Results 1,561-1,580 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The claim for payment lodged by the person concerned under the Farm Waste Management Scheme is being processed by my Department. I would expect that payment will be made in the near future provided that the claim is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: While under the EU regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme, the earliest date payments may issue is 1 December of the scheme-year concerned, provision is also made for payments to be made earlier, subject to EU approval. Prompted by the very wet summer, which seriously affected farming, I approached the Agriculture Commissioner seeking agreement to an early advance 50% payment, in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The claim for payment lodged by the person concerned under the Farm Waste Management Scheme is being processed by my Department. I would expect that payment will be made in the near future provided that the claim is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The deadline of 31 December 2008 for completion of work by farmers under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a condition of the EU state aid approval for the Scheme. The European Commission has since reaffirmed that it expects Ireland to respect strictly this deadline.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Farm Improvement Scheme was introduced by my Department in July 2007 with funding of allocation of €79 million was provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016, and the Scheme was suspended on 31 October 2007 as applications received had reached this level of funding. Applications received up to 21 October 2007 are now being processed by my Department and the...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Manufacturing premises, factories and other such establishments may be subject to regulation by a variety of public bodies, including for example Local Authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies including my Department in some instances. From time to time my Department receives complaints in relation to a range of matters concerning a wide variety of establishments,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The claim for payment lodged by the person concerned under the Farm Waste Management Scheme is being processed by my Department. I would expect that payment will be made in the near future provided that the claim is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Vote 31 — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Supplementary Estimate) (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I move: That a supplementary sum not exceeding €195,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2008, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, including certain services administered by that Office, and of the Irish Land Commission and for payment of...

Written Answers — Tuberculosis Incidence: Tuberculosis Incidence (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 416 to 418, inclusive, together. Capturing of badgers by my Department is carried out under licences granted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NWPS) in areas of the country where serious outbreaks of TB have occurred and where an epidemiological investigation carried out by my Department's Veterinary Inspectorate has found that badgers are the likely...

Written Answers — Tuberculosis Incidence: Tuberculosis Incidence (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Expenditure under the TB eradication programme, not including cost of salaries of Department staff, has been calculated at €43.3m in 2007. Expenditure to 30 September 2008 is estimated at €39.7m. It is expected that final expenditure in 2008 will exceed that for 2007 due to a substantial increase in the cost of compensation linked to higher cattle prices, mainly dairy stock, and an...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry: Fishing Industry (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The current funding available for decommissioning is provided to enable immediate decommissioning of vessels from the fleet so as to improve the economic viability of the remainder of the fleet. The general position in the Irish fishing industry in recent years is that there has been an overall shortage of crewmen. Accordingly, and as only a portion of the fleet is being decommissioned, it...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application for a foreshore lease to facilitate construction of rock armour, infilling and construction of a pontoon at Rockhouse, Kilmacsimon, was received by my Department on 3 August 2007. The application was circulated to the Department's technical consultees in line with normal procedures. All of the Department's technical consultees have responded and have no objection to the...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The requirements in relation to ploughing are set out in the Nitrates Regulations introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2006 (SI No. 378 of 2006). These Regulations require that: When ploughing arable land between 1 July and 15 January green cover must be provided from a sown crop within six weeks. Grassland ploughed between 1 July and 15 October...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The website of the Government's climate change awareness campaign, www.change.ie, provides a carbon calculator which enables everyone to work out their own carbon footprint. Using this tool, my Department has estimated that the carbon emissions related to air travel arising in the course of my ministerial functions since May 2008 amounted to 3.4 tonnes, all of which will be fully offset...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The pier at Doolin is the property of Clare County Council and responsibility for its repair and upkeep rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. My Department does, however, co-fund maintenance and development works with various Local Authorities under the Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. In late 2007, my Department invited applications for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The claim for payment lodged by the person named is being processed by my Department. I would expect that payment will be made in the near future provided that the claim is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspection Service: Veterinary Inspection Service (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The veterinary profession has my full confidence and support. The profession plays a pivotal role in the development of our agriculture and food sectors and its members expertise and commitment in the area of animal diseases has enabled our livestock sector to progress and improve and, by so doing, to provide a safe raw material for our developing food industry. With developments in the...

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspection Service: Veterinary Inspection Service (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The purpose of the AHCS1 form is to permit testing veterinary practitioners to manually submit amendments to test details that have already been submitted electronically. These corrections generally relate to matters such as the sex, breed, colour, ID number of animals, as well as herd identifier, date and details of test results. The acceptance of submitted corrections on the AHCS 1 forms...

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The EU school milk scheme provides financial assistance to dairies for supplying certain milk products to educational establishments. The aim of the scheme is to promote the consumption and the nutritional benefits of milk. The scheme is co-funded by the EU and the Exchequer. In the school year 2007/08, the number of schools participating in the scheme was 1,356. The Exchequer...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (7 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The mixed grazing supplementary measure is available to farmers joining REPS 4 and was approved by the European Commission on the basis of the environmental benefits accruing from following a mixed grazing regime. Payments of €1.112m have been made in respect of REPS 4 contracts commencing in 2007 of which €9,000 relates to the mixed grazing supplementary measure. Some 11,600 applications...