Results 1,321-1,340 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Animal Welfare, Recording and Breeding Scheme for Suckler Herds came into operation in January 2008 and runs for 5 years with a budget of â¬250m. It aims to encourage and underpin the adoption of high standards of animal welfare in suckler herds and to improve the quality of breeding cattle in the beef sector. Almost 53,000 suckler farmers have joined the scheme and over 80% of all the...
- Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Minister launched a capital investment package for the Irish Dairy Processing Sector in September 2006. Following the commercial and technical evaluation of applications a total of 19 capital investment projects were approved and awarded Government grant assistance of â¬114 million, which will generate an estimated capital spend of â¬286 million. Four of these projects were completed...
- Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The public good Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM) operated by my Department has been providing research funding on a competitive basis for research projects on milk, cheese, food ingredients and technologies. This support will continue within future budget availability. The broad thematic areas of research in this area will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and with...
- Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme (FIS) introduced in 2007 extended grant-aid to feeding systems and increased the specific investment ceilings for milking machines and bulk milk tanks from â¬16,000 to â¬40,000 and â¬25,000 respectively.
- Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Sheep Strategy Implementation Group reported in early April 2007. The Group has addressed all the report recommendations and the Minister announced this Department's support with financial assistance in relevant areas. Progress is being made in implementing the recommendations. My Department and the state agencies under my aegis are dealing with the areas relevant to them. Under REPS...
- Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: Plans for the upgrading of a Sheep Breeding Programme are well advanced, with the recent establishment of the Interim Sheep Board under the auspices of ICBF, which should enable a new programme to be put in place for the 2008/2009 breeding year. In the case of grants for sheep housing, the Farm Improvement Scheme introduced in July 2007 allowed support for investments in relation to housing...
- Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Lamb Quality Assurance Scheme was established in 2007. Almost 6,000 farms have been registered to date and over 4,200 farm audits have been carried out. Promotional efforts are being undertaken by An Bord Bia which continues to organise strategic lamb marketing campaigns for both the home market and selected European markets. The downward trend in lamb consumption in certain markets...
- Written Answers — Quality Assurance Schemes: Quality Assurance Schemes (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: Bord Bia Pigmeat Quality Assurance Scheme â Auditing to the new standard commenced in May 2007 and the scheme is now fully accredited under EN45011 at producer and processor level, the latter being achieved in early October 2007. To date there has been 248 applicant producers, of which 116 producers have been certified. Farm inspections and processor audits are ongoing with certifications...
- Written Answers — Farm Improvement Scheme: Farm Improvement Scheme (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme provided grant-aid for the installation of bins and silos (but excluding dedicated stores) for grain storage at a standard grant-rate of 40% up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of â¬120,000.
- Written Answers — Horticulture Industry: Horticulture Industry (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The EU prohibit supports which are targeted at import substitution. The fruit and vegetable sector contributed approx â¬213.7m to farm output in 2007, an increase of 14% over 2000. This sector has considerable potential for development but is experiencing strong competitive pressures, particularly from the highly concentrated retail chain and from imports. In March 2007 Bord Bia published...
- Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 520, 521 and 525 together. The annual forestry premium increased by 15% from 2007, with a maximum payment of up to â¬574 per hectare per annum paid over 20 years. Under the new FEPS an additional premium of up to â¬200 per hectare for five years is available to farmers in REPS who join FEPS. The target of 30% broadleaf planting has been achieved in 2005...
- Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: My Department, in conjunction with Teagasc and COFORD, have been actively encouraging the development of new markets for forest thinnings in the heat energy sector through a range of support measures aimed at creating an effective supply chain from producer to end user. In 2007 my Department introduced a new capital grant scheme to support emerging enterprises in the wood chip supply...
- Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: My Department continually promotes forestry through attractive grant incentives i.e. â 100% establishment grants and 20-year annual premiums. In 2007, my department launched the Wood Biomass Harvesting Machinery Grant Scheme and has supported the purchase of a number of large and medium-scale chipping units designed to bring critical capacity to this sector (this scheme is now closed). ...
- Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The FEPS scheme has been amended following a full review and consultation with the sector and has been rolled out as an established scheme. The threshold of 8 hectares has been reduced to 5 hectares for small farms (less than 30ha), attracting a â¬150/ha rate for plantations between 5 and 8 ha, and â¬200/ha thereafter. At the other end of the scale, a standard rate of â¬200/ha will apply...
- Written Answers — : (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The review of the main elements of the 1946 Forestry Act has now been completed and draft Heads of a Forestry Bill have been prepared. The draft Scheme of the Forest Bill, along with the Screening Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) and Memorandum for Government have been prepared and will be submitted to Government shortly for approval to send to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for...
- Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 529 together. The potential for using energy crops to produce bioenergy was examined in the Liquid Biofuels Strategy Study published by Sustainable Energy Ireland and in the Report of the Bioenergy Strategy Group published by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR). The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF)...
- Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 530 together. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) supports research into projects in biofuel and biomass through the Research Stimulus Fund Programme. The Programme facilitates research that supports sustainable and competitive agricultural production practices and policies and contributes to a scientific research capability in...
- Written Answers — Farmers' Markets: Farmers' Markets (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: My Department is currently funding a 3-year research project on examining effective structures for Farmers' Markets in Ireland under the Research Stimulus Fund Programme. The project, which is being undertaken by the Centre for Cooperative Studies and the Department of Food Business and Development, University College Cork, will seek to establish how farmers' markets can best be structured to...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Monitoring Committee for the Charter of Rights for Farmers 2005/2007 first met on 27 February 2007 under an independent chairman, Dr. Noel Cawley. At this and further meetings of the committee, the Department provided updates on progress on meeting the commitments covered by the Charter. In general, the farming organisations were satisfied with the results. Negotiations with the farm...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (10 Jul 2008)
Brendan Smith: My Department is in regular contact with the farming organisations on the paperwork associated with the various schemes operated by the Department.