Results 6,341-6,360 of 18,482 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Processing of the 2009 Single Payment Scheme application form of the person named revealed that one land parcel claimed by the person named had another Scheme applicant. In keeping with standard procedure, both individuals were written to and asked to confirm their entitlement to claim the land in question. Both responded claiming the right to claim said land and both submitted legal...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Farm Waste Management Scheme closed for new applications at the end of 2006. Expenditure under the Scheme since then has been as follows:- Year Amount (€m) 2007 113.9 2008 413.7 2009 292.8 2010 (end-June) 195.6 Approx. €122 million (excluding any ex-gratia payments) shall be paid to farmers by way of the final instalment of grant-aid under the Scheme which is due in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The details requested by the Deputy are as follows: 2008 2009 2010 Annual Budget â'¬189.523m â'¬179.731m â'¬167.250m Department funding â'¬148.873m â'¬145.990m â'¬135.594m *Serving Staff 1,512 1,574 1,432 * includes permanent and contract staff The annual budget for Teagasc includes Department funding and own generated income from advisory service fees etc. The annual budget...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Since the publication of the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, Department funding to Teagasc has been cut by €11m from €146m in 2009 to €135m in 2010. The Government moratorium on public service numbers also applies to the filling of posts in Teagasc and requires Teagasc to achieve a permanent, structural reduction in the numbers of staff...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The full-time equivalent staff numbers in my Department from 2008 to 31st May 2010 are as follows: 31st December 2008 4,245 31st December 2009 3,881 31st May 2010 3,710 The Grades in which they are employed are outlined below: 2008 2009 2010 Acting Harbour Master 2 2 2 Advisory Counsel Grade 3 1 1 1 Agricultural Inspector 94 85 80 Administrative Officer 25 24 24 Area Superintendent...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 613 together. The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2009 were developed for the purpose of giving statutory effect to Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme under the EU Nitrates Directive. The Directive requires each Member State's Action Programme to specify periods when the land application of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Notwithstanding that the amendment form in question was received in my Department after the latest date for receipt of amendment forms under the 2009 Single Payment Scheme, as defined in the governing EU Regulations, under the rules concerning the consolidation of single payment entitlements ("the 50% rule"), were the two parcels which were listed on the amendment form in question to be taken...

Written Answers — Intra-Community Trade: Intra-Community Trade (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Since the FMD outbreak in 2001 and arising from certain concerns relating to scrapie, all exports of sheep for breeding or production must comply fully with normal rules for intra-community trade. Intra -Community trade in sheep is governed by the provisions of Council Directive 2003/50/EC which amends Council Directive 91/68/EEC. These controls apply to breeding sheep whether they are...

Written Answers — Greyhound Racing Industry: Greyhound Racing Industry (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: As I announced on Friday 2nd July 2010, I will introduce legislation in the Autumn to amend the Greyhound Industries Act 1958 to put the welfare standards for greyhounds on a statutory basis. I intend to give statutory effect to the current very comprehensive guide for the care and welfare of greyhounds published by Bord na gCon.

Written Answers — Horse and Greyhound Racing Industries: Horse and Greyhound Racing Industries (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Funding for the horse and greyhound racing industries will continue to be provided through the Horse and Greyhound Fund. The level of funding to be provided in 2011 will be determined in the context of the preparation of next year's estimates. In the meantime, work is progressing on how best to give effect to the commitment set out by the Taoiseach in relation to the application of betting...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department's overall national strategy for the eradication of TB provides for a comprehensive range of measures, including the mandatory annual testing for all cattle in the national herd, the restriction of holdings where reactors are disclosed, risk-based testing of herds contiguous to infected herds, the early removal of reactors, a wildlife programme involving the targeted removal of...

Written Answers — Agri-Environment Options Scheme: Agri-Environment Options Scheme (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under EU Regulations, all applications for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme must be administratively checked for eligibility before approval can issue. This process is under way and will be completed as quickly as possible. My Department has already written to all applicants acknowledging receipt of their applications, and advising them that once all applications have been assessed they...

Written Answers — Agri-Environment Options Scheme: Agri-Environment Options Scheme (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Provision has been made for the launch of the Agri-Environment Options Scheme at a rate of up to €5,000 for approximately 10,000 participants. By the closing date of 17 May 2010, my Department had received over 9,000 applications. My officials are currently examining these applications, and until this process is completed it will not be possible to determine what costs will arise in...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Farmers in REPS 3 are paid at the start of each year of their contracts. There are still 24,753 farmers in REPS 3. Of these, 10,601 will finish their contracts between now and the end of 2010 and received their last payments during 2009. The other 23,693 will finish their contracts in 2011, and are receiving their last payments this year. At an average annual payment of €6,200 per...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The REPS 4 applications received for North Tipperary are set out in the following table: Des is inserting this table. All of these 854 participants who applied in 2007, 2008 and 2009 are entitled to a REPS 4 payment for the 2009 scheme year. Up to 1 July 2010, 805 had received their payments. In all the other cases there are issues to be resolved before payments can be released. Farmers in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Details of applications under the Single Payment Scheme are maintained on a county basis and, therefore, my Department's statistics relate to the entire county of Tipperary and are as follows: 2007: 7,339 applications, of which 6,984 have been paid a total of €105,645,716, to date; 2008: 7,287 applications, of which 6,936 have been paid a total of €106,183,892, to date; 2009: 7,274...

Written Answers — Marine Industry: Marine Industry (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: BIM has provided estimated figures for employment in the seafood processing sector. There has been a decrease in the numbers employed in the fish processing sector from 2,205 full-time and 1302 part-time employed in 2005 to 2,150 full-time and 380 part-time employed at the end of 2009. This ongoing reduction is mainly in part-time employment due to less fish being processed, process plant...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The data below on employment in the manufacture of food and beverages is taken from the CSO's Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). The QNHS does not enumerate the number of jobs created or lost in any given sector, rather it presents the level in terms of the numbers employed in the sector. The following table give details in terms of the numbers employed for the most recent complete...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has submitted an application for support under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme. Under EU Regulations, all applications for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme must be administratively checked for eligibility before approval can issue. This process is under way and will be completed as quickly as possible. My Department has already written to all applicants acknowledging...

Written Answers — Farming Sector: Farming Sector (8 Jul 2010)

Brendan Smith: Number of Farmers The following table 1 shows recent data on the number of farmers from the CSO's Farm Structure Survey for 2005 and 2007 and the importance of farm work to them in terms of being either a major or subsidiary occupation. Between 2005 and 2007, the number of farm holders decrease by 3.3% while the numbers reporting farming as their sole occupation declined by 9.4%. Table 1....