Results 6,001-6,020 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

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

Mary Coughlan: REPS farmers availing of the €45 per ha premium under the EU Energy Crops Scheme will have their REPS payment adjusted to avoid double payment on the area planted to comply with EU regulatory requirements. They will, however, qualify for the 50% establishment grant and the €80 per ha national top up payment. As payment under the Area-Based Disadvantaged Areas Compensatory Allowances...

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

Mary Coughlan: I wish to inform the Deputy that Teagasc, at my request, carried out a study in 2006 involving the evaluation of the possible national economic implications for the Agri-Food industry from the use of GMOs in crop and livestock production. Teagasc based their study on the following scenarios: (i) The economic implications of only allowing the importation into Ireland of certified GM-free soya...

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

Mary Coughlan: The position is that the Single Payment Scheme is applicable to farmers who farmed during the three-year reference period 2000-2002, who drew down livestock or Arable Aid premia in at least one of those years and who continued to farm in 2005. The Single Payment Scheme entitlements established for individual farmers, therefore, are a true reflection of their farming activity and premia...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has allocated €257 million for the 2007 Area-Based Disadvantaged Areas Compensatory Allowance Scheme. This amount includes provision for an across-the-board payment increase of 8% over and above the 2006 basic grant rates. At present, approval is awaited from the EU Commission for the 2007 Scheme, which forms part of the Rural Development Programme Plan 2007 to 2013. Under...

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

Mary Coughlan: My Department has contributed to the development of the horticulture industry particularly through its grant aid schemes under the National Development Plan. These schemes have been a catalyst for investment and growth and have assisted producers to upgrade or develop new production facilities and have also enabled commercial enterprises to improve marketing and processing facilities. The...

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 228 and 244 together. All poultry meat and poultry meat products imported into Ireland for human consumption are subject to checks to ensure compliance 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...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The enforcement of all food labelling regulations is centralised in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). This work is carried out through a number service contracts between the FSAI and other Government Departments and Agencies including my own Department. The Department of Health & Children is responsible for general food labelling regulations, the Department of Communications,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: In order to receive payment under the Single Payment Scheme, a person must have Single Payment Entitlements. The person named does not have Single Payment Entitlements. He did not farm during the reference years 2000-2002. He inherited land from his mother in 2001 but did not commence farming in his own right until 2005. He did not inherit any entitlements because the land that he...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's records have revealed that the farming enterprise of the person named produced considerably in excess of the REPS upper limit of 170 kgs organic nitrogen per hectare in 2005. This is a serious breach of the Scheme conditions. He was informed of this breach by letter on 4 September 2006 and was asked for an explanation. He provided an unsatisfactory explanation on 18...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Categories A B and D. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May, 2005 and who had leased out his/her holding to a third party during the reference...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme to the person named was submitted on the 27th April 2006. During processing of the Transfer application it was necessary for an official of my Department to request specific documentation relating to the application. The requested information was received and the application is now fully...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: There has been no delay in dealing with this application, which was received on 18 January and was processed in accordance with Charter of Rights for Farmers guidelines. Payment issued on 28 February.

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

Mary Coughlan: I do not accept that the EU co-funded Schemes of Early Retirement from Farming have been implemented unfairly. As regards the level of pension under the 1994–1999 and 2000–2006 Schemes, the possibility of a co-funded increase was raised with the European Commission on a number of occasions but they ruled it out. In 2006, however, I secured an indication from the Commission that they...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together. Two Roll on-Roll off vessels are approved for the carriage of livestock including cattle, sheep and pigs. Horses may be transported on these vessels also under certain specified conditions. One of the vessels is authorised to carry 21 approved livestock vehicles and the second vessel is authorised to carry 4 approved livestock vehicles....

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Some 13 appointments to public bodies under the aegis of my Department were made in the first six months of 2002.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: In the last two months, I have made four appointments to public bodies under the aegis of my Department to fill vacancies routinely arising.

Written Answers — Installation Aid Scheme: Installation Aid Scheme (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person concerned is an applicant for grant-aid under the Installation Aid Scheme. His application for payment (IAS 2) form is currently being examined within my Department and the outcome will be notified shortly.

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

Mary Coughlan: Under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme, it is proposed to grant-aid the construction of on-farm waste processing systems, including anaerobic digestion. The details of the proposed Scheme will be established as soon as EU approval is received for the overall Programme.

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

Mary Coughlan: The meat sector in Ireland generates approximately 560,000 tonnes of animal by-products annually, which in turn is rendered into 150,000 tonnes of meat and bone meal (MBM) and 90,000 tonnes of tallow. The EU ban in November 2000 on the feeding of MBM to cattle had the effect of transforming a product with a high commercial value to a product with significant disposal costs. In the aftermath...

Written Answers — Agricultural Exports: Agricultural Exports (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Bord Bia estimates that agri-food exports were worth in excess of €8 billion in 2006. This was against a backdrop of increasing competitive pressures and a strengthening euro. Over 80% of Irish dairy production is exported, with the majority being traded on the EU market. Exports in 2006 exceeded €2 billion with an increase in the volume of primary products send abroad, as well as strong...