Results 981-1,000 of 18,442 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 375 together. It is a matter for the FSAI to ensure that appropriate checks are carried out and any breaches of food labelling legislation should be reported to the FSAI. EU beef labelling legislation requiring country of origin labelling of beef has been in place since September 2000. As this legislation did not cover beef sold by the catering trade...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications under this Scheme are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016. The application concerned is, therefore, eligible for consideration and will be processed subject to funding still being available at that time.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named is a participant in the 2000–2006 Early Retirement Scheme. From 1 November 2006, the maximum annual pension under this Scheme was increased from €13,515 to €15,000 per annum. The person named received the appropriate increase in his pension.

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: â'¬79 million was provided under the 2006 partnership agreement, Towards 2016, for the operation of the Farm Improvement Scheme. 12,675 applications were received by my Department under the Scheme prior to its suspension for new applications on 31 October 2007. To date, 6,017 approvals have issued to farmers to commence work under the Farm Improvement Scheme. The remaining applications...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: 12,675 applications were received by my Department under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007. A county-by-county breakdown of these applications is as follows: County Number of Applications Carlow 176 Cavan 675 Clare 510 Cork 1,863 Donegal 931 Dublin 29 Galway 850 Kerry 875 Kildare 133 Kilkenny 519 Laois 336 Leitrim 375 Limerick 368 Longford...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: 12,675 applications were received by my Department under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007. A county-by-county breakdown of these applications is as follows: County Number of Applications Carlow 176 Cavan 675 Clare 510 Cork 1,863 Donegal 931 Dublin 29 Galway 850 Kerry 875 Kildare 133 Kilkenny 519 Laois 336 Leitrim 375 Limerick 368 Longford...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme was introduced by my Department in July 2007 with funding of €79 million as agreed under the Partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and was suspended on 31 October 2007 as applications received had reached this level of funding. 12,675 applications were received from farmers prior to the closing date of the Scheme. These applications are currently being processed...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme was suspended for new applications on 31 October 2007 as applications received had reached the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016. I have no plans at present to reopen the Scheme to further applications.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Full details of all the schemes operated by my Department are provided in my Department's main information booklet "Schemes & Services 2008". Copies are available from the local offices of my Department and from Teagasc offices. The booklet is also available on the website www.agriculture.gov.ie. I have arranged for a copy to be sent to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Food Safety: Food Safety (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Meat and meat products imported from an EU source must come from an approved establishment and be accompanied to its destination by a commercial document or a health certificate signed by an official veterinarian of the competent authority of the Member State of origin. In the case of importation from third countries meat and meat products must originate in a country approved by the EU for...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Commission proposals on the Health Check of the CAP will be published this afternoon. They will be presented for the first time at the Informal Council of Ministers in Slovenia on 27 May where I will have an opportunity to give a first reaction. The negotiating process will commence under the Slovenian Presidency with a series of Working Groups in May and June and will continue under the...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 378 and 381 together. Ireland has a very important position as custodian of some of the largest and richest fishing waters within the EU but also in our location on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Illegal fishing practices by all fishing fleets in Ireland's Exclusive Fisheries Zone are and have been a matter of ongoing and substantial concern. Illegal...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The rate of obligatory set-aside has been set at 0% for the 2008 Single Payment Scheme. Therefore, a farmer with set-aside entitlements is not required to put any land into set-aside in order to draw down payments on set-aside entitlements. A farmer with set-aside entitlements must, however, declare sufficient hectares of land on his/her 2008 Single Payment Scheme application form that,...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 to 384, inclusive, together. A revised negotiating text on agriculture was issued yesterday evening and a text on non-agricultural market access earlier today. These texts are being issued with a view to facilitating a final WTO agreement by the end of 2008. It is by no means clear whether such an agreement will be reached this year. The range of issues...

Written Answers — Animal Exports: Animal Exports (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Information on movements of such animals is not held centrally. Under rules applying to intra Community trade, live animals including animals destined for circuses are certified from points of origin to points of destination. Circus animals generally do not come within the ambit of the computerised EU animal movement system (TRACES) which in any event only holds data for a period of 4 months.

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The revised Farm Waste Management Scheme, introduced in order to assist farmers meet the additional requirements of the Nitrates Directive, was launched in March 2006 following the receipt of EU state aid approval for the Scheme. The EU Commission approval specifically states that all work must be completed by farmers under the Scheme by end-December 2008 in order to qualify for the grants...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. Term of Office Number of Civil Servants Ministers 1997 – 2002 Joe Walsh 4.70 2002 – 2004 Joe Walsh 4.70 2004 – 2008 Mary Coughlan, TD 2.80 2008 – to date Brendan Smith, TD 2.00 Ministers of State 2007 – to date Trevor Sargent, TD 2.00 2008 – to date Tony Killeen, TD 0.00 2004 – 2008 Mary Wallace, TD...

Grant Payments. (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I am happy to assure the House that the procedures operated by my Department during the application period for the submission of the 2008 single farm payment forms worked extremely well. In all, over 99.5% of all applications were submitted on time by farmers either by post, the Department's electronic on-line system or by delivering them to one of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The question of charges/levies by Local Authorities in respect of all developments is a matter for the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The matter has been discussed by my officials with the farming representatives and I am writing to my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government asking him to have the case examined in regard to...

Written Answers — Food Safety: Food Safety (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Under the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 910 of 2005), which give effect to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, primary producers of honey are required to register with my Department and to comply with rules on hygiene and record keeping. There are no...