Results 4,061-4,080 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Inheritance application submitted in this case under the Single Payment Scheme has been processed. Payment in respect of the additional entitlements assigned will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category B. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock premia and/or Arable aid schemes would have been payable during...

Written Answers — Milk Prices: Milk Prices (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My role as Minister for Agriculture and Food, is to ensure that policies within my scope of influence are implemented in a manner which enables the dairy sector remain competitive and thereby continue to develop and support farmers incomes. The price paid for milk is essentially a commercial matter between milk producers and purchasers. A combination of the international market for dairy...

Written Answers — Environmental Assessments: Environmental Assessments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013 which involves a number of schemes including forestry schemes and REPS, will require a strategic environmental assessment (SEA). That programme has yet to be finalised. The SEA will be carried out in conjunction with an independent ex-ante evaluation of the programme that is expected to commence in July.

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 provides, inter alia, for the payment of Aid for Energy Crops, at a rate of €45.00 per hectare, in respect of products considered as biofuels and as listed in Article 2.2 of Council Directive 2003/30/EC. Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1973/2004 lays down the detailed rules for the application of Regulation 1782/2003, Chapter 8 of...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Vaccination of bovines for tuberculosis is not allowed in EU member states because any field trials carried out to date have demonstrated that such vaccines are not very effective in protecting cattle against infection. In addition, vaccination would have the considerable disadvantage in that there is no method of distinguishing between real infection and vaccine immunity. Certification of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Food Agency Co-operation Council was established in 2000 under the aegis of my Department to promote the fullest practical co-operation between the State Agencies involved in the food industry, in the interests of the optimum development of the industry. The Council did not have a specific budgetary allocation as incidental costs relating to meetings, publications and expenses etc. were...

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland produces food products to the value of €16 billion and remains a net exporter of food and drink with exports valued at almost €7.6 billion and imports, mainly from within the EU, worth some €4.5 billion, leaving an estimated food trade surplus figure of €3.044 billion in 2005. The following table* shows the value of production of meat and vegetables over the last ten years....

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Discussion on a new Regulation on organic production and labelling of organic products is still at an early stage at European Council Working Group level. It is clear, however, that the new Regulation will continue to prohibit the deliberate use of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) in organic production and processing, and that products cannot be labelled both organic and GMO. I fully...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category C. Category C caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, participated in the Milk Quota Restructuring Scheme and who converted to a farming sector for which a direct payment under the Livestock and/or Arable Aid Premium...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application under the Single Payment Scheme on 9 May 2005 and also applied to have his entitlements consolidated under the Consolidation measure of the Scheme. Following processing of the Consolidation application the person named was paid in full in respect of 39.66 consolidated entitlements with a total value of €18,996.20 on 01 December 2005. The person...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The 2005 Area Aid application of the person named has been fully processed with an area determined of 11.28 hectares. However, to be eligible for the 2005 Area-Based Compensatory Allowance Scheme, applicants must maintain a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for at least 4 continuous months of the year. My Department wrote to the person named on 2 May 2006...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The new Farm Waste Management Scheme was introduced by my Department on 24 March 2006 under the 2000-2006 EU Rural Development Programme. As the current EU rural development round closes at the end of this year, applications can only be accepted under the revised Scheme up to the end of 2006. In view of this short time-frame, I have decided that applications can be accepted by my Department...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The revised Farm Waste Management Scheme is intended to assist farmers, including the sheep sector, comply with the additional requirements of the Nitrates Regulation. Grant aid is not available under the Scheme for mobile sheep handling units. Aid for the provision of such units will be considered by my Department in the context of the on-farm investment schemes which will be put in place...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Bord Bia is the state body with responsibility for food promotion and its current budget for the promotion of sheepmeat is in excess of €1m per annum. The main areas of expenditure are the direct promotion to consumers in both Ireland and France, the key markets for sheepmeat. This involves a mix of both media advertising and retail promotions in both countries. A Sheep industry strategy...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Bord Bia, the state body with responsibility for food promotion, is engaged in promotions on the home market which are specifically focused on popularising sheepmeat among young consumers. Their activities include demonstrations as part of an education programme in second level schools and involve a variety of quick and easy lamb dishes. A Sheep industry strategy group was established in...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Target lands in REPS, which comprise Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation, Natural Heritage Areas and commonage, have qualified since 1999, under Measure A of REPS, for a payment of €242 per hectare on the first 40 hectares. This payment no longer comprises an amount in respect of destocking. Last November I secured an agreement from the European Commission which ensures...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that the Single Payment Scheme is applicable to farmers who actively farmed during the 2000 — 2002 reference period, who were paid Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid in one or more of those years and who continued to farm in 2005. The gross Single Payment established for farmers is based on the average number of animals and/or the average number of hectares (in the case of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: In September 2005, in recognition of the significant number of queries, which farmers had in relation to the new Single Payment Scheme, I decided to establish a dedicated Call Centre in the Portlaoise Office of my Department. This Centre, which was staffed by 35 officials on a full-time basis, dealt with up to 2,500 calls per day. Subsequently, this Call Centre was replaced by a system of...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (3 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The July 2004 WTO Framework Agreement provides for the designation of a certain number of sensitive products by WTO member countries. The number of products to be designated by each WTO member, the conditions which govern their selection and the compensation which must be offered by way of Tariff Rate Quota, will be decided as part of the negotiations on the new agreement. The decision by the...