Results 5,981-6,000 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Single Payment Scheme was introduced in Ireland with effect from 1 January 2005, following the decision to opt for full decoupling. The Regulations governing the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme provide for the application of compulsory Modulation at a rate of 3% in 2005, 4% in 2006 and 5% in each of the years 2008 to 2012, inclusive. Those applicants with entitlement to...

Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 104 together. Despite the greater challenges brought about by the implementation of the 2003 Luxembourg Agreement to reform the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) the Irish Dairy Sector performed well in 2006 with exports of €2.08bn. Dairy farmers incomes are made up of the market price paid for milk and direct income support from the EU. The average...

Written Answers — Organic Production: Organic Production (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: In the absence of the insurance industry being willing to offer insurance cover to growers of GM crops the Interdepartmental Working Group, which was established by 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, identified compensation for possible economic losses that might be incurred by non-GM...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: From the time that the first case of Equine Infectious Anaemia was confirmed last June, my Department's approach to the containment, management and eradication of the disease has consistently been based on risk. All decisions, whether related to the restriction of premises, restriction of individual horses or the surveillance of certain equine populations, were aimed at containing and...

Written Answers — Animal Health Regime: Animal Health Regime (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: There is a long history of co-operation between the administrations north and south on animal health issues. The administrations have traditionally shared information at local and national levels on disease control and surveillance issues and have worked together to combat illegal movements of animals and animal products. The establishment of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC)...

Written Answers — Land Mobility: Land Mobility (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Low levels of land mobility can be an obstacle for those who wish to enter farming or expand the size of their holding. More recently, leasing has become an increasingly popular means of securing land as the volume of land sold on the open market declines and land prices rise. A number of schemes and reliefs have been introduced in recent years to bring about improvements in land mobility...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006 were made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in July 2006. In order to inform and assist farmers with the Regulations, my own Department produced an Explanatory Handbook for farmers setting out in clear terms their obligations under the Regulations. This Handbook,...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I decided to increase the maximum pension payable under the 1994–99 Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming from €12,075 to €14,075 per annum and the maximum pension payable under the 2000-2006 Scheme from €13,515 to €15,000 per annum with effect from 1 November 2006. These increases, which will be funded entirely from the Exchequer formed part of the undertakings in the social...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Although Ireland's application for a derogation has been approved by the EU Nitrates Committee, the European Commission has not yet issued its formal decision. Until it does so, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government cannot make the necessary amendments to the Regulations. However, my officials are actively making preparations to implement the derogation. Full...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The first annual progress report on the implementation of the Agri Vision 2015 Action Plan will be made available at the Agri Vision stakeholders' forum, which is scheduled to take place on 23 March 2007. This report will provide detailed information on progress under each of the action points contained in the Plan.

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The deliberate release of genetically modified crops into the environment is legislated for under EU Directive 2001/18/EC which provides, inter alia, for controls governing the assessment and authorisation procedures for GM crop cultivation. The EPA is the competent authority for the implementation of this Directive in Ireland. This Directive is part of a suite of GM legislation, adopted by...

Written Answers — Sheep Industry: Sheep Industry (8 Mar 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 relevant...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's programmes for the eradication of TB and Brucellosis provide for a comprehensive range of measures, including the mandatory annual testing of all cattle in the national herd, the early removal of reactors, a wildlife programme involving the targeted removal of badgers where they are implicated in a TB outbreak, the depopulation of infected herds where appropriate and the...

Written Answers — Sheep Industry: Sheep Industry (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Sheep Industry Development Strategy Group issued its report in June 2006. This is a comprehensive study of the sheep industry that 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 relevant...

Written Answers — Agrifood Sector: Agrifood Sector (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Agri-Vision 2015 Report sets out a vision identifying the delivery of safe, high-quality, nutritious food, produced in a sustainable manner, to well-informed consumers in high value markets as the optimum road for the future of the Irish food industry. The 160 actions in the Agri-Vision Action Plan, which I launched last year, form a coherent strategy for implementation, which is...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department enforces food legislation on behalf of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) by way of a service contract agreed between the Department and the Authority. In accordance with the service contract officials from my Department meet on a regular basis with the FSAI to discuss food safety and the enforcement of related regulations. During these discussions all aspects of food...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: 48,580 applications were received by my Department under the Farm Waste Management Scheme by the closing date of end-December 2006. This figure includes incomplete applications (e.g. missing the required drawings) and those for which planning permission has either not yet been applied for or is still awaited. Farmers and their advisers have until end-March 2007 to submit the required...

Written Answers — Horticulture Sector: Horticulture Sector (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The vegetable sector is a very important sector of the horticultural industry which is capable of further substantial growth and development. The value of farm gate output of the fresh vegetables sector in 2006 is estimated at €80m of which outdoor field vegetables were valued at approximately €60m. While there has been a consolidation of grower numbers over the last number of years,...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Planting policy on species selection seeks to increase the diversity of species planted in Irish forests. For landowners planting under the national afforestation programme, the choice of species is a matter for the individual who is planting, subject to site suitability and its inclusion in the Forest Service's Approved Species List. This list includes several native species.

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Insofar as the Department's inspection checklist on cross compliance is concerned this is an internal checklist used for the 2006 inspections which was made available to the farming organisations and the farmers being inspected. It is not a document for completion by the farmer. This checklist is being reviewed as part of the full review my Department is carrying out on the inspection...