Results 6,801-6,820 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Plant Protection Products: Plant Protection Products (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I am aware of the position recently adopted by the European Parliament regarding the proposed legislation on the marketing and use of Plant Protection Products. This area is subject to Co-decision procedures and, while the EU Parliament has adopted a position, Council has not yet completed a first reading of the legislative texts concerned. Consequently there is no agreed EU position at...

Written Answers — Meat Imports: Meat Imports (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Detailed EU legislation lays down the conditions that Member States must apply to the production of and trade in products of animal origin as well as to imports of these products from third countries. It is a requirement that animal products imported from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between, Member States. All such imports...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed an agreement, last July, designed to facilitate the sharing of information in relation to food safety. This marks the first formal step to promote cooperation between the two agencies aimed at facilitating the sharing of scientific information and setting the tone for future cooperation. It is...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I would welcome the publication of this report at the earliest possible date. However it is important to note that the FVO have procedures which can involve protracted correspondence on their draft report with the national authorities in the Member State or Third country concerned. The time taken for the publication of this report is above the average but there are instances where up to 8...

Written Answers — Animal Vaccination Scheme: Animal Vaccination Scheme (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: There is, currently, no vaccine yet available for the particular strain of the disease (serotype 8) that is present in Britain and across northern Europe. Three pharmaceutical companies are currently involved in the development of an inactivated vaccine. I understand that such a vaccine may become available by the summer of 2008 though, even then, there will be production issues and a huge...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Ensuring the viability of the maximum number of family dairy farms means improving efficiency and competitiveness right across the sector, at both producer and processor level, at a time of increasing exposure to global market forces. At producer level, greater efficiency and competitiveness can only be achieved through the attainment of increased economies of scale and the reduction of...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: An Bord Bia currently has a staff complement of 92 people of which some 72 are based in headquarters and the remainder located in eight overseas offices, mainly in Europe but also in the US and Russia. The role of Bord Bia, which is fulfilled by its staff, is to provide market development, promotion and information services to the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry.

Written Answers — Farm Improvement Scheme: Farm Improvement Scheme (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Farm Improvement Scheme was introduced by my Department in July 2007 and funding of €79 million for the Scheme was agreed under the Partnership agreement, Towards 2016, as part of an overall programme of investment in the agri-food sector. I announced last week that as applications had reached the level of funding available for the Scheme, the Scheme was closed to new applications for...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, which comes within the remit of the Department of Health and Children has overall responsibility for the enforcement of all food legislation including food labelling in Ireland. It would not be appropriate for a promotional agency such as Bord Bia to undertake statutory enforcement responsibilities.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Commonage land must be farmed to the farming conditions set out in the relevant Commonage Framework Plan and attracts an enhanced payment rate of €282 per hectare on up to 40 hectares in REPS 4. The mixed grazing supplementary measure is available to farmers who engage in a mixed cattle/sheep livestock farm enterprise in which at least 20% of the livestock units (on average) grazing the...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I am aware of the recent FAPRI analysis concerning projected sheep production between now and 2016. The Deputy will be aware that likely production and market trends were taken into account in the Sheep Strategy Report of 2006 and its subsequent Implementation Report that I received last April. The Implementation Report sets out a number of measures to improve the performance of the sector...

Written Answers — Fish Exports: Fish Exports (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The total landings of fish into Irish ports by Irish vessels amounted to 190,253 tonnes in 2006. The estimated quantity exported in an unprocessed state, including high value whitefish and some shellfish which command their highest value in fresh form, amounted to some 36,000 tonnes. The Report of the Seafood Industry Strategy Review Group — Steering A New Course — Strategy for a...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The issue of high levels of discards in commercial sea fisheries is a global problem and is on the agenda of all major international organisations who deal with the development of sustainable sea fisheries and protection of marine ecosystems. At a European level, Community legislation allows the discarding of fish in certain circumstances. Fish discards are a complex problem and are a...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department is that the headquarters will move to Portlaoise, involving some 600 staff; the local offices in Cork city will move to Fermoy, involving up to 100 staff; and the laboratories in Cork and Limerick will move to Macroom, again involving up to 100 staff. The Department's Decentralisation Implementation Plan allowed for a phased...

Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The prohibited periods for the spreading of fertilizers are set down in the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006, made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The objective of the Regulations is to provide statutory support for good farming practices to protect waters from potential pollution from...

Written Answers — Farm Consolidation: Farm Consolidation (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Government has a number of incentives in place that encourage greater levels of land mobility and farm consolidation. These include: An Early Retirement Scheme pension of up to €15,000 for a period of up to 10 years on farms transferred by gift, sale or lease. An installation aid grant of €15,000 for young trained farmers. Capital Gains Tax — Retirement Relief for farmers over 55...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Some 5,450 applications for derogations in respect of 2007 have been received by my Department. Applications are currently being processed and all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications in writing in due course.

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I am currently engaged in discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on how best the commitment in the Programme for Government to seek to negotiate the establishment of an all Ireland GM free zone can be effected. I will of course be eliciting the views of all stakeholders directly involved in the agricultural and food sectors.

Written Answers — Horticulture Industry: Horticulture Industry (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department monitors ongoing research on climate change and its likely impact on Irish Agriculture. It is represented on the inter-Departmental team established to oversee implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy. There is no evidence to suggest that there is any major threat to our staple fruit and vegetable crops here due to the warming climate at this time. Indeed the...

Written Answers — Farmers' Markets: Farmers' Markets (6 Nov 2007)

Mary Coughlan: This Government is committed to supporting local and regional food and both Towards 2016 and my Department's Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan include measures in this regard. Bord Bia, which operates under the aegis of my Department has worked closely with other State and local agencies to exploit the growing opportunities for markets, providing a guide to farmers markets, advice and mentoring...