Results 6,381-6,400 of 18,482 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for 29 animals under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, one of the primary requirements for applicants with herds of more than 10 cows, the animals must be weaned in at least two separate groups with at least five days between the weaning of each group. The person named declared that he had weaned all of the animals on 15...

Written Answers — Salmon Farming: Salmon Farming (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department has sought and obtained legal advice in relation to the issues that arise and continues to make every effort to resolve the situation as soon as possible in the public interest.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received on the 17th of May 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and full cross compliance inspection. As soon as the inspection results have been processed, a 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will issue with a 25% balancing payment on 20...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are currently 12 State Bodies which come under the aegis of my Department and in most cases there is no requirement under legislation for Ministerial approval of the Annual Reports but there is a requirement to lay such Reports before both Houses of the Oireachtas except in the case of the Veterinary Council of Ireland. The information requested by the Deputy is laid out in the table...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: On 23 April 2010 the Food Safety Authority of Ireland advised that it was investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium DT8 in humans that was linked to the consumption of duck eggs. Subsequent investigations revealed that nine individual flocks were infected. Duck eggs are not covered under EU legislation on marketing standards or zoonosis and there is no scheme of compensation for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1631,1635 and 1661 together. The person named applied for 64 animals under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme and payment has issues in respect of 58 animals. Payment cannot be made for the remaining animals until the outstanding queries are satisfactorily dealt with, and my Department is awaiting a response from the applicant in relation to these queries.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for 23 animals under the Suckler Welfare Scheme for 2009. Payment was made in March 2010 in respect of 8 of these animals. A number of queries arose on the remaining 15 animals during the validation process undertaken by my Department. A letter has issued to the applicant requesting clarification and a reply is awaited.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for 24 animals under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Payments have already been issued to the applicant in respect of 23 animals. Payment for the remaining animal was recently approved by my Department and it will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named registered 19 beef breed calves in 2009. A number of queries regarding the animals were identified and correspondence issued to the person named. A response has been received recently and is currently being examined. Payment will issue shortly if all of the queries are resolved in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of this Department's review of areas declared by applicants under the Single Payment Scheme, two ineligible areas (dwelling house and roadway) were identified and removed from the applications of the person named. This resulted in the eligible area of the parcel in question being reduced and over-payments posted for each of the application years concerned (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Licences: Fishing Vessel Licences (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are 1820 less than 12 metre vessels currently entered on the Fishing Boat Register.

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Funding was provided under the 2009 Fishery Harbour & Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme for the completion of a feasibility study on the dredging of the harbour. This study was undertaken by Engineering Consultants RPS on the proposed methods and related dredging costs for Dunmore East harbour. The final report was issued in November 2009. The main findings were that 80% of the...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the application in question has been referred to South Tipperary County Council for observations and my Department has not, as yet, received a reply. On receipt of a report from South Tipperary County Council a decision will be taken by my Department in relation to the issue of a felling licence for the site.

Written Answers — Agri-environmental Scheme: Agri-environmental Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Letters of approval have issued to almost 6,000 applicants for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), giving farmers a start date in the scheme from 1 September 2010. This represents almost two-thirds of all applicants and the processing of these applications was carried out within a challenging time-frame. My officials are giving priority to processing the remaining applications with a...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Further participation in the new Agri-environment Options Scheme will be determined by the level of funding available to my Department. All EU funding for the scheme up to the end of 2013 is now fully committed. Any further support in that period will have to be funded entirely by the Exchequer and this is a matter that will be considered in the context of the annual Estimates process.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under the EU Regulations governing the Agri-Environment Options Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, all administrative checks, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Information System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Payment will issue at the earliest possible date once these checks have been completed.

Written Answers — Agri-environmental Scheme: Agri-environmental Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: A total of about 9,200 applications were received for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme, including 426 from County Clare. Letters of approval have issued to almost 6,000 applicants, of which 266 are in Co Clare. My officials are giving priority to processing the remaining applications with a view to issuing further approvals as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Herd Numbers: Herd Numbers (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The position in relation to herd numbers is that, under Irish and EU rules relating to disease control and intra-Community trade in live animals, the herd number identifies a herd as a defined "epidemiological" unit and separate epidemiological units must be allocated separate herd numbers. Being in one "epidemiological" unit means that the animals in the herd/flock on a holding share the...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has not been in communication with my Department in the period since the Deputy's previous Question on his behalf. As I stated in my previous reply, my Department was unable to accept his application under the Early Retirement Scheme because it did not satisfy all of the scheme conditions. Specifically, there was an issue with his proposed transferee's off-farm income in...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Licences: Fishing Vessel Licences (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The recent surveys on decommissioning of fishing vessels were conducted as part of a Value for Money (VFM) Review, currently underway in my Department. This Review is focussed on the decommissioning schemes from 2005/06 and 2008. VFM Reviews are part of the Government's long-term Expenditure Review Programme. Their principal objectives are to ensure that analysis of the impacts of Exchequer...