Results 5,241-5,260 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith

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

Brendan Smith: Applicants under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme are required, inter alia, to have a holding with a minimum stocking level of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for the entire area declared. The stock needed to meet this requirement must be possessed, held and maintained for at least three continuous months of the year of application. However, the requirements under the Disadvantaged...

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

Brendan Smith: The EU directives due to be transposed into Irish legislation by my Department are detailed in the following table. The 29 directives listed will be transposed by the due date. Title of Directive and date published in the Official Journal Date by which Directive is to be implemented Implementation by Act or Statutory Instrument (SI) Commission Directive 2010/1/EU of 8 January 2010 amending...

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

Brendan Smith: My officials are still dealing with issues that arose in this person's REPS plan and will be in touch with him about the matter within 10 working days. REPS scheme payments are made on a weekly basis and the last payment run which included Wexford participants was made on 1 February 2010.

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

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Installation Aid Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, payment of the grant concerned is made once it has been established that the requirements of the Scheme have been met, including the conditions in relation to property, education and income. The outcome of my Department's examination of the application will be made known to the applicant...

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

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, payment of the grant concerned is made once it has been established that the requirements of the Scheme have been met, including the conditions in relation to property, education and income. The outcome of my Department's examination of the application will be made known to the...

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

Brendan Smith: The person named submitted an application under the 2005 National Reserve under Category B and the Hill Farmers' Scheme. Category B catered for farmers who made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000 – 2002. Investments included the purchase...

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

Brendan Smith: A cheque for monies due to the person concerned issued from my Department on 22nd January 2010.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The detailed rules governing the REPS 3 and 4 Schemes are contained in the Scheme 'Terms and Conditions' document, which may be amended by means of REPS Circulars issued by the Department. The 'Terms and Conditions' constitute a framework for the application of the detailed rules contained in the relevant Commission Regulations. In the case of REPS 3 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 445/2002...

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 — Animal Identification Scheme: Animal Identification Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The introduction of EID for sheep was agreed at EU level in late 2003. At that time, it was agreed to defer the implementation date until January 2008. The Council of Agriculture Ministers revisited this issue in December 2007 when it was agreed that the deadline for the compulsory introduction of EID should be set for 31 December 2009, six years after the original decision was taken....

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The objective of the €7 million in funding which will be provided by my Department and administered by Enterprise Ireland is to improve competitiveness within the food sector in export markets. This is linked to sustaining viable companies and enabling them to exploit world market opportunities. The focus of initiatives in 2010 will be to enable key exporting companies to adopt sustainable...

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

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 628 together. I am aware of the difficulties experienced by farmers and others as a result of the recent inclement weather conditions. In that regard I have received representations on behalf of growers in relation to losses to potatoes and vegetable crops arising from the severe frost conditions since Christmas and the matter is currently being...

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

Brendan Smith: I am aware that due to very wet conditions in November 2009 a proportion of the total national area of potatoes remained unharvested at the end of the year. Since Christmas Ireland has experienced very severe frost conditions which have resulted in losses to potatoes. The extent of losses would be influenced by location and the extent to which the potatoes were exposed. I have received...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are currently 1,676 farmers in REPS in North Tipperary who will be eligible for payments in 2010. In addition, 39 farmers applied for REPS after the 2009 deadline of 15 May and before the scheme was closed to new applicants in July 2009. If their applications are valid, these farmers will begin their REPS 4 contracts in 2010 and will also be eligible for payment.

Order of Business (3 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy can blame the people behind him.

Order of Business (3 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: That was a great deduction by Deputy Burton, given that today is 3 February.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 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 applicants whose applications cleared the administrative checks. The administrative checks are carried out manually in the Department's local...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (3 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: A 75% payment issued to the person named on 31 December 2009. The remaining 25% is currently being processed and will be issued as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (3 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: My colleague Mr John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has recently published the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009. This legislation will update certain aspects of the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 1992, as amended, and will largely deal with the regulation of dog breeding establishments, including any that may be involved in the export trade. Council...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (3 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The lands at Abbotstown will be transferred to the National Sports Campus Development Authority in accordance with the provisions laid out in the National Sports Campus Development Authority Act 2006. That Authority will be asked to consider the Deputy's proposal.