Results 7,681-7,700 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (28 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person concerned is an applicant for grant-aid under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. My Department has recently received further information in relation to this application which is currently being examined. The outcome will be notified to the person concerned as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (28 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: A grant aid application for a maximum of €51,295 in respect of a plantation of 20.19 hectares was refused for environmental reasons by the Forest Service of my Department last year. That decision is currently the subject of an appeal by the applicant. The appeals process will require a further site visit and is expected to be finalized within the next three to four weeks.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (28 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person concerned applied for grant-aid under the Installation Aid Scheme but was deemed ineligible as, inter alia, his application had been received outside the time-limits laid down in the Scheme. The applicant was notified of this decision by Department letter of 26 May 2006.

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Not everybody has repeat colon cancer either.

Written Answers — Coastal Zone Management: Coastal Zone Management (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are no plans to set up such a committee. There is however a high degree of co-ordination and consultation between the Departments, Boards and Agencies on issues related to marine, fisheries and coastal responsibilities. This co-ordination will continue and the Departments concerned will continue to work closely together in these matters.

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Programme for Government contains a number of animal welfare-related commitments including one to consolidate responsibility for the welfare of all animals, including non-farm animals, within my Department. Other such commitments include the updating of existing legislation to ensure that the welfare of animals is properly protected and penalties for offenders are increased significantly....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Three applications were received in January 2008 requesting transfers of entitlements, for the 2007 scheme year, by way of leases to the person named from three other farmers. As these applications were received seven months after the closing date for receipt of such applications, they were initially rejected. Upon appeal however from the person named, the applications have been accepted and...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person named has been requested to clarify an apparent area discrepancy in an amended plan recently submitted and the application for payment cannot be processed until this is resolved.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: S.I No. 753 of 2007, Cockle (Fisheries management and Conservation) (Waterford Estuary) Regulations 2007, signed by me on the 12th November 2007 closed the fishery to which the Deputy refers. Environmental concerns including stock biomass will be taken into account when considering re-opening this fishery.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As part of his agreement to transform from REPS 2 to REPS 3 in October 2004, the person named undertook to submit a consolidated REPS 3 plan before 30 September 2006. An application for his third year payment was received on 20 October 2006, but it was not accompanied by the required consolidated plan. The person named was reminded on 8 December 2006 that a consolidated plan was required but...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Community Support Scheme, recommended by the Report of the Independent Group, is not ordinarily directed at commercial salmon fishing licence holders (who have the opportunity to avail of payments from the Salmon Hardship Scheme) but rather at the development of additional economic opportunities for crews and employees in the processing and ancillary sectors in the communities where...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: REPS 3 closed for new applications at the end of 2006. The father of the person named died on 12 January 2007. It was not legally possible for the person named to apply for REPS 3 at that stage. It is now possible for him to apply to join REPS 4.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The work of my Department is subject to continuous change especially in recent times with the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme, Decentralisation and additional responsibilities in the areas of animal health and welfare, habitats and climate change. Since 2005 overall numbers in the Department have been reduced by 400 and another 500 staff have been redeployed to new schemes. The...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The top-up grant is available to eligible farmers under the Installation Aid Scheme who were set-up in farming for the first time between 1 May and 31 December 2006. Verification of an applicant's date of set-up only takes place when the IAS 2 (application for payment) is received from the applicant. As the applicant in this case has only submitted a preliminary application (IAS 1), it is...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The European Commission first tabled proposals in 2004 on a review of the Less Favoured Areas (Disadvantaged Areas), with a view to having changes implemented as part of the Rural Development Framework for 2007-2013. The proposals represented a move away from designation based on socio-economic factors, (declining rural population, low productivity and low farm incomes), to a methodology...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The EU Council of Ministers will, at my request, discuss the development of the sheep sector at its next meeting on 17th March. The re-introduction of the ewe premium is one of several recommendations made in the Ernst and Young report to address issues in the sector. It is premature to draw definitive conclusions as to the merits of those recommendations. I will be guided by the discussions...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The sheep sector is an important part of the overall agri-food sector and its future depends on its ability to meet the needs of the market. The Sheep Industry Strategy Development Group and the subsequent Implementation Group set the blueprint for the sector's future development. Most of the recommendations fall to be implemented by the industry itself but my Department and the state...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Payments under the Farm Improvement Scheme continue to be made to farmers who have satisfactorily completed work under the Scheme.

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: To date, 21,077 slatted units have received approval to commence under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme which requires all investment work to be completed before the end of 2008. Of these, 1,192 units have been approved to commence in County Kerry. Grants have been paid, to date, on 4,048 completed slatted units throughout the country. Of these, 247 were in County Kerry.

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (4 Mar 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Various measures have been taken by my Department to reduce its carbon footprint. One of the most significant initiatives was the installation in 2007 of a new wood-fired heating system in my Department's offices at Johnstown Castle, Wexford, as an alternative to fossil fuel. This system provides all office and water heating. Following a survey carried out by the Office of Public Works it...