Results 4,141-4,160 of 18,457 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Forestry premiums were introduced with a view to encouraging farmers to plant new forests. Over 90% of all afforestation undertaken in recent years was by farmers with forestry regarded as an important and viable alternative land use option. For these farmers it is an integral part of their farming activity and a very important source of additional income. In 2008, 11,500 farmers received...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Government policy in relation to the development of the aquaculture industry is set out in the Cawley Strategy — Steering A New Course, Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007 — 2013. The Strategy sees a much bigger role for aquaculture in meeting the increasing demands for seafood and on this basis includes a range of recommendations to promote...

Written Answers — Installation Aid Scheme: Installation Aid Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to focus available resources on the measures that would permit us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector. Because I had chosen to protect expenditure in certain areas, expenditure in other areas, such as installation aid for young...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002, which sets out the general principles and requirements of EU food law, stipulates among other things that food business operators at all stages of production, processing and distribution within the businesses under their control must ensure that foods satisfy the requirements of food law. Specifically in regard to traceability the regulations require that the...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: The CSO's final estimate for Output, Input and Income in Agriculture for 2008 shows that operating surplus in agriculture declined by 11.8% in 2008. This follows an increase of 12.5% in 2007, which was brought about by higher output prices, particularly on dairy and cereal markets. While these high commodity prices were maintained into the early part of 2008, there was a decline in the latter...

Written Answers — Farm Advisory Services: Farm Advisory Services (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I fully understand that the current economic climate represents a particularly difficult time for farmers. Farmers are already in a cyclical business and that situation has been compounded by the current international and domestic downturn and low prices for certain commodities. Assistance is provided to farmers in a number of ways and by a number of different agencies and Departments. ...

Written Answers — Farm Inspections: Farm Inspections (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Inspections to meet the requirements of the Nitrates Regulations are undertaken by my Department. The Department's inspectors currently undertake all on-farm cross-compliance inspections, including checks for compliance with the Nitrates Regulations and have considerable expertise in this area. On-farm inspections are also required under the EU Water Framework Directive which is the...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 65 together. My Department applied to the European Commission on 31 March last for formal recognition of Officially Brucellosis Free status (OBF) for Ireland. The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health is due to meet to-day and tomorrow and a draft Commission decision on this matter is expected to be presented. If adopted it will then...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Aquaculture licensing is governed by the terms and conditions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997, as amended, and Regulations made thereunder, including, in particular, the Aquaculture (Licence Application) Regulations 1998, S.I. No. 236 of 1998. Other Regulations made under the European Communities Act 1972, as amended, also govern other aspects of aquaculture. In considering an...

Written Answers — Meat Processing Sector: Meat Processing Sector (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: A grant aid scheme for the small meat sector, which includes small slaughterhouses and low throughput meat establishments, culminated in my Department awarding a total of €7.8m in grant assistance to 31 enterprises in December 2008. This grant aid is expected to contribute to an actual investment on projects in excess of €25 million. Details are set out below. A substantial number of the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I expect that the remaining 25% payment will issue within weeks to those farmers who have already received their first payment of 75% in respect of REPS 4 applications lodged in 2007 and 2008.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: My officials have rejected 237 of the applications for REPS 4 received in the period concerned. The applicants concerned have the right to appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office and I understand that a number of them have already done so.

Written Answers — Meat Processing Sector: Meat Processing Sector (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the Beef and Sheepmeat Investment Fund, grant assistance of over €69 million was recently announced in respect of 15 investment projects. The awards, which are part of a strategy to position the industry to face the challenges and grasp the opportunities that lie ahead, will contribute to total investment in the region of €168 million. The objective of the Fund is to support...

Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I announced details of the Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants on 10 June 2009. Since then in excess of 80 application forms have been issued to individuals who have expressed an interest in the scheme though no completed applications have, as yet, been returned to the Department. As the closing date is 31 July 2009, I expect that the majority of applications will arrive...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I indicated on 7 April, following the presentation of the 2009 Supplementary Budget, that I would review the payment level for REPS 3 participants once I have determined the ongoing financial obligations arising from the number of REPS 4 applications submitted by the closing date of 15 May. The total number of applications received was in the region of 17,000. The precise number will be...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payments are continuing to be made under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. To date in 2009, 13,381 payments totalling almost €185.9 million have been made to farmers under the Scheme, while a further 1,396 claims for grant-aid have been inspected and approved for payment. This compares to 12,847 payments in the...

Written Answers — Agri-Food Sector: Agri-Food Sector (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I am in the process of meeting with large retailers to impress on them the Government's commitment to the agri-food sector. I am taking the opportunity to explain the importance of the sector to the economy as well as the high quality standard of food production in this country. These standards have been achieved as a result of major investment over the years in traceability and food safety...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under EU rules, payments to REPS 4 participants may be made in two instalments, the first at 75% on completion of all administrative checks and area checks on all files and the remaining 25% once all on-farm inspections have been completed. Some 91% of those who applied for REPS 4 in 2007 and 2008 have received the first instalment and the remaining 25% will be issued as soon as possible....

Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52, 53, 79 and 106 together. Over the past year or so we have witnessed extremes of volatility in dairy product prices on an unprecedented scale, a symptom of the changed EU policy framework in which we operate where world market forces have a major influence on the price paid for milk. Last November, when it became apparent that dairy commodity prices...

Written Answers — Sheep Identification Scheme: Sheep Identification Scheme (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: The introduction of electronic identification (EID) for all sheep was agreed at EU level in late 2003. At that time, it was agreed to defer the implementation date until January 2008. The Council revisited this issue in December 2007 when it was agreed that the deadline for the compulsory introduction of EID should be definitively set for 31 December 2009. I have used every opportunity in EU...