Results 1,861-1,880 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Green Box payments, in the context of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, are defined as payments, which have no, or at most minimal trade distorting effects or effects on agriculture production. These payments are exempt from reduction commitments and can even be increased without any financial limitation under the WTO. Almost €2 billion in payments are made annually to Ireland under the...

Written Answers — Dairy Exports: Dairy Exports (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Ireland has been successful in building EU and world market trade over a sustained period. This has been supported by consistent efforts to promote and market Ireland's dairy produce in these markets by Irish operators. Over 80% of Irish dairy production is exported to EU and world markets. 2007 was another successful year for the Irish Dairy Sector with exports up 13% to €2.36bn. This...

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The FSAI Report concluded that the landspreading of organic agricultural materials on agricultural land for food production is beneficial and should continue, with one exception. The one exception relates to the spreading of untreated organic agricultural materials on land to be used for ready-to-eat food crops. The safety of organic food is not compromised by these findings. Organic...

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: A number of measures have been put in place in Budget 2009 to encourage young farmers to both enter agriculture and to increase their investment in farming. Most importantly, stamp duty relief for young trained farmers has been renewed in Budget 2009 for a further four years, until 31 December 2012. This means that, in combination with Capital Acquisitions Tax (Agricultural relief) and...

Written Answers — Beef Imports: Beef Imports (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am aware of the report the Deputy is referring to. The Commission's Food and Veterinary Office recently published its final report of a follow-up mission carried out between 25 February and 13 March 2008 to evaluate measures that the Brazilian Authorities introduced to address serious shortcomings on cattle traceability with regard to exports to the EU. As the Deputy will be aware the...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I have no plans to meet with the EU Agriculture Commissioner before the end of this year to seek an alteration to the terms of the EU state aid approval for the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006.

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I understand that there is demand within the forestry sector for a broadleaf thinning scheme. The overall forestry situation is being reviewed in the light of the allocation under the 2009 Budget to ensure that the available funds are put to best use. The allocation of funding to specific schemes will be on a basis of strict prioritisation of programmes.

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The agricultural sector is already contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol allowed for an increase in Ireland's emissions of 13% over 1990 levels by 2012. The Environmental Protection Agency's analysis of September 2008 projects that emissions from the agriculture sector in the period up to 2012 will fall to 18.95 million tonnes or 4.3% below 1990 levels. The...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The profit monitor analysis system is a service provided by Teagasc to farmers. It enables farmers to measure the physical and financial performance of their farms, to compare it with farmers nationally and to plan for improvements to be made in specific areas in order to improve profitability. The profit monitor results for 2007, which were launched in September 2008, show a range in...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I can confirm that, because of the dramatic reduction in the incidence of Brucellosis over the past ten years and because there has been no confirmed outbreak of this disease here since April 2006, I intend to apply to the EU for officially Brucellosis-free status for Ireland next April. This is a very significant development and is another important measure of the high disease status of our...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: 24 applications under the Early Retirement Scheme (ERS3) 2007 were received in my Department from County Galway. Of these, 14 have been approved for payment, 9 are being processed and 1 application has been withdrawn. Applications received in my Department up to and including the date of the budget, 14 October 2008, will be processed.

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: I have discussed the 1 per cent levy with the Minister for Finance and I understand that the farm organisations have conveyed their concerns to the Minister. The arrangements for the application of the levy will be confirmed in the forthcoming Finance Bill. My officials and I will be in further contact with the Minister for Finance and his Department in relation to a number of tax issues,...

Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Irish Dairy Board and the National Dairy Council are the main bodies responsible for promoting the sale of dairy products. The Irish Dairy Board is a commercial co-operative that markets Irish Dairy products internationally and is jointly owned by the milk processors who sell their products through it. Of course, the dairy processing firms also take a lead role in the marketing of their...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Given the public finances situation, my approach in preparing the 2009 estimates for my Department was to focus available resources on the measures that allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector. Having chosen to protect expenditure in certain areas, savings had to be found in other areas to meet current budgetary requirements. In relation to the Scheme...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 estimates for my Department was to focus available resources on the measures that allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector. Because I had chosen to protect expenditure in certain areas, expenditure in other areas had to be curtailed. In relation to the...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: As announced in the Budget I confirm that the seafood marketing and promotion element of Bord Iascaigh Mhara is to be merged with An Bord Bia. My ambition is that the transfer will be effective from early in 2009 subject to the appropriate legal instruments being in place.

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The final decision as to what products will be declared as sensitive in the context of a trade deal in the World Trade Organisation has not been made. However, at this stage there is a recognition by EU Member States and other trading partners that beef and, indeed, poultry will almost certainly be declared as sensitive, with a number of other products under consideration. The actual...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: My approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to focus available resources on the measures that allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector. The 2009 Estimates provide over €1.8 billion for my Department, and, when combined with EU funding of €1.4 billion, means that total expenditure in 2009 by my Department will amount to over...

Written Answers — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: Michael D O'Connor, Sons & Co Ltd has been liquidated and a new company, Cappoquin Poultry Ltd, has been registered and will continue to process poultry in the former O'Connor's premises. Approximately 120 people will be employed. Following the announcement of the appointment of a liquidator to O'Connor's, a meeting was held on 19 September 2008 in Dungarvan involving Enterprise Ireland,...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (30 Oct 2008)

Brendan Smith: The labelling of imported and Irish-produced poultry is checked on an ongoing basis by inspectors of my Department in accordance with European Communities legislation on the marketing standards for poultrymeat. For example, around 1,300 such inspections were conducted in 2007. The legislation requires, inter alia, that the use-by date be displayed on fresh poultry and that the country of...