Results 5,261-5,280 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has developed comprehensive contingency arrangements to deal with any case of avian influenza in wild birds or any outbreak in poultry. These arrangements are kept under constant review with a view to updating them to take account of new developments that arise. I have recently signed new Regulations which provide the most up-to-date legislative basis for actions to be taken...

Written Answers — Mushroom Industry: Mushroom Industry (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The pesticide residue monitoring programme conducted by my Department on behalf of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), is reviewed and agreed on an annual basis with the FSAI. The risk-based programme thus developed involved the analysis of some 1,350 samples of agricultural produce in each of the years 2005 and 2006 for up to 150 different pesticide compounds. In 2005 some 10...

Written Answers — Health Issues: Health Issues (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 74 together. Obesity is, I believe, an immensely important issue for the future health of our society and demands a multifaceted response as indicated in the Report of the National Taskforce on Obesity which made recommendations for cross sectoral actions in areas including education, social and community, health, food supply and the physical...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 58 and 61 together. I am currently participating in a high level Ministerial Taskforce on Bioenergy, which has been established by Government to prepare a plan to develop Ireland's bioenergy resources to 2020. The Ministerial Team is currently working on a National Bio-energy Action plan to establish targets to promote greater use of biomass and...

Written Answers — Horticulture Industry: Horticulture Industry (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Apple production, with 46 growers at the last census in 2002, represents a small but important sector within our horticultural industry. My Department has contributed to the support of those growers through its grant aid schemes under the National Development Plan. The NDP Scheme of Investment Aid for the Commercial Horticulture Sector has supported apple producers with aid for on-farm...

Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Draft Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 which was recently published by my Department, grant aid for farm grain storage and ancillary facilities is included under the sub-measure in the Farm Investment category of the programme. The Programme remains to be cleared by the EU Commission and must also fulfill EU State aid criteria.

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that cross compliance involves two key elements: a requirement for farmers to comply with 18 statutory management requirements (SMRs) set down in EU legislation on the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health, a requirement to maintain the farm in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC). The rate of on-farm inspection required for...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland's national policy on GMOs was officially set out in the October 2000 Report of the Interdepartmental Group on Modern Biotechnology which was endorsed by the Government. The overall conclusion of this report was summarised as "a positive acceptance of the potential benefits of biotechnology tempered by a precautionary approach to the potential risks — and to ensure that as far as is...

Written Answers — Social Partnership Agreements: Social Partnership Agreements (29 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 — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The difficulties presented by the reluctance of the insurance industry to offer insurance cover to growers of GM crops was identified by the Interdepartmental Group established within my Department to draw up strategies and best practices to ensure that efficient and effective co-existence of GM and non-GM crops in Ireland. In order to address these difficulties and help create an...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare Bodies: Animal Welfare Bodies (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals. The legislation governing this is the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984 and the European Community (Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes) Regulations, 2000. In addition there is specific legislation in relation to pigs, calves and laying hens. I attach great...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Director General of the WTO announced the resumption of the negotiations at the WTO Trade Negotiations Committee in Geneva on 16 November. The negotiations had been suspended since July because of lack of progress. The negotiations will proceed for the moment with technical rather than major political issues. It is too early to assess whether significant progress can be made in the near...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland's application for a derogation under the Nitrates Directive was approved at a meeting of the EU Nitrates Committee on 13 November. The draft Commission Decision on the matter is now going through a routine scrutiny process, and I expect the formal Decision granting the derogation to be finalized by Christmas. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will then...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The main statutes governing cruelty to animals in this country are the Protection of Animals Acts 1911 and 1965. Responsibility for pursuing cases under that legislation rests with the Garda Síochána who may, on receipt of a complaint, investigate and bring a prosecution against any person alleged to have committed an act of cruelty against an animal. Information on convictions and-or on...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Question Nos. 69 and 96 together. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture published its report on the Early Retirement Schemes in February 2005. The report dealt with a range of issues and I responded to it in detail in September 2005. As I explained in this response, certain of the Committee's recommendations are precluded by the EU Regulations under which the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I have taken a number of steps to ensure that there is detailed information available to farmers about their responsibilities under the Nitrates Regulations. In February my Department placed advertisements in the farming press explaining the main provisions of the Regulations. Earlier this month an explanatory handbook, along with a copy of the revised Regulations introduced in July by the...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 85 together. Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) has a worldwide distribution and, until this year, Ireland and the UK had been previously free of this disease. The first cases of EIA were recorded in Ireland on the 15 June 2006. Some 27 cases of this disease have now been confirmed here in both the thoroughbred and sport horse sectors. My Department has,...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 226 together. Under CAP reform, farmers now have the freedom to focus more clearly on exploiting new farming opportunities, including agricultural production for non-food use, while retaining their single payment. This gives farmers an incentive to exploit new opportunities in growing energy crops as a feedstock for biofuel and biomass production. The...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Payments are currently being made under two Schemes of Early Retirement from Farming. I recently announced substantial increases in the maximum pension rates payable under both Schemes to take effect from 1 November 2006. I have decided to increase the maximum pension rate payable under the 1994-1999 Scheme from €12,075 to €14,075 and the maximum pension rate payable under the current...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (29 Nov 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The use of animals for experimental or other scientific purposes is regulated under EU and national legislation (respectively Council Directive 86/609/EEC and the European Communities (Amendment to Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876) Regulations, 1994) which legislation falls within the remit of the Minister for Health and Children. In the past, current and recently retired members of my...