Results 7,381-7,400 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (31 Jan 2008)

Mary Coughlan: An application was received on 16 May 2007 requesting the transfer of 5.63 standard entitlements by way of sale with land from the person named to another farmer. The proposed transferee did not have a herd number at the time of receipt of the transfer application. This was requested and subsequently received. It was also necessary to request a copy of a Deed of Transfer or Sale Agreement...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (31 Jan 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has a well developed management information framework, the main component of which is the SAP R3 Accounts system which was introduced into my Department in 2001. Additional modules were added in 2003 and the system was updated in 2006. Apart from facilitating the efficient processing of payments and the production of the annual Appropriations Account and other statutory...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (31 Jan 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The end-2008 deadline for completion of work by farmers under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a strict condition of the EU state aid approval for the Scheme. I have no plans to approach the EU Commission to alter the terms of the state aid approval.

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. It is not clear from the Deputy's question whether he has specific conservation measures in mind that he believes are impacting unfairly on families of those working in the industry. In general terms, it is clear that many of the fish stocks of importance to Irish fishermen in Irish and other European waters are...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: During a routine check, it was noted that the herd number in question had been transferred to the person named from her late husband on 19 May 2007. A letter issued to the person named advising her of the need to transfer Single Farm Payment entitlements to allow payment to issue under the 2007 Scheme year. Relevant application forms were issued to the person named and subsequently received...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 468 together. The establishment dates for the statutory bodies for which I have responsibility is as follows: Name of Statutory Body Date of Establishment An Bord Bia 1 December 1994 Teagasc 8 September 1988 Coillte 1 January 1989 Irish National Stud 11 April 1946 Veterinary Council of Ireland 1 January 2006 National Milk Agency 1 October...

Written Answers — Legal Proceedings: Legal Proceedings (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am not a party to the proceedings referred to in the question. I am advised that an appeal is pending and consequently it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I launched REPS 4 on 8 August 2007. To date some 1,250 applications have been received and the first payments under REPS 4 will issue next week.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are still questions to be resolved with the European Commission regarding processing of payments in REPS 2, REPS 3 and REPS 4 and whether we can continue with the previous practice of making up-front payments to all REP scheme participants at the start of the contract year. My officials have argued in the strongest terms with the Commission Services that we should be allowed to...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: REPS 4 includes a new mixed grazing supplementary measure specifically targeted at the sheep sector. Farmers availing of this new supplementary measure can draw down an additional annual payment of up to €1,000. In addition, payment rates in REPS 4 are 17% higher than those in REPS 3, in accordance with the partnership agreement with the farming organisations. I have recently had...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are a number of applications for foreshore licences being processed in respect of applications from Waterford County Council. The current position regarding the applications is as follows. Regarding the Outfall from Stormwater/Surfacewater Collection system at Cappoquin (Application received 29 April 2005), my Department's Engineering Division, having reviewed additional information...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application under the consolidation measure of the 2007 Single Payment Scheme. This application is now processed in full and outstanding payment will issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There is only one Taskforce currently operating in my Department as follows: In response to the threat posed by the spread of avian influenza and the need to coordinate the development of a robust range of contingency measures, a Government Taskforce on Avian Influenza was established in 2006. It is chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food and, apart from my Department,...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together. The following taskforces were established in my Department in the past five years: Mushroom Taskforce The taskforce was set up in December 2003 to arrive at a consensus on the major issues facing the mushroom sector and to devise a time bound action plan to address those issues in order to secure the future viability of the sector. The...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The returns to the Decentralisation Implementation Group for the non-property costs of the move to Portlaoise are as follows. Quarter Costs € Prior to July 2006 Nil Return July – September 2006 6,116.33 October – December 2006 7,885.76 January – March 2007 12,201 April – June 2007 14,535 July – September 2007 13,185 Total 53,923 These costs are the extended extra costs...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: To the end of December 2007, 253 civil servants have decentralised to my Department's offices in Portlaoise and 80 civil servants have decentralised to my Department's offices in Clonakilty. 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...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: While an application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was received on 21 March 2007, it was in the name of the spouse of the person named. Due to the subsequent death of the spouse of the person named, it is necessary to transfer the herd number to the person named. An official from my Department will visit the person named to allow speedy completion of the necessary documentation,...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 481 to 484, inclusive, together. The contribution of agriculture to Greenhouse Gas Emissions is recorded in the National Inventory System in accordance with reporting guidelines adopted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to the latest official figures from the EPA, the amount of CO2 equiv produced in 2006 by each...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Musk Rats Act, 1933 (Application to Mink) Order 1965, the keeping of mink is prohibited except under licence, obtained from my Department. Licences are issued under this legislation only if the applicant, following an inspection, is found to be compliant with a number of key conditions. There is no legislation requiring the licensing of fox farms. Licensed fur farms are also...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The provisions governing the Scheme of Headage Payments in the Disadvantaged Areas were altered with effect from the 1979 Scheme when applicants with an off-farm income of more that £3,550 were deemed ineligible. With effect from the 1982 Scheme, the off-farm income of an applicant's spouse was taken into account to establish eligibility under the Scheme of Headage Payments in the...