Results 7,641-7,660 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Meat Imports: Meat Imports (21 Feb 2008)

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 imports must...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: According to the Central Statistics Office, in the 5-year period covering the years 2003 to 2007 inclusive, the food price index has recorded a consistently lower level of increase than the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI). Food prices increased by 3.3% over that period while overall prices as measured by CPI increased by 14.1%. The most recent annual data available from the Central...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The 2003 Reforms of the CAP were introduced in preparation for the current Round of WTO negotiations. The EU's move to decoupled payment supports, which are non-trade distorting, has allowed the EU to make very significant reduction commitments to its levels of trade distorting supports. These proposed reductions commitments are a very substantial contribution to this round of WTO...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am not aware of any requirement for food imported into Ireland and the EU to meet carbon reduction targets. Under the Kyoto Protocol a majority of developed countries are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2008 and 2012 by a least 5% on 1990 levels. Countries that signed up to the Protocol are responsible for meeting their own individual emissions...

Written Answers — Biofuel Crops: Biofuel Crops (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Support to farmers for growing energy crops is available under the EU Energy Crops Scheme, which provides an EU premium of up to €45 per hectare provided the energy crops are intended for use in the production of biofuels and electric and thermal energy produced from biomass. At the February 2006 Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting, I called for a review of the energy crop premium as...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As I pointed out to my EU colleagues as recently as January, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, and in bilateral discussions that I and my officials have had with other Member States, there is increasing awareness that food security cannot be taken for granted in a world where demand is rising rapidly and expected to double by 2050. In recent years there have been increased...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: In early January, in the course of discussions about the payment arrangements for REPS 4, the European Commission unexpectedly raised questions about the long-established practice of paying farmers in REPS 2 and REPS 3 in full at the start of each contract year. I met Commissioner Fischer Boel in Dublin to discuss this matter when she attended the Annual General Meeting of the IFA in...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I had further discussions with Commissioner Fischer Boel in Brussels on Monday last about the difficulties with the European Commission in relation to the established practice of paying REPS 2 and REPS 3 participants at the beginning of each contract year. I am very glad to say that I obtained the Commissioner's agreement that Ireland can continue to receive REPS payment claims and make...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (21 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Allocations of milk quota from the National Reserve are granted on the basis of recommendations from the Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal examines and makes recommendations on applications for additional quota from individual producers. The person named has applied to the Tribunal in the current, i.e. 2007/2008, milk quota year. The Tribunal will examine this and other...

Written Answers — Fish Quota: Fish Quota (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) scientific advice is that the stock of spurdog is depleted, that there should be no targeted fishery for spurdog and that the by-catch in mixed fisheries be reduced to the lowest possible level. On the basis of this advice, Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 provides for a 5% by-catch limit for spurdog/dogfish for all community...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Purteen Harbour is owned by Mayo County Council and responsibility for its repair and maintenance rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. A development options study for Purteen Harbour is being carried out by my Department's Western Engineering Division on behalf of Mayo County Council. Considerable progress was made in 2007 and it is hoped to have the study concluded by April...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am advised that the new offices for Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) in Clonakilty will be completed in March 2009. The number of staff from BIM to be decentralised to Clonakilty is 93. The construction of the new BIM Headquarters in Clonakilty is proceeding on schedule. BIM Board and management are working to prepare for the full decentralisation of the BIM Headquarters in line with Government...

Written Answers — Forestry Development: Forestry Development (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The information sought for each of the past five years is as follows: Year Area of new forest planted Area of forest harvested 2003 9,097 hectares 10,454 hectares 2004 9,739 hectares 9,907 hectares 2005 10,096 hectares 8,364 hectares 2006 8,037 hectares 7,715 hectares 2007 6,947 hectares 7,413 hectares In addition to the area of new forestry planted in each of the years listed above,...

Written Answers — Forestry Development: Forestry Development (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The following are the allocations for the forestry sector for the years 2003-2007. Year Allocation €000 2007 131,639 2006 136,308 2005 123,946 2004 115,915 2003 82,581 (1) Figures for 2005 to 2007 are inclusive of Capital savings carried forward from the previous year. (2) 2007 figures include the budget for schemes administered by Crop Policy (Allocation €3m).

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the Single Payment-Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received on the 24 April 2007. A request for the transfer of 48.36 standard entitlements to the person named under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was also received on 24 April 2007. As the person named is not a registered herd owner and, as entitlements can only be transferred to persons who hold a herd number, it has...

Written Answers — Marine Safety: Marine Safety (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Department of Transport is responsible for all matters related to maritime safety, marine accidents, marine search and rescue and the operations of the Irish Coastguard. My Department has no direct function in the relation to the matters raised.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There is no record of an application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme having being received by my Department from the person named. An official of my Department has been in direct contact with the person named, advising her of the non-receipt of the 2007 Single Payment Scheme application. She was requested to submit proof of postage, as is set out in the Scheme's Terms & Conditions in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2007. My Department has decided that, pending the outcome of the legal proceedings currently under way, to process the application by excluding the lands, which are the subject of the legal proceedings. Payment in respect of the remainder of the lands declared by the person...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 19 April 2007. The application was fully processed and payment issued in full in respect of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme on 19 February 2008. In relation to the Single Payment Scheme, the advance payment issued on 16 October 2007 and the balancing payment issued on 3 December 2007.

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (26 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Johne's disease is a notifiable disease under the Diseases of Animals Act 1966 (Notification and Control of Animal Diseases) Order 2006. My Department no longer slaughters animals affected with Johne's but has adopted a more proactive approach in dealing with the issue including urging farmers to be vigilant when buying in stock. I believe that tackling the problem of this disease is...