Results 681-700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: They were still able to get their point across. I appreciate where Deputy Hogan, as a public representative for the area, is coming from. Deputy Nolan and members of the Opposition have contacted me on this issue. I have taken on board the views of public representatives, the IFA and the ICMSA. My Department is in constant contact with the farming community on this issue, as is Deputy...

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: How could Deputy Hogan forget him? We have had ongoing discussions. I took the opportunity during my initial term of office to meet representatives of the sugar industry. I met with representatives of Greencore who expressed views on the EU sugar regime, although not on the issue of rationalisation. One of the matters raised was that Greencore was finding the level of competition in this...

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The board made the decision. It is incumbent on the Government to ensure replacement employment and support for the workers of the company, whom Members represent, and that they be facilitated with a redundancy package. In the interim, every effort should be made to assist. I realise there is a relationship difficulty between the farming community and members of Greencore. However, there is...

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: It would be easy for me to say that I will go in as the golden girl and sort it all out, but I am not and I will not do so——

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: ——because political opportunism is downright imprudent. Deputies on the other side of the House have been eloquent.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am sure they have been in touch with the company, as well as other elected representatives, to try to facilitate them.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I would hate to take from their glory. That said, I had the opportunity to meet the farming organisations yesterday on another issue and, on the margins, we discussed the need for the farming community to work with Greencore — we all appreciate there are difficulties there — in trying to get the best possible deal.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: We can be facetious about the golden share issue but we must examine the controlling interests within the company. We have now allowed increased competition within the sugar sector here, 20% to 25% of consumption coming mainly from the French market. Another issue that we must examine is that we may have no sugar industry and if so, even if there is sugar production in Mallow, we will have no...

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I appreciate, however, the genuine concerns being expressed. I am abundantly sure those concerns will be made known to the management of Greencore who, I hope, will facilitate the farming community.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Yes. I met Greencore in the context of the EU stability measures.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I also met the farmers of Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny.

Food Industry. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am going down to Kerrysoon and I am sure they will meet me there as well.

Departmental Accommodation. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Gabhaim buíochas don Teachta as deis a thabhairt dom labhairt faoi seo. The mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy introduced the most significant agricultural reform since its establishment. The decision of the Luxembourg Council to break the link between direct payments and production, known as decoupling, has changed the fundamental nature of EU supports for the farm sector and...

National Aquatic Centre. (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Before I address the specific issue raised by Deputy Burton with regard to the damage to the National Aquatic Centre, I want to set this matter in its proper context. In 2000 the Government agreed to provide Exchequer finance to fund the provision of an aquatic and leisure centre at Abbotstown. Provision of the facility was by means of a design, build and operate procedure. A contract was...

Written Answers — Pricing Agreement: Pricing Agreement (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department was not involved in the setting up or the implementation of any agreement between large retailers and farmers to provide a minimum percentage of the retail price to the growers. The prices received by producers and obtained in retail establishments are determined by the marketplace. The level of supply of a certain product, competition within a sector at both producer and...

Written Answers — Departmental Representations: Departmental Representations (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The representations referred to in the question relate to civil litigation undertaken by the person named in the 1980s and specifically to two judgments of the High Court and Supreme Court, delivered in 1985 and 1988 respectively. My Department was not a defendant in this litigation. Despite the resolution of this litigation in 1988 in favour of the person named, he has continued to pursue...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The agreement on the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 reached at the Council of Agricultural Ministers on 26 June 2003 provided a financial envelope to each member state. This envelope represented the average value of livestock and arable aid premia paid in the member state during the three-year reference period 2000-02 calculated at 2002 rates of payment. The outcome of the agreement, which...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Total expenditure under the farm waste management schemes in the past ten years amounted to €264 million, while total expenditure under the dairy hygiene schemes amounted to €56 million. I will provide the Deputy separately with a breakdown of these amounts on an annual basis. Almost €39 million has been allocated in 2005 for the farm waste management scheme. I am confident that such...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: An interdepartmental inter-agency working group was established within my Department in October 2003 to develop proposals for a national strategy and best practices to ensure the co-existence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming. Part of the group's work programme has been to examine the economic implications of such farming practices. Preliminary research completed by Teagasc...

Written Answers — Official Languages Act: Official Languages Act (27 Jan 2005)

Mary Coughlan: To date I have arranged for the translation and printing, at an estimated cost of €28,000, of four documents published or to be published by my Department. These are the Department's annual report, the customer service action plan, the customer service charter and the statement of strategy. Ongoing resource implications for my Department of the full implementation of the Act will be...