Results 4,181-4,200 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith

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

Brendan Smith: The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national body in Ireland with the responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of workplace safety and health. I fully support the efforts made by the HSA to promote farm safety and health and to prevent farm accidents and fatalities. My Department is represented on the Farm Safety Partnership Advisory Committee and in December 2008 the HSA,...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: By way of background, in the negotiations last year on the CAP Health Check, I managed to secure access to additional EU funding to fund a suite of measures under the Single Payments Regulation, targeted at vulnerable areas, particular sectors under pressure, improvement of animal welfare and/or agri-environment measures. The use of unspent Single Payment funds is a new concept. In fact I...

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

Brendan Smith: The Deputy will be aware of the recent decision by the EU Commissioner, following representations from a number of member states including Ireland, to allow for an advance payment of 70% of the Single Payment Scheme with effect from 16 October. This will be of particular assistance to farmers experiencing difficulties in the dairy market and other sectors and will mean that almost €900...

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

Brendan Smith: Under EU Regulations, payment on individual REPS 4 applications for 2009 cannot be made until completion of administrative and area checks on all applications received up to the closing date of 15 May 2009. At that stage 75% of the payment to each individual participant can be released, with the balance being payable when the last of the on-farm inspections for the year has taken place. I...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: On 12 June, Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, who has responsibility for Fisheries, wrote to the Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg setting out changes he is seeking to the provisions of the Council Regulation for Total Allowable Catches and quotas for 2009 (Council Regulation 43/2009) in respect of the Cod Recovery Plan in the Irish Sea and in the North West and the new requirements for...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Oil prices have, in recent months, started to rise again and though they remain far below last year's all time high levels, they are a cause of concern for the Irish fishing fleet particularly in the current situation where fish prices are also depressed. Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had a meeting with European Commissioner Joe...

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

Brendan Smith: About 17,000 applications were received under the 2009 REPS 4 Scheme. The precise number will be available shortly when the applications received in each of the local offices have been entered on my Department's computer system. This, coupled with the 12,145 REPS 4 applications lodged in 2007 and 2008, gives a total of about 29,000 applicants who are due a REPS 4 payment in 2009. In...

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

Brendan Smith: I welcome the discussion on the dairy market situation that took place at the recent European Council. This issue is of concern across the EU and it was encouraging that so many government leaders engaged with it. Following the discussion the Commission was invited to present an in-depth market analysis within the next two months. This report should include possible options for stabilising...

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

Brendan Smith: The total number of applications received for 2009 was in the region of 17,000. The precise number will be available shortly when the applications received in each of the local offices have been entered on my Department's computer system.

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

Brendan Smith: Significant measures have already been taken at EU level to support the dairy sector. These included the activation of a range of dairy market management measures including private storage aid for butter and intervention for butter and skimmed milk powder. In addition, export refunds are available to support the export outside the EU of butter, skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder and...

Written Answers — Agrifood Sector: Agrifood Sector (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: There are a number of initiatives underway to promote seasonal produce. Bord Bia's 'Best in Season' promotional campaign for locally grown produce in season which was launched at the Bloom Garden Festival in the Phoenix Park over the June bank holiday weekend is one such example. This campaign will run to the end of the year. Each month the campaign will focus on the crops in season at that...

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

Brendan Smith: The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is the national body in Ireland with the responsibility for securing safety and health at work. The HSA has also the responsible body for implementing the Farm Safety Action Plan, 2009 to 2012, which was launched by my colleague Mr. Billy Kelleher T.D., the then Minister for Labour Affairs, in December 2008. This Plan sets out seven ambitious goals and a...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, indicative funding of €641 million has been allocated to the Agri-Food Research Programme, broken down as follows: Agri-Food Research Programme €M Research Stimulus Fund 43.224 Food Industry Research Measure (FIRM) 93.653 Forestry / COFORD 29.296 Teagasc Research 474.827 Total Agri-Food Programme 641.000

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

Brendan Smith: The dairy sector downturn has its roots in the supply response that resulted from high prices in 2007 and in the early part of 2008. That situation was then exacerbated by the international financial crisis. This has had a major effect on the demand side. My efforts have focused on ensuring that the full range of market management supports would be made available at EU level. As a result...

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

Brendan Smith: A total of 19 capital investment projects were awarded Government grant assistance of over €114 million from the Dairy Investment Fund. This grant aid is geared to generating an estimated capital spend of €286 million in the Irish dairy processing sector and will play a key role in ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the dairy industry in Ireland. Over €33 million in grant aid...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: In recognition of the difficulties and costs, including compliance costs, facing the sheep sector, I decided that unused funds from the Single Payment National Reserve would be paid to hill sheep farmers in 2009 in the form of an Uplands Sheep Payment, as a means of ensuring that Irish sheep farmers could benefit immediately from these funds in 2009. During the negotiations on the CAP Health...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (30 Jun 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. The Green Paper on the reform of the current CFP, published by the European Commission on 21 April 2009 has initiated a Pan-European consultation process on...

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

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98 and 105 together. From a dairy sector perspective the CAP Health Check agreement of last November had two key elements, supply control and market support. The agreement essentially provided the framework for the EU milk quota regime leading up to its abolition in 2015. There was a wide divergence of views among member states in the months leading up the...

Written Answers — Equine Identification Regulations: Equine Identification Regulations (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: European Commission Regulation No. 504/2008, which sets out an improved system of identification for equidae, comes into effect tomorrow, 1 July 2009 and is binding. All keepers of horses, passport issuing bodies and veterinary practitioners are obliged to comply with the provisions of this legislation. Anyone failing to comply with the provisions of this Regulation could face the prospect of...

Written Answers — Equine Identification Regulations: Equine Identification Regulations (30 Jun 2009)

Brendan Smith: EU and national legislation currently requires that all equines be accompanied by a passport (identification document) when being moved. In addition the vast majority of approved studbook keeping organisations operating in this country currently require that animals are micro-chipped as part of their registration systems. European Commission Regulation No. 504/2008 comes into effect...