Results 4,441-4,460 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

EU Directives. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The implementation of the nitrates directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Minister, Deputy Roche, sent proposals to the European Commission in May for amendments to the regulations he made in December 2005 giving legal effect to Ireland's nitrates action programme. The new proposals, which the Minister, Deputy...

EU Directives. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: There has been no finality to the regulations that are being discussed by the Departments, Teagasc and the Commission. A number of proposals have been put forward, particularly with regard to REPS. As they involve an environmental methodology of farming anyway, one of the concerns was about the use of organic nitrogen on REPS farms, that is, inclusive of the pig and poultry sectors. If the...

EU Directives. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: As a Minister who has met many people throughout the country, I am acutely aware of the concerns that exist. I have taken the opportunity to quell some of this anxiety by providing full information. The Deputy and I agree that information meetings and sectorial meetings will be very important. In the context of the discussions that will take place next Wednesday on the reform of the Common...

EU Directives. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I have also included the training of my inspectors with that matter.

EU Directives. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I will opt for universality.

Animal Welfare. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy will be aware, an action plan on the protection and welfare of animals was produced by the European Commission earlier this year following a wide consultation process and represents a road-map for the Commission's planned animal health initiatives for 2006-10. Some of these will take the form of reviews of current legislation, while many will consist of reports to the Parliament...

Animal Welfare. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: If I had time to finish my original answer, I would have said that I was very balanced in my remarks at the meeting and that I believe there should be a balance between improving animal welfare and protection standards, on the one hand, and the sustainability of the various sectors of agriculture on the other. It is equally important and quite right to state that, as a non-trade concern, the...

Animal Welfare. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I agree, which is why I took the opportunity to write to Commissioner Kyprianou once again on this issue to re-express my concerns vis À vis the importation of meat products. I sometimes sing a lone tune with regard to non-trade concerns because many of my colleagues of necessity wish to have cheap imports. Some of my colleagues will speak of the necessity of having animal welfare...

EU Regulations. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: EU legislation governing intra-Community trade in sheep prescribes the conditions for trade, which vary by reference to the category of sheep involved. For all categories it is a requirement that a veterinary inspector must certify, inter alia, that the sheep were resident on the holding of origin for 30 days, or 21 days for slaughter sheep, and that no sheep were moved on to the holding...

EU Regulations. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Let us call a spade a spade. The Deputy's last question runs contrary to his earlier argument. The importation from the United Kingdom of sheep, lambs and hoggets for slaughter is a legitimate activity which can be done through Northern Ireland. The importation of sheep from Northern Ireland is also legal and legitimate, as is the export of sheep from South to North, provided it takes place...

EU Regulations. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I assure the Deputy that the Department and Northern Ireland authorities co-operate closely, particularly on animal health and welfare. I agree that the re-establishment of an Executive would be beneficial in terms of developing an all-island animal health policy. In itself, however, such a development would not address the issues the Deputy raises because the British authorities would have...

Price Inflation. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I have recently forwarded to the Deputy detailed figures in regard to the increase in the cost of steel over the past five years, during which it has risen significantly. I am fully aware of the impact of increases in the costs of labour and materials on the cost of construction of farm buildings. In launching the new farm waste management scheme in March this year I indicated that the...

Price Inflation. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I suggest the significant increase in the grant will make a difference and it was this Government and my party that pursued it. Let the Opposition not forget that. Sometimes they do not like to hear the good news about the amount of money that will be invested in the programme.

Price Inflation. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: In the context of the standard costings, these will revert to the beginning of the scheme. The last costing I have is 154.9 in March 2006, an increase of 0.2 from the February level of 154.7. Some 120 mechanisms in the standard costings will also be reviewed. My difficulty is that we have not brought the partnership talks to finality. If these could be concluded quickly we could resolve the...

Price Inflation. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I refute the Deputy's statement. I intend that we move on standard costings as quickly as possible. It is therefore incumbent on other parties to come forward. I must sign off a large investment programme with the Minister for Finance, who has been more than forthcoming in his support of agriculture since his appointment. It is my hope and aspiration that we will conclude these talks quickly...

Price Inflation. (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I intend that this will take place very soon. If we do not have an outcome I will have to reconsider my position.

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: There is no TB-vaccine licensed anywhere in the world for use in a food producing animal and therefore there is no possibility of introducing a bovine vaccination programme for TB. Indeed, the position is that vaccine trials in the past demonstrated that vaccination did not prevent disease. Apart from the foregoing, cattle vaccinated against TB could not be traded because they would be unable...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has certain statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals. The legislation governing this is the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984 and the European Communities (Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes) Regulations, 2000. In addition there is specific legislation in relation to pigs, calves and laying hens and to the...

Written Answers — Animal Remedies Regulations: Animal Remedies Regulations (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, the EU Directive 2004/28, which was transposed into law through the 2005 Animal Remedies Regulations, provided that veterinary medicines for food producing animals may only be supplied on the basis of a veterinary prescription, unless exempted from this requirement under criteria to be drawn up at EU level before 1 January 2007. However, I decided to avail of another...

Written Answers — Agrifood Sector: Agrifood Sector (27 Jun 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan was produced by my Department to map out the actions needed to ensure the ability of the agri-food sector to compete in a changing national and international food market. This Plan sets out the vision for the future of the sector in the light of a more liberalised trade regime arising from the WTO negotiations, changes in food market trends, consumer tastes...