Results 6,941-6,960 of 18,482 for speaker:Brendan Smith

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The reality is that Greencore took the decision to exit the industry.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy is absolutely wrong. I reject that type of nonsensical remark. Such remarks are not worthy of a Member of this House. The Deputy should withdraw that baseless comment.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy D'Arcy's comment is baseless in nature and he should withdraw it. Greencore made the decision to exit the industry. The then Minister fought for a good package for the various stakeholders in this country.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: To what money is the Deputy referring?

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: So the Deputy is stating that the beet growers of County Wexford should not have been compensated. I am surprised that a Deputy who represents the county would make such a statement.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: Greencore held the quota share. I am sure no one is going to seriously suggest that it was not in possession of up-to-date information in respect of its activities. The situation was changing because the protected price would no longer be available as a result of the WTO's ruling. I reiterate that the then Minister and her officials had made available the most up-to-date statistics and...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is very wrong of the Deputy to make such a statement. I do not accept that anyone in this House would stitch up legislation.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The reply by the Commission-----

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am replying. Deputy Stanton cannot ask a question and then seek to answer it as well. I wish to quote from the reply by the Commission to the findings of the special report of the Court of Auditors. The Commission stated: For reasons of efficiency and transparency, the Commission opted for a reform model in which the final decisions for keeping, reducing or abandoning production would be...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I did. The special report of the Court of Auditors does not relate to our case, it relates to the European Commission.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: In regard to the latter part of Deputy Moynihan's question, one of the responses of the Commission on the auditors' report states: The total level of quota renunciation estimated by the Commission is not based on the analysis of the profitability of individual companies but the result of the new macroeconomic conditions prevailing in sugar economics and the European Union, namely, the WTO...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I may have said "The Council of Ministers at the end of 2006", but I should have said "the end of 2005". The Tánaiste did not know what decision Greencore would take in advance of it announcing its decision. That is the factual position.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I cannot answer for any of the Deputies.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The compensation package which the Tánaiste negotiated very successfully for the country was put in place in the event of the quota holder deciding to exit the industry. In regard to Deputy Wall's point, the Court of Auditors report is not about Ireland's role in the sugar quota regime or the rationalisation or restructuring of it, rather it is about the Commission. It is not directed at us.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I will repeat again that the most up-to-date information was available to the Commission. It was submitted at every Council of Ministers meeting and meetings with the presidency and the relevant Commissioner at the time. In fairness, none of us would have had time to examine the auditors' report in detail as we would have liked to have done. There seems to be a view in the House that the...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: It was a voluntary restructuring approach. The approach involved the individual producer, that is, the processor or company, rather than the farmer. They are referred to in the report as "producers" whereas we would call them a processor or company. On Deputy Wall's question, which he has raised twice, I want to quote the response of the Commission to the report of the auditors. It is...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Commission stated: For reasons of efficiency and transparency the Commission opted for a reform model in which the final decision for keeping, reducing or abandoning production would be taken by individual sugar companies, against the background of a future characterised by substantially lower prices. In addition, a financial incentive was provided by companies that decided to surrender...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: Most of the points raised cross over. I stated at the outset that the EU was obliged to reform the sugar regime because of a WTO decision and, subsequently, a WTO panel decision. Europe was required to take a quantum of sugar production out of the system. That is the background to the Commission driving forward the programme of rationalisation and reorganisation. The Commission, in its...

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is not factually incorrect.

EU Sugar Market Reform: Statements (11 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Minister, Deputy Coughlan, succeeded in getting further additional compensation for our stakeholders. I am glad Deputy Sherlock reminded me of that initiative that benefited many people in his constituency, with the additional compensation that arose.