Results 5,961-5,980 of 18,461 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department actively encourages forest owners to thin their crops, where silviculturally appropriate. Not all forests are suitable for thinning. If a forest is exposed to high winds or located on unstable soils, the risk of thinning may outweigh the advantages. Thinning can not only improve the quality of the final crop trees, it can also provide a source of intermediate income for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Funding is currently available for the Forest Road Scheme and applications are being processed in the normal way.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. His application was rejected as certain requirements, notably concerning the lease, were not met. Under the terms and conditions of the Scheme a lease must run for at least seven years from an applicant's set-up date and this was not the case for this application. Further submissions regarding the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Payment will issue to the person named within ten working days.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has 14 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. The Terms and Conditions of the Suckler Welfare Scheme (section 8.5.2) clearly states that for herds of more than 10 suckler cows a gradual weaning procedure must be followed. It is open to the farmers to wean at pasture or indoors but the calves must be weaned in at least 2 separate groups with each...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under EU legislation (Council Regulation 104/2000 and Commission Regulation 2065/2001) fishery products, including Lobsters must be labelled with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation catchment, common name and species name. The food business operator must also be in a position to trace the fishery product (Lobster) one step back in the supply chain, and ensuring that all...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The bacterium Aerococcus viridans var. homeri causes a disease called Gaffkaemia. This disease is endemic to the lobster (Homarus americanus) populations of North America and it has been reported that the level of infection in wild populations can range from 0-40%. The disease has also been reported in European waters, firstly back in 1996 and on several occasions since then. The European...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: My officials have asked the person named for record sheets and a copy of a lease. His application cannot be processed further until these are received.

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The current review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was initiated by the European Commission when it issued a Green Paper in April 2009 and sought responses to the proposals it contained. Minister Killeen, who had responsibility for the Fisheries portfolio at that time, appointed Dr. Noel Cawley to chair a nationwide public consultation process. The result of these extensive...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Drafting of the Animal Health and Welfare Bill, which gives effect to commitments in the Programme for Government and the Renewed Programme for Government on issues relating to animal health and welfare is ongoing in my Department. The legislation will amend and consolidate legislation in the area of animal health, particularly to reflect the changed disease status of our animals. Existing...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The original REPS 4 plan submitted by the person named was found to be incorrect. An adjusted plan submitted on 19 April 2010 was again incorrect, and my officials have been in contact with the applicant's planner with a view to resolving the matter.

Written Answers — Irish Horseracing Industry: Irish Horseracing Industry (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Since taking over responsibility for the horse and greyhound racing industries on May 12010, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the stakeholders in these very important industries. I look forward to maintaining that engagement, with a view to working with all the stakeholders in the best interests of these industries. The regulation of gambling is under the remit of my colleague,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: This is a very complex situation involving fourteen parcels of common land and ninety claimants. The area involved is claimed by individual farmers under various area-based schemes including the Single Payment Scheme, Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and REPS. There are four applicants (two of which declared the commonage for the first time in 2009 and the other two in 2007), whose claims on the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The payment belonging to the person named is at an advanced stage of processing and he will be advised of the outcome shortly.

Written Answers — Agri-Environment Options Scheme: Agri-Environment Options Scheme (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: There has been significant interest in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme since it opened for applications on 30 March 2010. The closing date for receipt of applications was Monday 17 May 2010 and at close of business on that day some 4,400 applications had been submitted to my Department's office at Johnstown Castle Estate in Wexford. However, given the short time frame for submitting...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: While there are 12 State Bodies/Agencies under the aegis of my Department, it does not provide funding for all of them. The bodies that do not receive funding from my Department are Coillte Teoranta and the Irish National Stud Company which are both commercial bodies and the Veterinary Council of Ireland and National Milk Agency which are funded by means of registration fees or a statutory...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: There were 2,703 applications for REPS 4 in County Mayo. Of these, 2,081 have been paid in full and the remainder are being processed. The acceptance of REPS 4 applications is governed by EU Regulations which require exhaustive administrative checks and on-the-spot inspections. In a significant number of the applications received, the administrative checks raised issues and queries which...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: A substantial proportion of expenditure under the Department's Vote comprises schemes and activities which are subject to external factors such as demand from beneficiaries, market and economic factors, animal disease incidence and the pace at which capital investment and research projects are completed by the beneficiaries of grant aid. Accordingly, savings on the funding provided in the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: An appeal by the person named in relation to over-payments recouped from the applicant and relating to Single Farm Payments made between 2005 to 2009 has been successful and all monies concerned have been refunded.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (25 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Payment issued to the person named on 19 May 2010.