to set up artisan and speciality food businesses. Grant support will be strategically provided for horticultural projects and aimed at improving the overall development and competitiveness of the sector. There will be direct support for organic farmers and grant aid for investment, both on-farm and off-farm, will be used...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I intend to strengthen the processing and retail representation in this sector. Apart from providing inputs for the agrifood industry, agriculture and forestry have a significant role to play in producing a variety of what are called "public goods". Exchequer and EU support for the agricultural sector is increasingly focused on paying for the production of public goods, which would otherwise...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Those meetings are taking place. Additional information has been sought by the European Commission. That has been prepared and we hope to bring this matter to an end. We must do so for many reasons. The most specific is that we need a derogation and we will apply for it as quickly as possible. I deny the Fine Gael assertion that I am the person responsible for wiping out the sugar industry.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I will take responsibility for my decisions. I make the decisions. There are a number of factors which nobody wants to appreciate. First, a WTO panel decision was taken against us. Second, we never reformed the sector. Third, we have major difficulties with regard to imports of cheap sugar, and the European Community had a much higher supported sugar price than the world sugar price. All in...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: It will be as balanced as possible on the basis of the legalities within which I must work. I would prefer if we could come together on the basis of an agreement. That may be difficult. I want us to have agreement as soon as possible and do not want us to end up in court. That would be a complete waste of everyone's time and energy. I have taken independent advice on the matter and will...
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: That is only for sites.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: What is the name of the restaurant?
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: That is not the ethos of the Féile Bia.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The computer is sorted.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: We just did a launch this morning with AgriAware.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: If I smile, the Senator smiles too.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: We can all swim.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I said that I wanted an independent view.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Farmers increased their income considerably last year.
- Seanad: Agrifood Sector: Motion. (29 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Touché.
- Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (30 Mar 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The allocation of milk quota from the national reserve to dairy producers is made subject to the provision that it is only available to recipients while they remain in milk production. In general, such quota cannot be sold with land or without land by the person to whom it was allocated. Where a producer who has received an allocation from the national reserve ceases milk production, that...