Results 5,861-5,880 of 18,461 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Written Answers — Crop Losses: Crop Losses (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 250 together. Following a preliminary assessment of the crop losses caused by the severe weather conditions in January, I announced, in February, the introduction of a limited scheme of financial assistance to certain potato and field vegetable growers who have suffered significant losses of produce due to frost damage. It is not proposed to extend...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: Out of 29,376 farmers due payments in REPS 4, 100% payments have issued to over 21,000 as of 23 April 2010, with a further 1,342 payments issuing this week. Details are set out on a county-by-county basis in the table. The processing of REPS 4 payments is governed by EU Regulations which require exhaustive administrative checks and on-the-spot inspections. In most parts of the country, the...
- Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 254 together. The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has made a proposal to my Department concerning a limited Sea Bass fishery in the Celtic Sea. In the proposal the FIF have stated that they will take a "precautionary approach to avoid any fishing whatsoever of the Irish inshore stock". The FIF has specifically proposed that vessels would be...
- Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: Operational aspects in relation to sea fisheries control operations are a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). I have asked the SFPA to respond directly to the Deputy. I am not aware of a report in recent years into illegal bass fishing prepared by the a manager of the Southern Fisheries Board. The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has made a proposal to my Department...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: The application belonging to the person named cannot be processed until he replies to a letter which my officials sent him on 9 April 2010.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: My officials wrote to the person named on 26 April 2010 about his application and are waiting for him to reply.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: The person named had 28 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Payment amounting to totalling â¬902 was issued to the applicant on 12th March 2009 in respect of 22 animals. During the validation process a number of queries arose in relation to the remaining animals and an official from my Department will make direct contact with the applicant with a view to...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Apr 2010)
Brendan Smith: The holding of the person concerned has been restricted under the TB and Brucellosis Eradication Scheme since 24 February 2010. As outlined in the Important Information for Farmers booklet, which is issued to all herdowners at the time of restriction, the amount to be paid by the Department under the On Farm Market Valuation Scheme, which is the difference between the on-farm market value of...
- Written Answers — Fireblight Levels: Fireblight Levels (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: There has been no report of fireblight this year. The Department's annual survey for Fireblight (Erwinia amylovora) commences in early June each year and runs until mid-October, as this is the optimum period for observing Fireblight symptoms in Ireland. During this period it is proposed to send approximately 1,600 samples for laboratory analysis. Last year's annual survey returned 21...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 5 May 2006 declaring a total area of 70.52ha This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility inspection. During the course of the inspection discrepancies were found with parcel number D3332905 and D3330911 and the area found eligible for Single...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The application from the person named is being dealt with in one of my Department's local offices in Kerry. For some time recently, the processing of REPS payments has been delayed in these offices because two vacant supervisory posts remained unfilled in line with the Government's moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the civil service. My Department has now put arrangements in place...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The person named submitted an application under the 2005 National Reserve under Categories B and D. Category B catered for farmers, who made an investment between the 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, 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 â 2002....
- Written Answers — Crop Losses: Crop Losses (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: There have been many calls on my Department for assistance in recent times, not only in respect of the recognised difficulties in the dairy and sheep sectors, which I addressed through the Dairy Hardship Scheme, the Dairy Efficiency Scheme, the Upland Sheep Payment and the Grassland Sheep Scheme, but also in response to difficulties brought about by adverse weather conditions. Two issues,...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: Payment will issue to the person named within ten working days.
- Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: On examination of the application from the person named, my officials concluded that the holding concerned in the application had been artificially created for the purpose of drawing down or maximising benefits under REPS. This decision was conveyed to the person named in a letter dated 3 March 2009. It is open to the person named to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office.
- Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: An amended application from the person named is currently being examined in my Department. The applicant will be informed of the outcome once this examination is complete.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The above named person registered nineteen calves for this scheme in 2009. It is a condition of the Suckler Welfare Scheme that for herds of more than ten animals that a graduated weaning practice be implemented. The animals must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimal interval of at least five days. To date payment has not issued to this...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications under this Scheme have been processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016. As the funding made available for the Scheme has been allocated to the eligible applications received up to 21 October 2007, there are no plans to...
- Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to address the objections of the person named in the allocation of shares and that the matter has been fully investigated by my Department. The Scheme that approves the person named for one of the shares is proceeding. I believe that no useful purpose would be served by another meeting on the matter and I understand that the person...
- Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (5 May 2010)
Brendan Smith: The agreement concluded with pig processors in December 2008 involved making available a facility of up to â¬180 million from the public finances to assist processors in funding the recall and destruction of certain pork products from the market. To date, a total of â¬87.5m has been paid to qualifying applicants under the Pigmeat Recall Scheme. Of this, â¬41.5m has been paid to 9 primary...