Results 5,181-5,200 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Social Partnership Agreements: Social Partnership Agreements (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: One of the key features of the agriculture chapter of Towards 2016 has been the Government's willingness to provide a major increase in funding for agriculture from Exchequer resources. This has not only made up for the inevitable decline in EU funding due to our economic success as a country, but has also provided the finance for the very significant enhancement of some major schemes which...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I have no plans to extend grant-aid under my Department's on-farm investment schemes to include the construction of cattle underpasses on the road network.
- Written Answers — Fur Industry: Fur Industry (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The EU Commission presented proposals on the 22nd of November dealing with the banning of trade in cat and dog fur and the import and export of these products. In general I welcome the Commission's decision to propose legislation in this area but of course the detailed provisions will have to be discussed in the various EU fora in the period ahead.
- Written Answers — Beef Exports: Beef Exports (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The Russian Federation has not expressed any concerns about Irish beef which meets all the veterinary requirements for export there. What it is concerned about is the status of animal products from Romania and Bulgaria once these States have joined the EU. It has asked the EU Commission to inform it of the animal products which will be allowed to be exported to it from these countries and the...
- Written Answers — Beef Exports: Beef Exports (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The official figures provided by the CSO on the volume and value of Irish beef exports to Russia since 2002 are shown in the table below: Year Volume in tonnes (carcase weight equivalent) Value in Euros 2002 83,000 79.7m 2003 76,000 69.1m 2004 47,000 48.8m 2005 28,000 35.3m 2006 (January to June) 14,000 19.6m
- Written Answers — EU Conventions: EU Conventions (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: My Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of animals kept for farming purposes only and it does not extend to animals kept as pets. I understand that the matters relating to ratification of Council of Europe Conventions and the responsibility of Departments in that regard are still under consideration.
- Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: There are two type of Felling Licence in operation at present, i.e. a General Felling Licence and a Limited Felling Licence. In relation to Limited Felling Licences, Section 41 of the Forestry Act 1946 provides that the Minster may, under certain conditions, release the licensee from the obligation to comply with all or any of the replanting conditions imposed or alternatively reduce the...
- Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. My Department's inspectorate carried out a preliminary inspection of the farm on 27 November 2006 and a decision in respect of the application concerned will be made shortly.
- Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The introduction of the European Communities (Organic Farming) Regulation 2004 (SI No. 112 of 2004) gave my Department powers to prosecute contraventions of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic production and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. So far, my Department has successfully prosecuted one operator for an offence for labelling product in...
- Written Answers — Meat Exports: Meat Exports (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The Russian Federation has written to the EU Commission expressing concern about the status of animal products from Romania and Bulgaria once these States have joined the EU. It has asked the EU Commission to inform it of the animal products which will be allowed to be exported to it from these countries and the phyto-sanitary requirements which will apply them. It has also asked the EU to...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (28 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Categories A and D. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May, 2005 and who had leased out his/her holding to a third party during the reference period...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: My Department, in the context of delivering the single payment scheme, is required under EU law to carry out on-the-spot inspections on a number of farms covering such issues as eligibility under the scheme, compliance with EU legislation in the areas of the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health, and ensuring the farm is maintained in good agricultural and...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: As I stated in my reply, an agreement was made with the farming organisations under the charter that we would have one inspection. The notification of inspections under certain parts of the single payment scheme can be given, including with regard to nitrates. However, it was agreed that both sectors would be put together so we would not have two or three inspections. My view, which I have...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I refute that completely and categorically.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: It is those like the Deputy who are winding up farmers. We have seen a reduction in the number of inspections.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I have an agreement on the number of inspections that will take place. The cross-compliance penalties imposed last year came to â¬330,000, from a total of â¬1.2 billion. Half of the people who received penalties in respect of small difficulties â I am referring to approximately 1,000 farmers â got off on the basis of the tolerances in my scheme. The tolerances were agreed with the...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I appreciate that the Deputy is not farming. Every farmer got an explanatory booklet providing background information on this issue. Every farmer has that booklet.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Every farmer will have a copy of the report on the examination that takes place on his or her farm. We had an opportunity within the regulation to provide a farm advisory service. That was not acceptable to the farming organisations. Teagasc and the private planners will provide that service. The Department of Agriculture and Food, and Teagasc have organised events at which such advice...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: All of it is verifiable. Deputy Crawford knows that if people want copies of the reports on the inspections that have taken place, such copies are being made available to them. There has been nothing but openness and working together on this issue to ensure that the system is fair. As I have said on many occasions, I intend use the health check on the Common Agricultural Policy to examine...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Information was made available.