Results 1,041-1,060 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I led a delegation of food and drink industry representatives to China as part of a wider trade mission led by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, from 17 to 22 January 2005. I accompanied the Taoiseach at formal state functions, including a meeting with the Chinese Premier, Mr Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. I also held talks with the Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and with the...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004, 126 cases of BSE were confirmed compared with 182 in 2003 and 333 in 2002. There have been ten cases to date in 2005 which represents a decrease of 73% on the number of cases, some 37, discovered in the same period in 2004. The vast majority of these cases were in animals born prior to the introduction here of the additional controls in 1996 and 1997. The shift in age profile in BSE...

Written Answers — Transport of Livestock: Transport of Livestock (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There is no legal obligation on ferry operators to carry livestock. The question of whether a ferry company carries livestock is a matter for the ferry company concerned. However, I should point out that any ferry operator intending to transport livestock from this State to another member state, or to a third country must have the vessel inspected and approved by my Department. The question...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Consultations are ongoing with the European Commission about the action programme for implementation of the nitrates directive in Ireland. The question of possible additional grant aid being provided to farmers under the farm waste management scheme will be decided in the light of the requirements of the action programme, when agreed.

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 106 together. Under the EU sugar regime, each member state has a quota for manufactured sugar. There is no quota for sugar beet nor is there a quota at farm level. The EU regulations stipulate that the quota must be made available to the sugar manufacturing enterprises in the member state. Accordingly, in Ireland the entire sugar quota is processed by...

Written Answers — Export Regulations: Export Regulations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The framework agreement for the next WTO round which was concluded in Geneva in August 2004 commits member countries to agree detailed rules, including an end date, for the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsides and for the introduction of disciplines on all export measures with equivalent effect. This agreement covers export refunds, export credits, the trade-distorting...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Participants in the scheme of early retirement from farming introduced in 1994 under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2079/92 were required to have their holdings farmed for the duration of the pension by younger farmers who met the eligibility conditions of the scheme. In cases where the retiring farmers transferred their holdings by lease, such leases were normally for five years. If the...

Written Answers — Organic Farming. : Organic Farming. (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The percentage of agricultural land under organic production in Ireland stands at just under 0.7%. The following table lists the percentage land areas under organic production in each of the other EU member states as at 31 December 2003. EU Country Organic Area (kha) % of land area Austria 328.8 12.90 Belgium 24.2 1.73 Cyprus 0.166 0.12 Czech Republic 255.0 5.97 Denmark...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The rate of pension payable under the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming is the maximum amount provided for by the EU Council regulation under which the scheme was introduced. The regulation does not provide for indexation of payments. My Department's proposals for the current early retirement scheme, which commenced on 27 November 2000 and is one of the measures in the CAP rural...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Until recently BSE had never been found under natural circumstances in ruminants other than cattle. Its presence in goats or other ruminants had been viewed as theoretically possible but had not previously been detected. Arising from an EU testing programme, a healthy goat slaughtered in 2002 in France was tested at random for evidence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, TSE. Based on...

Written Answers — Punchestown Racecourse: Punchestown Racecourse (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The Punchestown lands are owned by the Kildare Hunt Club. A new organisational structure has been agreed under which a joint venture company made up of the Kildare Hunt Club and Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, has been incorporated. It is the intention that ownership of the Punchestown companies will transfer to the new company as soon as the question of the existence of any taxation liabilities...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The case mentioned by the Deputy arose from a dispute between a company, my Department and two co-defendants. This related to the storage of tallow at its premises going back to 1997. A settlement was reached with the plaintiff on 6 December 2004. The settlement was agreed on the basis of legal advice from State Counsel and with the sanction of the Office of the Attorney General. It was...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The general labelling regulations covering all food sold in Ireland require that the information be given clearly, accurately and in a language understood by the consumer. European Directive 2000/13/EC on the labelling of foodstuffs requires pre-packaged foodstuffs to carry information on the source or place of origin only where its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree on...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The decision by Greencore Group plc-Irish Sugar Limited to close its sugar plant in Carlow and to consolidate all of its sugar manufacturing in Mallow was a commercial decision taken by the company in the light of the increasing competition in the sugar sector. I am of course concerned about the loss of jobs associated with the closure of the Carlow plant and the personal impact these job...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is completing a review of the scheme of early retirement from farming under the expenditure review process established by the Department of Finance in 1997 in the context of the strategic management initiative. The review, when completed, will be laid before the House. The purpose of the review is to analyse systematically whether the scheme is meeting its objectives and inform...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The food institutional research measure, FIRM, forms part the productive sector operational programme of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The main objectives of FIRM are to provide a base of information and expertise in generic technologies that supports innovation and product development in the food industry, and assists in assuring consumer protection by ensuring that product...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The implementation of the Nitrates Directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Ireland submitted an action programme for further implementation of the directive to the European Commission on 22 October 2004. The Commission conveyed its view, by way of a Letter of Formal Notice under Article 228 of the EU Treaty issued to...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I received a request for a meeting from the group in question and I have arranged to meet them.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 128 together. The issues raised by the Deputies relate to proposals for forestry contained in the draft rural development regulation 2007-13, first published by the European Commission last summer, and which is the subject of ongoing negotiations in Brussels. I must emphasise that these are merely proposals at this stage and they are some way from...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Up to last Friday, 25 February, over 17,000 applications have been received for REPS 3 since its introduction in June 2004. With some 27,000 farmers in REPS 2 this brings the overall participation level in REPS to approximately 44,000. The level of applications received under REPS 3 compares very favourably with any similar time period since REPS began in 1994 and is very encouraging. I...