Results 6,221-6,240 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take questions 736 and 777 together. On 4 April 2007, I adopted legislation which amended the arrangements relating to the 45 day rule in relation to cattle and pigs. The changes follow on from a detailed review of the current legal framework for dealers and in the context of complying with EU legislation governing dealers. The most significant changes in the new legislation...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that the person named submitted an application for the 2006 Single Payment Scheme on the 12th May 2006. The entitlements in this case are not registered in the sole name of the person named. No application to transfer entitlements to the person named has been received by my Department. An official from my Department made direct contact with the person named outlining the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payments Scheme National Reserve under categories B and D. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003 made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid schemes would have been...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The application for payment in this case was received on 16th February 2007 and is being processed in line with the targets agreed with the farming bodies.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that two applications for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme to the person named were submitted on the 15th May 2006 and the 15th November 2006 respectively. The second application was accepted even though the closing date for completed applications to transfer entitlements was the 16th May 2006. During processing of the applications it was...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme to the person named was submitted on the 24th April 2006. During processing of the application it was necessary for an official of my Department to write to the person named to seek clarification on certain matters relating to the application. The requested documentation was received...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The EU Commission has not yet put forward a proposal for a review of the restructuring fund but is expected to do so at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers in May. Under the current EU Regulations, the first instalment (40%) of the restructuring aid would fall to be paid in June 2007 and the balance in February 2008. Final payment arrangements are subject to the outcome of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme to the first person named was submitted on the 11th April 2006. The application is now fully processed and payment of €1732.95 in respect of 8.69 transferred entitlements issued to the first person named on the 12th April 2007.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme to the first person named was submitted on the 12th April 2006. During processing of the application, it was necessary for an official of my Department to write to the first person named to seek specific documentation relating to the application. The requested information was received...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme from the first named person was submitted on the 25th April 2006. The Regulations governing the transfer of entitlements allow that Single Payment entitlements may be transferred without land only if the transferor has used at least 80% of his payment entitlements in one calendar year....

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department along with other agencies carried out extensive investigations to establish the sources of problems in respect of the cases mentioned, some of which occurred several years ago. The herdowners involved were kept informed of progress and, where appropriate, reports were produced detailing progress. In view of the expertise employed and the involvement of agencies other than my...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The requirement that all bovine animals over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested for BSE is provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (The TSE Regulation). Accordingly I do not have the discretion...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has the responsibility to enforce food law, including the legislation on country of origin labelling for beef. The Authority has contracted for the enforcement of the relevant regulations with the Health Service Executive, whose Environmental Health Officers carry the compliance checks. There are some 400 Environmental Health Officers working on...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 751, 752, 753 and 755 together. All beef sold or served in the retail or catering sector is now required by law to carry an indication of country of origin. There are EU Regulations which provide for the labelling of unprocessed poultrymeat at retail level. The information which these regulations require on the label includes the registered number of the...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The incidence of Brucellosis has been falling progressively in recent years. For example, the number of laboratory positives has fallen from 6,417 in 1998 to 212 in 2006. The total number of animals slaughtered under the eradication programme fell from 29,778 to 388 during the same period. There has been a similar decline in the number of herds depopulated from 328 in 1998 to 3 in 2006....

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (24 Apr 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 2000-2006. 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...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Registration of Potato Growers and Potato Packers Act, 1984, as amended, any person who grows or packs potatoes must be registered with this Department. The grower's registration number must be placed on the bag/label/container or in the case of a packer, both the packer's registration number and that of the grower. These registration numbers can be viewed by the consumer on the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme, it is proposed to introduce a grant scheme to support investments in relation to on-farm grain storage and related facilities. The Scheme will be introduced as soon as EU approval is received for the Programme.

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Changes in food prices are primarily a function of market forces at international, EU and national levels. How these changes come about is a complex matter based on demand, input costs and the ability to supply product at a competitive price. For a country that exports almost 80 per cent of their agricultural output, competitiveness is the major issue for the farming and food processing...

Written Answers — Farm Inspections: Farm Inspections (24 Apr 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that the policy towards on-farm inspection has been to give advance notification of up to 48 hours in all cases. This policy of systematic preannouncement of inspections was questioned by the European Commission in July 2006 and its unacceptability was conveyed to my Department in a formal communication in August. As a result, my Department was obliged to agree to a...