Results 5,681-5,700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The legislative priorities for my Department are as set out in the Government Legislation Programme, published on 30th January, namely the Animal Health Bill and the Forestry Amendment Bill.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Payments are currently being made under two Schemes of Early Retirement from Farming. A total of 10,278 farmers entered the 1994-1999 Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming, which closed to new applicants on 31 December 1999. Under the 2000-2006 Scheme, which was introduced in November 2000 and closed at the end of December 2006, 2,958 cases have been approved for payment to date....

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I expect that there will be major benefits for producers and consumers in 2007 arising out of the on-going implementation of reformed CAP and the wide range of measures envisaged under the National Development Plan. The introduction of the full decoupling of direct payments under the Single Payment Scheme ensures that farmers now have the 'freedom to farm' and that the CAP will be geared...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The following table details annual levels of live cattle exports since 2002. The live export trade is an important competitive element in the livestock and meat industry and, as such, has my full support as an integral part of the sector. Following the abolition of Export Refunds on live animals, other than for breeding, this trade is now almost exclusively with other EU Member States. ...

Written Answers — Forestry Industry: Forestry Industry (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Following the introduction of new mapping technology, my Department became aware that the area of some forest plantations currently in receipt of premium payment had been incorrectly calculated. In many cases, the difference is negligible, but there are other cases where more significant over-claims have occurred. This type of discrepancy can happen when different mapping technologies are...

Written Answers — Sheepmeat Industry: Sheepmeat Industry (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Sheep Industry Development Strategy Group issued its report in June 2006. This is a comprehensive study of the sheep industry which sets out a Development Plan for the sector contained in 37 recommendations. I decided that the best way to implement these recommendations was to set up an implementation body comprised of representatives of all sectors in the industry, including the...

Written Answers — Official Travel: Official Travel (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The information will be forwarded directly to the Deputy on this matter in due course.

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The requirement that all bovine animals over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested for BSE is provided for in Regulation (EC) No.999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (The TSE Regulation). Accordingly I do not have the discretion...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The 30-day pre-movement test was introduced in 1998 to curtail the spread of Brucellosis following an upsurge in the disease. The veterinary advice at the time, which continues to apply, was that the movement/buying-in of cattle was deemed to be a major contributory factor in the spread of the disease and the 30 day test has contributed significantly to the effort in reducing the incidence...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The revised Farm Waste Management Scheme, which was launched by my Department in March 2006, closed for applications at the end of December 2006. A total of 48,580 applications have been received by my Department under the Scheme and these applications are currently being processed. It is my intention to process these applications as soon as possible and I am currently examining various...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I was very pleased with the results of the first milk quota Trading Scheme, which I announced last Wednesday. As the Deputy will be aware the scheme has two elements — a Priority Pool and a Market Pool, the latter functioning through an exchange mechanism. The Trading scheme allocates some 70% of the total quota offered for sale to the Exchange at which a market-clearing price is computed...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: As on 2 February 2007, 136 applications for the 2000-2006 Early Retirement Scheme are being processed in my Department. Of these 136 applications, 111 were received in December 2006.

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The negotiations on a new WTO agreement were launched at Doha in November 2001. While significant progress has been made towards concluding an agreement, most notably in the framework agreement which was reached in Geneva in August 2004 and at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December 2005, the negotiations broke down and were suspended in July 2006. Following a period of...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The enforcement of all food labelling regulations has been centralised in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). This came about as a result of one of the recommendations of the Food Labelling Group which reported in December 2002. The effect of this is that it not only streamlines the enforcement measures but it also provides a one-stop shop for any complaints on mislabelling of...

Written Answers — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I am satisfied that all poultry imported into Ireland is compliant with both EU and National regulations. Detailed EU legislation lays down the conditions that Member States must apply to the production of and trade in products of animal origin, including poultry meat and poultry meat products, as well as to imports of these products from third countries. Under harmonized legislation a...

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Detailed EU legislation lays down the conditions that Member States must apply to the production of and trade in products of animal origin as well as to imports of these products from third countries. It is a requirement that animal products imported from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between, Member States. All such imports...

Written Answers — Food Imports: Food Imports (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Imports of Sheep meat over the last five years are as shown in the table below: Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Tonnes (cwe) 1,979 1,821 2,682 2,460 N.A. UK 786 619 1,546 1,773 N.A. Other EU 378 435 341 304 N.A. New Zealand 388 165 614 380 N.A.

Written Answers — Food Exports: Food Exports (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Figures for the exports of Irish Sheep meat over the last 5 years are as follows: Exports of Irish sheepmeat 2000 to 2006 Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Total exports (cwe) 49,000 44,000 53,600 58,000 54,100 Of which to non EU Countries 916 136 1,250 490 Breakdown not available A Strategy Group examined the sheep industry in the first half of last year and presented me with a...

Written Answers — Beef Exports: Beef Exports (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Beef must be considered as one of the most robust and successful Irish export industries. This reflects the significant efforts of producers, processors and Bord Bia. In 2006, the Irish beef industry was worth €1.5 billion in foreign earnings to the Irish economy. Ireland is the largest export supplier within the EU and the largest net exporter in the northern hemisphere. Irish companies...

Written Answers — Environmental Protection: Environmental Protection (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland's decision, in the context of CAP reform, to opt for full decoupling at an early date took account, among other considerations, of Ireland's commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It recognised the fact that agriculture was still the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (though proportionately a declining one), and...