Results 5,221-5,240 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Food Prices: Food Prices (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Dairy farmers incomes are comprised of the market price paid for milk and direct income support from the EU. Market forces have a major influence on the price paid to farmers for milk. World market prices determine the returns received by dairy processors and these in turn are reflected in the price paid to farmers. In essence, farm gate prices normally reflect the returns from...

Written Answers — Food Prices: Food Prices (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The price paid to meat producers is a function of supply and demand, which has of course been influenced by the global economic downturn, exchange rates and other factors. My Department does not compile data on consumer prices across Europe. In relation to beef, officially recorded factory prices for R3 grade steer prices in 2009 averaged 287 cents per kilo liveweight. In 2007 and 2008 this...

Written Answers — Laboratory Testing: Laboratory Testing (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The vast majority of the buildings of my Department's Laboratories, at Backweston are completely operational and functioning as intended. Amelioration works on some areas of the laboratories are required prior to they coming on stream. These are expected to be completed during 2010. As indicated in responses to Parliamentary Questions, the Irish multi-annual national control plan (MANCP)...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for the enforcement of this legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (F.S.A.I.). This is done through service contracts with other relevant agencies, including the Health Service Executive, the Local Authority Veterinary Service and my Department. I am...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department in co-operation with Customs service monitors and operates animal and public health controls at EU approved Border Inspection Posts (BIP) on all direct imports into Ireland of products of animal origin coming from non-EU (or third) countries. Controls are also carried out on postal parcels and passenger baggage coming from third countries. EU rules stipulate that food products...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Less than 0.2% of the agricultural land in Ireland is under non-food crops made up of oilseeds, miscanthus, willow and small quantities of wheat and oats used for energy purposes. A table details the areas sown since 2005 in hectares. Year Willow Miscanthus Oilseed rape Hemp & switch grass Total Hectares 2005 13 2,577 2,590 2006 67 122 4,267 4,456 2007 65 630 7,959 90 8,744 2008 127...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Grant-aid was provided by my Department in regard to various investments in relation to agricultural pollution control by the Farm Waste Management Scheme which, under the revised version of the Scheme introduced in 2006, provided a standard grant-rate of 60 per cent (70 per cent in the four Zone C counties) for the construction of animal housing, slurry storage facilities and related items....

Written Answers — Food Security: Food Security (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: "Food Security" is a concept that traditionally refers to the lack of access to food in developing countries due to poverty. People in poverty in developing countries are unable to buy or grow sufficient food. People are food insecure when they do not have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: All foodstuffs imported into Ireland are highly regulated and must meet minimum standards established in accordance with EU food safety and traceability regulations. The increasing concentration of retail power in the hands of a few large supermarket chains is an international phenomenon, which has fundamentally changed the balance of market negotiating power in the food chain. I have...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Part of the outcome of the CAP Health Check negotiations was the decision to abolish the compulsory set aside of tillage land, effective from the 2009 Scheme, thereby doing away with the complex management rules attached to it. I warmly welcomed the decision at the time, one of a number of changes introduced as part of the simplification process. Previously, agreement had been reached in...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The €9.5 million provided in the 2010 Budget will be provided in the 2010 Revised Estimates and comprises €7 million to support a range of measures geared to improving the competitiveness of the food industry, which will be operated by Enterprise Ireland, and €2.5 million to support Bord Bia marketing initiatives.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has made a proposal regarding the possibility of a limited offshore Sea Bass fishery to my colleague Minster Killeen. Minister Killeen is giving careful consideration to this proposal in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and is particularly conscious of the necessity of maintaining the existing protection...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Development: Aquaculture Development (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The National Seafood Development Operational Programme 2007-2013 which inter alia provides funding for aquaculture development, was advertised for public consultation in October 2008. Following this consultation process, issues were raised by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on behalf of CFB...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007–13 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. Payments have issued to those whose applications required no further examination following the administrative checks. However queries arose on a significant number of...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The decision to place food products on any particular market is a commercial matter for the companies involved.

Written Answers — Fishing Fleet Modernisation: Fishing Fleet Modernisation (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are no plans for a further decommissioning scheme at present. Any further scheme will be considered in the context of available funding and priorities for support within the seafood sector.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: My officials wrote to the person named about his application on 21 January 2010. Processing of his application for payment can be resumed when a reply to this letter is received.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 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 — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Nitrates Directive is transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2009, S.I. No. 101 of 2009. Prosecutions for offences under these Regulations may be taken by a local authority, who are the designated competent authorities for the purposes of the Regulations, or by the Environmental Protection Agency. The...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: Applications for funding under the Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme are considered, subject to available Exchequer funding and overall national priorities, on an annual basis. Funding for approved projects must be drawn down before the end of the calendar year. Approval under the programme in a particular year does not imply a commitment of funding in any future...