Results 1,061-1,080 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

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

Mary Coughlan: My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is responsible in the first instance for the promotion and development of renewable energy, including biofuels, and is committed to the development and promotion of a biofuels market in Ireland's transport fuel sector. An interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural...

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. My Department in association with Teagasc has for some time been evaluating the possible effect on farming of the further implementation of the directive. These studies have indicated that the great majority of farmers are already operating below...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I discussed the WTO agriculture negotiations and Irish concerns in relation thereto at a bilateral meeting with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on 20 December 2004. The negotiations were also discussed at the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting I attended on 21 December 2004. The Council reviews developments in the negotiations on a regular basis and will be...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The review and appraisal of Ireland's forestry development strategy undertaken by Peter Bacon and Associates is a key element of a review of the sector. The proposals in the review are being considered in conjunction with the draft EU regulation on rural development policy, which proposes reductions in EU financial support for forestry. The Bacon report reaffirmed the need for an approved...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare Bodies: Animal Welfare Bodies (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In recent years, my Department has made ex-gratia payments to a number of organisations directly involved in the delivery of animal care. Initially, these payments were made from residual funds in my Department's Vote at the end of each year. However, specific provisions for this purpose have been included in my Department's Estimates in recent years. In 2004, €1 million was allocated to 83...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Grant aid is available from my Department for the on-farm development of alternative enterprises under the scheme of investment aid in alternative enterprises, housing and handling facilities. By virtue of the terms of that scheme, eligible farmers are entitled to grant-aid at rates of either 40% or 20%, depending on the level of income of the farmer concerned, in respect of investments...

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

Mary Coughlan: There have been a number of positive developments in the area of food labelling, most of which emanated from the report of the food labelling group, which was established in June 2002. The group reported in December of that year with a series of recommendations. The recommendations were accepted. As food labelling is a particularly complicated and broad based area, involving a number of...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am pleased to be able to tell the Deputy that the live cattle export trade recently resumed on the ferry service between Rosslare and Cherbourg. This is a timely development for the livestock exporters and farmers generally and ends recent uncertainty over the future of the live cattle export trade. In addition to this roll on-roll off service, there are 16 dedicated walk on-walk off...

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

Mary Coughlan: With regard to EU trade under the single market trade in animals and animal products is permitted on the basis that harmonised controls apply. These controls are set down in Council Directives 90/425/EEC, 89/662/EEC and 91/628/EC. Animal products being imported into Ireland must come from an EU-approved premises and bear an EU health mark. A health certificate must accompany all animals...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: New planting over the last number of years has averaged out at approximately 14,000 hectares per annum. The outturn for 2004 is estimated to be in the region of 11,000 hectares. This year, I am making sufficient funding available to increase the level of planting to 15,000 hectares. Achieving this target is of course dependent on demand materialising from land-owners, principally farmers....

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

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 136 together. As Minister I hold a special share in Greencore plc. That share has the same monetary value as any other share in the company but has conditions attached which prevent the company from engaging in a number of activities without the prior written consent of the Minister. In summary, the special share prevents the disposal of the...

Written Answers — Farm Advisory Service: Farm Advisory Service (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Teagasc the agriculture and food development authority, was established under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act 1988. Its function under the Act is to provide research, training and advisory services for the agri-food sector. Teagasc is governed by an 11-member authority. The chairman and five ordinary members are appointed by the Minister and the remaining five members are...

Written Answers — Farm Advisory Service: Farm Advisory Service (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am keenly aware of the need to make available appropriate supports for small farmers. In this regard, as the Deputy is no doubt aware, small farmers benefit from all of the supports, within the legal framework of the European Union, administered by my Department. One of the areas where this is possible is the rural environment protection scheme, REPS. The latest version of the scheme was...

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

Mary Coughlan: Preliminary figures relating to the incidence of bovine TB in 2004 show a significant improvement on the position in 2003. The positive trend of recent years continued and the current estimate is that the number of reactors in 2004 will be under 23,000. This represents close on a 50% fall in reactor numbers from 1998 to 2004. The incidence of brucellosis also continued to decline in 2004. The...

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

Mary Coughlan: European Council Regulation 1782/2003 governing the single payment scheme provides that each member state must set up a national reserve using between 1% and 3% of every individual farmer's entitlements. A single payment advisory group comprising representatives from the farming organisations, Teagasc and officials from my Department has been set up to advise on the national reserve. A 3%...

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...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: On 24 February 2005 the CSO published the revised output, input and income statement for agriculture, which reports a 3% increase in aggregate farm income in 2004 compared with a 2.2% increase in inflation in the same year. The 3% increase in incomes should be viewed positively when account is taken of the fact that a substantial amount of payments on 2004 premia entitlements will be paid in...

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

Mary Coughlan: The designation of land under the EU birds and habitats directives is a function of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The question of compensation for farmers in the Shannon Callows area is a matter, in the first instance, for that Department, and I understand that discussions on the matter with the farming bodies have been going on for some time and are not...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The most recent figures available from the CSO show that there were 77,900 full-time farmers in 2003, a drop of 20,400 since 1997. Over the same period the number of part-time farmers increased by 7,900 to 57,200. This ongoing trend towards part-time farming reflects a combination of factors including the increased availability of off-farm employment and the need for farmers to choose the...

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 light of the increasing competition in the sugar market and taking account of the reality that changes will occur in the industry as a consequence of the reform of the EU sugar regime and of WTO...