Results 1,681-1,700 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Rather than a single scheme to support sheep farmers, there is a series of measures in place, based on the recommendations of the Sheep Strategy Development Group report. These measures, which were announced by my predecessor, form a comprehensive package of support to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the sheep industry as a whole. Good progress is being made in...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The EU Commission is currently conducting a review of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme across the Community. Council has mandated the Commission to conduct the review, with the intention of introducing a new system with effect from 2010. The proposal represents a move away from designation based on socio-economic factors, (declining rural population, low productivity and low farm incomes), to a...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. Payment will be made by my Department to the person concerned shortly.

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Sector: Sugar Beet Sector (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The various elements of the EU Sugar Reform package were designed to compensate former sugar beet growers and to assist them in diversifying into other farming activities, with the initial payments under the Sugar Restructuring Scheme, the first of the four elements of the compensation package, being made in June 2007. While the person named did hold a sugar beet quota in 2004, as he retired...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The spreading of animal manures and slurry is governed by the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In view of the poor weather conditions in recent months, with the exceptional rainfall making land unsuitable at times for the spreading of livestock manures and slurry, I...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The 2008 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas application in this case was selected for an eligibility inspection by satellite. The inspection results have been returned and the application has been fully processed. Any payment due will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named submitted a Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas application in 2008 and his application was selected for an eligibility inspection by satellite. The inspection results have been returned and the applications for the person named have been fully processed. Any payment due will issue shortly.

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Donadea Forest Park is owned and managed by Coillte Teoranta, which was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988. Day-to-day operational matters, such as the management of parks, are the responsibility of the company. I have been advised by the company that this park is one of the most widely used Coillte Forest Parks and is a popular recreation area with...

Written Answers — Icelandic Investments: Icelandic Investments (16 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: While this is an operational matter for the individual State Agencies under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I understand that none have funds invested in Icelandic financial products.

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department has provided significant funding for the development in Greencastle since it commenced in 2007. In the current year €3.6 million has been provided for the construction of the breakwater. As the 2009 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme has not yet been drafted I am not in a position to state the level of funding available for Greencastle or any...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The bulk of capital expenditure for my Department relates to payments to individual farmers under demand led schemes involving capital expenditure at farm level. Attached are details of the total capital expenditure for each year since 1997. A detailed breakdown by county for the period in question is not readily available and would take an inordinate amount of time to complete. However, if...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Single Payment Scheme application for the person named has been fully processed and any payment due will issue shortly. In addition the person named submitted an application under Category A of the 2008 National Reserve. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May, 2005 and who had...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 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 (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named is not currently the registered owner of the herd number quoted. An application under 2008 Single Payment Scheme was received on 6 May 2008 in the name of the father of the person named. An official of my Department is in direct contact with the person named with a view to regularising the position, in order that payment may issue at an early date.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department has supplied all of the information sought by the Ombudsman in relation to her examination and subsequent formal investigation into the Lost at Sea Scheme. The Ombudsman will decide when her investigation is finalised and when a report on the matter will be published. The Department will of course provide any further information if requested by the Ombudsman.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The purpose of the Lost at Sea Scheme was to enable qualifying applicants, who were otherwise unable to do so for financial or related reasons, to provide replacement capacity for the purposes of introducing a replacement vessel in respect of fishing boats lost at sea between 1980 and the establishment of the fishing boat register in 1990, in order to continue a family tradition of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department submits a quarterly return to the Decentralisation Implementation Group detailing the non-property costs of the programme. To the end of June 2008, the last reporting deadline, the costs reported for the programme to date amounted to €147,031 (see table for details by year). Figures for the third quarter will be available at the end of October. Year € 2006 23,278 2007...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The original Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department was that 600 headquarters staff would move to Portlaoise; some 100 staff in the local offices in Cork city would move to Fermoy; and up to 100 staff in the laboratories in Cork and Limerick would move to Macroom. Fisheries joined the Department in 2007 and the move of that function of my Department to Clonakilty is now...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007 are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (21 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The information requested is set out in a table. It includes staff in my Department who availed of Cost Neutral Early Retirement (CNER) introduced in 2005 and staff whose early retirement on ill health grounds was approved by the Minister for Finance. Year Ill health Pensions Ill health Lump sums CNER Pensions CNER Lump sums â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ 2003 (from 1/11/2003) 17,037.60...