Results 6,781-6,800 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I am not embarrassed.
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I should be more embarrassed if I had a â¬79 million scheme and nobody was interested in applying for it. That would be a greater embarrassment.
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: There are 48,000 applications under the farm waste management scheme. That is the largest capital investment in the sector in the history of the State and is very flaithiúlach in the context of encouraging people to address the issues of the nitrates directive. That has been and will remain the priority of the Department.
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I have overspent this year by â¬350 million, but on the basis of a very fine Minister for Finance, who appreciates my difficulties, I have been allowed to transfer some of my savings into that scheme because we have to address these issues. Deputy Crawford will appreciate there are many people in County Monaghan who have to be looked after.
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Since 2000 I have invested in 5,000 applications under the dairy hygiene scheme as well as almost 12,000 under the farm improvement scheme. Overall, there are almost 60,000 applications and people to be supported. Deputy Creed likes to remind me of my job so I shall remind him of what his crowd did in April 1995. I have 60,000 applications to deal with. His party in government had control...
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: It was part of the partnership agreement and, as I said, we shall be reviewing this and the priorities with all the farming organisations in 2008. I am reviewing all the applications on hand and those which have been sanctioned will be paid. We will then work towards payment of the rest when we see the different categories and know when people are going to invest etc. When all this has...
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The answer is that when I negotiated the partnership agreement, we had a finite amount of resources, â¬350 million, of which â¬79 million was for the farm improvement scheme. The agreement provided that this was the amount to be spent until the money ran out. Moving on from the agreement there was to be a review in 2008 on the basis of ascertaining how these programmes were manifesting....
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I am not ignoring the fact that a number of people have a natural expectation, perhaps next year or the year after, to do certain things. As matters stand I have to ascertain the timeframe as regards a number of applications on hand that might have been hopefully shoved in, but which might be unfair to people with a natural and genuine need. All that has to be ascertained. On the issue of...
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: ââthe farm waste management scheme is addressing that and I have allocated enormous resources and energy to this area.
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: It is. Anybody who has missed the big farm waste management schemeââ
- Farm Improvement Scheme. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Yes, but the farm waste management scheme was moved ahead.
- Food Industry. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy does not appreciate my answers.
- EU Legislation. (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The Deputy is misrepresenting the situation. For ten years they knew what would happen.
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: There are currently 15 staff dealing with aquaculture licensing within my Department. This does not take into account work-sharing activities. One member of staff previously working in this area has transferred to the Clonakilty Office.
- Written Answers — Native Livestock Breeds: Native Livestock Breeds (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: My Department is very aware of the need to conserve native rare breeds of cattle and sheep and actively participates in conservation programmes at National, EU and International levels. Conservation of rare breeds of farm animals is crucial in achieving sustainability of livestock production. My Department supports on-farm conservation of genetics resources in a number of ways. The REPS 4...
- Written Answers — Animal Vaccination Scheme: Animal Vaccination Scheme (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The bluetongue virus (serotype 8), which emerged in northern Europe in 2006, re-emerged this year and, in September, an outbreak of the disease was confirmed in Britain for the very first time. Cases of the serotype 8 strain have now been confirmed in nine European countries. Since the disease was first confirmed in August 2006, my Department has been developing contingency arrangements, in...
- Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I met the Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on 11 September 2007. We discussed the importance of ensuring compliance with food labelling requirements especially in relation to the country of origin to beef sold in the retail and catering sector. My Department is in regular contact with the FSAI. We established the Food Safety Liaison Unit in my Department in 2001 to...
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Under the Government Decentralisation Programme the Fisheries Divisions of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as well as an Bord Iascaigh Mhara are to be co-located in Clonakilty. The Department opened an interim decentralised office in Clonakilty in July 2006 and there are currently 80 civil servants from the fisheries Division of the Department working in that office. In...
- Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: My Department has completed a comprehensive review of the Forestry Act 1946 and draft Heads of a new Forestry Bill have been prepared. The proposed legislation will address many of the issues raised during the extensive consultation process undertaken by my Department. As I stated in May, allowing a change of land use in certain limited circumstances will be one such issue. In drawing up the...
- Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (6 Nov 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I am not in a position to confirm the details set out by the Deputy. I am seeking information from the European Commission, which is responsible for EU bilateral aid agreements, and I will issue a detailed response in writing when I have more information.