Results 5,201-5,220 of 5,615 for speaker:Andrew Doyle

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: On the Deputy's final point, I should point out that as soon as David Cameron announced he was going to hold a referendum the Department put together a contingency team. Once the referendum vote had taken place the Department established a Brexit unit. It is managed by an assistant secretary general but is answerable at all times to the Secretary General. As I said, Brexit is a standing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I fully recognise the potential difficulties that may arise in the agrifood and fisheries sectors from the Brexit vote.  These sectors are of critical importance to our economy given their regional spread and the fact that they underpin the socio-economic development of rural areas in particular.  I am determined to safeguard the interests of these vital sectors. My Department...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: It is easy to say that there are only six additional people in the Department and four additional in Bord Bia. Everybody in the Department is focused on Brexit. It is a standing item on our agenda. I am based on the fifth floor of the Department building along with people from various different sectors. Brexit is on everybody's agenda. There is a dedicated Brexit unit and a co-ordination...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: The Deputy is correct. Of all the sectors that one that is the most vulnerable, given the UK's opening position on Brexit, is the fishing sector. Ireland's position is quite clear; we want to maintain access to fishing grounds in the UK zone, in the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea and north of Donegal and to protect our quota share for joint fishing stocks. That is our opening position. This...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Appeals (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: The delivery of the commitment under the Programme for Government is progressing. The Deputy will be aware that the commitment is to review the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001 “to ensure the independence and efficiency of the Office in dealing with appeals from farmers”. The appeals process is governed by the Agriculture Appeals Act 2001 and Agriculture Appeals Regulations...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Appeals (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: It is not 60%, I think the statistic was 45% are refused, or disallowed, and 41% were allowed. Which is that 86% or the remainder are invalid or withdrawn. So it is a little less than 50% that are allowed.

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Appeals (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: Of the applications, but some applications are invalid or withdrawn. I do not want to pre-empt what the final review will say. The Deputy has made a specific point here that the personnel who occupy the appeals office should not be former staff. I am not sure that I would agree that is necessary that the entire appeals office should not have anyone with the experience. That is my opinion,...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Appeals (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I said that the steering committee which is being established will include independent experts to guide the recommendations through. I am not sure if one of the things which has been fed-in has been along those lines but fundamentally it is about the independence of the office and using independent experts from outside of the Department's cohort, which reflects the Deputy's point. Hopefully...

Other Questions: Live Exports (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Deputy for his kind words. My Department has a close working relationship with welfare charities on all aspects of animal welfare.  The Department has in the past met with the International Greyhound Forum, which includes members of Dogs Trust and the ISPCA, to discuss the issue of greyhound exports. Information received to date from my Department's local...

Other Questions: Live Exports (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I do not have the answer because I am substituting for the Minister today. The Deputy is right that 80% of the animals in the UK are exported from Ireland, so it would be helpful to have the level of information to which he refers. However, no more than anything else with Brexit, having control over the UK after its exit from the EU on the issue of further exports will be problematic if we...

Other Questions: Live Exports (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: Welfare is an integral part of the new greyhound legislation. The Bill the Deputy brought before the House is more comprehensive than ours. As Deputies Martin Kenny and Charlie McConalogue will be aware, the agriculture committee hopes to return the greyhound Bill after our consideration of it during pre-legislative scrutiny next Tuesday. We will be anxious to expedite the Bill. It will...

Other Questions: Potato Sector (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Deputy for her good wishes. All "copper compounds", including copper sulphate, used for crop protection purposes - predominantly organic production - were reviewed at EU level in 2009.  At that time, EU conditional approval was granted to "copper compounds" for a period of ten years.  It was then left up to member states to approve individual products...

Other Questions: Potato Sector (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: The smart answer is it is both. I know that from experience. Deputy Aylward will be aware that when animals deficient in copper are given an injection, they will die if they are too given much copper but if they are given the right amount, they will be cured.

Other Questions: Potato Sector (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: One learns something new every day. This is a response to allow for the use of products containing copper in certain circumstances in organic farming systems. It is, therefore, permissible. One application for authorisation of a product containing the active substance, copper oxychloride, was received in March this year and it is anticipated there will be a decision on that soon. It is...

Other Questions: Potato Sector (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: The application that was submitted in March is being processed and, hopefully, it will get the necessary sanction as soon as possible with the conditions as outlined attached. This is why sprayer safety courses, of which several thousand have been undertaken, are so important. The crop which is sprayed with these products must be treated with respect while the products should avoid the...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Administration (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Deputy. We soldiered together ten years on the committee. My Department has an excellent record in the delivery of high quality ICT systems.  In that respect, my Department is ahead of the rest of our European partners and are also highly regarded across the civil and public service.  We have been consistently among the first to make payments in the EU. The...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Administration (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: This issue has been well-documented by the Deputy, his colleagues and others. Approximately 94% of applicants have been paid under GLAS. Documentation is awaited for 1,200 applications while another 1,400 are under review. The loading of information relating to the knowledge transfer scheme was not being accepted but that has been resolved and the deadline has been extended to 31 July. Of...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Administration (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: More than 20 schemes were rolled out in the last two years. There have been some teething problems but we do not anticipate these will arise again. The TAMS dairy schemes in particular were prioritised although one or two issues arose. In particular, changes were made to the criteria to allow people to proceed where planning permission may not have been secured but had been validated-----

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Administration (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: It was very difficult. At one stage the farmer had to have the planning permission cleared 28 days after the grant of conditional planning. That changed because it was going to cause a delay of 12 weeks from the time somebody applied. Therefore, once planning permission was validated, applications were allowed to proceed on the basis that they were going to get permission. That was risky...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (22 Jun 2017)

Andrew Doyle: There is no doubt that Brexit will have an impact on the outlook for Irish agriculture in all counties, including Wexford.  Farming is an essential part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of Ireland. It is also part of a wider EU dispensation that values a Common Agriculture Policy built on family farming, food security, high standards of food safety and environmental...