Results 7,141-7,160 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 17 May 2010. Initial processing of this application revealed a dual-claim of one land parcel, as well as over-claims in respect of two other land parcels. These matters have now been resolved following correspondence between the person named and my Department. A number of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 26 April 2010. The 75% advance payment on the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme which issued on 21 September 2010 and the 50% advance on the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 18 October 2010, both on the basis of the land cleared at that stage, as a number of parcels declared...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 27 April 2010. The advance payment which issued on 18 October, was on the basis of land confirmed eligible at that stage, as a number of other parcels listed by the person named required re-digitisation; this process is now complete and the payment due will issue to the person named shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the appeal on behalf of the person has been disallowed. Following a further field inspection of the site it has been found that the northern, low lying section of wetland is almost at sea level and was waterlogged at the time of the inspection. As the conditions required to ensure wind-firmness of the crop over the silvicultural rotation are absent, this section of the...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am strongly committed to securing a future for the sheep industry in Ireland, which is a valuable part of the overall agri-food sector. In the past two years I have provided a number of key supports to this sector, most notably: €7 million from the 2009 Single Farm Payment National Reserve under the Uplands Sheep Payment Scheme; €54 million for the three year grassland sheep scheme...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The live export trade complements the processed beef trade by providing alternative market outlets thereby playing an important role in the meat and livestock industry generally. Up to the end of week 45 of 2010, live exports were 23% ahead of the levels achieved during the same period in 2009. While exports to Great Britain are 9% below those for the same period in 2009, those to Northern...

Written Answers — Beef Quality Assurance Scheme: Beef Quality Assurance Scheme (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: The breakdown including sub-classes is available for all plants from 1st April 2010 to date. Prior to that the conformation and fat grades were reported to my Department in accordance with EU Regulations using main classes only. The percentage breakdown for steers from the 1st April 2010 to date is as follows: R+ (plus) = 10.2 %; R= (middle) = 15.8%; and R- (minus) = 17.0 %.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 12 May 2010. The 50% advance payment, which issued on 18 October 2010, on the basis of the land cleared at that stage, as a number of parcels declared required digitising. While balancing payments are scheduled to commence issuing as and from 1 December, such payments would, in normal circumstances, be...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 22 April 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility and Animal Identification Inspection. The inspection process is complete and the results are now being processed. Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (30 Nov 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application was submitted on 18 November 2010 requesting the transfer of 17.44 Single Payment entitlements by way of gift from the person named first to the person named second. As this application was received several months after the closing date for such applications, the requested transfer has been rejected. Letters have issued to both parties informing them of this decision and...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: A total of 9,236 applications were received by my Department under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, by the closing date of 17 May 2010. All of these applications have been recorded and examined by my Department. To date 5,706 applications have been found to be fully compliant with scheme requirements and the applicants have received notification from the Department approving their...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Yes.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Approximately 10,000 farmers - I say this without having checked the figures recently - will exit REPS 3 between now and the middle of next May, which is equivalent to the number of people who joined the new AEOS scheme on 17 May last. The original allocation for the REPS schemes in 2009 was €330 million. With reallocation from other subheads I was able to pay out €341 million. The...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Capital expenditure for next year will be of the order of €329 million. I do not know from where Deputy Doyle got the figure of €100 million. The four year plan states that €75 million in savings is to be achieved in 2011. This will be achieved under a number of subheads. An area in respect of which we have made substantial savings in the past 18 months is administration, in...

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006 a temporary restructuring scheme was introduced with the aim of the EU Commission reducing EU sugar production in order to comply with WTO and other international obligations. The scheme provided an incentive for sugar processors to renounce sugar quota and dismantle the associated sugar processing plant and it provided compensation for...

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As I have said previously, the sugar quota was renounced by Greencore plc and not by the Government. The entire quota was held by the company and not the State. The sugar regime in its present format runs to 2015, not 2017. I say that from memory but I will double check that. The regime was not changed between 1968 and 2006 and there is no indication from the Commission that it proposes to...

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: The rationalisation of the industry undertaken by the Commission resulted in a reduction of 6 million tonnes in production under a voluntary scheme. Greencore was the quota holder. I stated in the House clearly, as did the Tánaiste who was Minister at the time, that she was extremely active along with 13 other member states in opposing the Commission's proposals. As the process went along...

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: The quota regime is in place until 2015. There is no indication from the Commission that it proposes to revisit it then. Naturally, if the Commission decides to do so, that will be a different scenario.

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am outlining the facts.

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: We have a question about ethanol production later.