Results 5,021-5,040 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. The application has been approved and payment will be issued shortly by my Department.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Payment will issue to the person named within the next ten days.
- Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The live export trade is an important component of our meat and livestock industry and provides a complement to the beef trade. The following table shows data on live cattle exports in 2009 along with the corresponding figures for 2008. Destination 2009 2008 United Kingdom 89,503 34,577 Northern Ireland 79,430 32,712 Great Britain 10,073 1,865 Other Destinations 196,781 113,159...
- Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The Government approved my plan for a reorganisation of my Department's Local Office Network last July. The plan involves reducing, from 57 to 16, the number of offices from which the Department will operate District Veterinary, Forestry and Agricultural Environment and Structures support services in the future. The decision to close some forty offices of the Department was made only after we...
- Written Answers — Ethics in Public Office: Ethics in Public Office (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Under the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995, any gift with a value in excess of â¬650 must be surrendered to the State and declared in a Minister's Statement of Registerable Interests submitted to the Standards in Public Office Commission. I can confirm that I have not received any gift in excess of this amount since my appointment and I am in compliance with the relevant regulations.
- Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Drafting of the Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which gives effect to commitments in the Programme for Government and the Renewed Programme for Government is ongoing in my Department. The legislation will amend and consolidate legislation in the area of animal health, particularly to reflect the changed disease status of our animals and will update existing legislation, to ensure that the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Charges: Departmental Charges (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The following is the information requested by the Deputy in so far as my Department is concerned. The issue of charges levied or set by the bodies under the aegis of my Department is an administrative matter for the bodies themselves. Name of Levy Amount Paid 2009⬠Estimated Receipts 2010⬠Fee Rates (â¬) 2008 2009 2010(Pro-posed) Meat Inspection Fees 13.9m 15.1m SeeNote 1 below for...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: An issue has arisen during the processing of the REPS 4 application from the person named. Processing of the application cannot be completed until this has been resolved. My officials will be in contact with him shortly.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The information requested is set out in the following table. Original application 2008 2009 Applicants 12,011 16,817 Paid 2008 11,490 not applicable Paid 2009 4,765 8,325
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Sixty-three Technical Agricultural Officers were assigned to higher duties of Supervisory Agricultural Officer to assist with the processing of REPS 3 and REPS 4 applications. The additional cost per week per officer was â¬40 approximately. All these temporary assignments were terminated by 31 December.
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The duties of Technical Agricultural Officers in the agricultural, environmental and structures areas of my Department include carrying out administrative and field inspections under Department schemes such as REPs, On farm Investment and Single Payment Schemes. Since 1 January 2010, the focus has mainly been on REPs and to a lesser extent on On Farm Investment.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: My Department has no record of having received an application for grant-aid under the Farm Improvement Scheme from the person concerned.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: An issue has arisen during the processing of the REPS 4 application from the person named. Processing of the application cannot be completed until this has been resolved. My officials will be in contact with him shortly.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The second instalment of 40 per cent due under the Farm Waste Management Scheme has been authorized for payment in this case.
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: An official of my Department has been in direct contact with the person named with a view to arranging a meeting, which, it is expected, will take place shortly.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The person named submitted an application under Category D of the 2007 National Reserve. This category catered for offshore Island Farmers whose existing Single Payment is less than â¬6,000 and where individual entitlements are less that the DED average. The person named did not qualify under this category, as she was not an offshore Island farmer â my Department's Local Office confirmed...
- Written Answers — Sugar Beet Sector: Sugar Beet Sector (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: There were four elements to the Sugar Reform Package under which former sugar beet growers received compensation, vis: Sugar Restructuring Aid, for which the budget was â¬12,353,275 and in respect of which payments to date amount to â¬12,277,710; Diversification Aid, for which the budget was â¬21,818,970, with payments to date worth â¬21,410,275; Additional Aid for Diversification, also...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Mindful of the hardship and distress caused by the recent widespread flooding, on 27 November 2007 I announced the introduction of the Fodder Aid Scheme, targeted directly at those farmers who encountered damage to fodder in the affected areas. While I was very anxious that the funding reach the affected farmers as quickly as possible, it was essential that farmers demonstrate that their...
- Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: Greencastle harbour is owned by Donegal County Council and the maintenance and development of the harbour is the responsibility of the Council in the first instance. My Department has however, in recent years, project managed works on phase 1 of the Greencastle Harbour development project on behalf of Donegal County Council as well as providing funding. Due to the current budgetary...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)
Brendan Smith: The full-time equivalent staff numbers in my Department from 2007 to date are as follows: 1 January 2007: 4,217 1 January 2008: 4,369 1 January 2009: 4,245 1 January 2010: 3,881 Please note that the increase in 2008 is a result of the addition of fisheries functions to my Department's responsibilities in November 2007. The additional breakdown sought by the Deputy will be forwarded to him...