Results 5,761-5,780 of 18,459 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Common Agricultural Policy. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: My first meeting with the new Commissioner after his appointment was a week after he took office. I emphasised that the agricultural community throughout the EU should be transmitting a better message to the citizens of the Union. I said we need to remind those outside the agrifood sector that the Common Agricultural Policy benefits every citizen in the Union. I pointed out that the policy...

Common Agricultural Policy. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I suggest that the agrifood sector should derive more funding from the research, development and innovation directorate. We discussed that issue with the new EU Commissioner, Mrs. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, quite recently. I did not respond to the point the Deputy made earlier about the importance of Pillar 1. I am totally committed to Pillar 1. If we ensure direct payments continue to be...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I presume the Deputy is referring to recent reports of imports of malt from the UK by a major Irish brewer. This is a private commercial matter for the company in which I have no role. However, since my Department has had a long association with the malting barley industry in Ireland, I am naturally interested in developments in this area. With regard to its decision to use imported malt,...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I agree with the Deputy that the cereal industry has gone through a difficult time. Top quality product is grown here. I spoke to the chief executive officer of Greencore regarding his company's termination of its interest in this business in Ireland. Greencore is still in negotiations with the IFA regarding redress for farmers whose contracts have been terminated and an appeals mechanism...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: One of the issues brought to my attention by farmers at one stage in regard to pricing is the disagreements between the farming organisations and Greencore Malt about the price paid for the crop over a number of years. Apart from considering the price to be too low, the fact that Greencore Malt only set the price at harvest time placed the farmer in a more vulnerable position than usual as...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am not privy to the negotiations and how they have progressed but I hope there will be redress for farmers whose contacts have been terminated. I understand consideration is being given to the establishment of an appeals mechanism. It is an important product for an important Irish brand. Any of us who sample the product can always attest to its quality. We are proud that the raw...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I mean no disrespect to other good products.

Dairy Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Milk supplies are subject to a number of variables, including price, climatic and other factors. On the 2009 to 2010 quota year, which ended on 31 March 2010, preliminary figures from the co-ops indicate that milk deliveries were 9.82% under-quota nationally for the year as a whole. Milk markets have been subject to extremes of volatility in recent years. From the high prices in 2007, world...

Dairy Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Regarding the drop in production, even though we do not have official figures, we have made informal contacts with the industry. It has been suggested that in the first two weeks of April deliveries were considerably down, perhaps in excess of 6% compared to the same period last year, due primarily to restricted grass growth as a result of the prolonged cold spell. However, more recent...

Dairy Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: What Deputy Sherlock said is correct. It is often a case of supply and demand. Buoyancy will return to the market and that will ensure an adequate price will be returned right along the dairy chain. The market management measures put a floor under the price. Last year, we argued that they were extremely important but we would have liked to have had that floor at a higher level under the...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The details requested are contained in a tabular statement which will be circulated to Members. Under EU regulations, the Department is required to carry out controls each year on 5% of participants in REPS. These controls involve a full check of the farm plan as well as an on-farm inspection. Where farmers are found to be in breach of their undertakings, a penalty must be imposed. The...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I do not have an exact percentage breakdown between the reasons for the different types of penalty imposed. We will carry out a scoping exercise and provide the results to the Deputy. We did not have the time to gather that information in the time available as there is pressure to make payments in the REPS area. By and large the farmer undertakes to comply with a number of conditions of the...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I believe the number is relatively small but late submissions necessitate otherwise unnecessary clerical work by the Department. It costs us to write to people. We even telephone people to ask them to return their claims before the end of the year so we can pay them. That is not always the biggest problem. Inspectors are trying to finalise submissions when they visit individual farmers.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Ferris and all Members from Kerry have spoken to me on a number of occasions regarding delays in payments from the two offices in County Kerry. From recollection and from having spoken to Oireachtas colleagues in the past day or two, I note approximately 60% of payments had been made in County Kerry. There was a difficulty over staffing in the office but it has been resolved today....

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I discussed the relatively small cohort to which the Deputy referred with officials relatively recently. I will obtain an update and inform the Deputy of the outcome on Tuesday next. I asked whether there was a provision that could facilitate those who, through no fault of their own, had not the opportunity to return a form.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The schemes are run very efficiently. Many applications that are received are deficient. At times, the Department sends back applications for further clarification and in respect of which further data must be submitted. The replies do not always come as expeditiously as the Department would like. We want to ensure farmers receive their payments rather than deny them the opportunity of...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: In order to sign off on some applications so payments can be made, officials of a certain rank are required. In the offices in question, we had no officials of that rank. An agreement has been reached to allow for officials to be put in place who will be able to sign off on the forms.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: That will start immediately in regard to Kerry.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I presume they will be sent out quite rapidly, although everybody will not have them on Monday.

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of proposals in relation to the use of unspent Single Payment Scheme and Modulation funds and the European Economic Recovery Programme, I announced in 2009 that, subject to the receipt of EU Commission approval, I intended to introduce support for a number of specific categories of farmers which would be focused on supporting productive investment. The measures include:- A scheme...