Results 381-400 of 4,571 for speaker:Trevor Sargent

Sheep Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: In terms of animals for slaughter, the Deputy is aware from the reply in question that Bord Bia promotes Ireland as the "Food Island".

Sheep Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: We do not have in place the restrictions that would be required if a problem arose. However, there is no such problem. We market the island as the "Food Island" and sheepmeat comes into the equation in that regard.

Sheep Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I take the Deputy's point. There may be a need to contact the authorities in Northern Ireland or Scotland in that regard. As already stated, however, we take a "one-island" approach. The Malone report must be the point of focus for——

Sheep Sector. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: ——the industry, the Department and agencies such as Bord Bia. We are working through the recommendations contained in that report and this is where progress will be made.

Beef Industry. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: The Deputy asks if our attention has been drawn to the report by the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office recording ongoing failures by Brazil to meet EU standards. I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers. 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...

Beef Industry. (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: It is important to provide as much information as possible to Deputies and, in that context, it is interesting to note the up to date figures for EU beef imports. Brazilian beef imports to the EU have gone down considerably and much of the imports that are now coming from that country are of cooked meat, which was not affected by the Commission's decision. Last year, 5,123 tonnes of beef...

Education Cuts: Motion (Resumed) (30 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Thanks.

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) (Resumed) (23 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Violence.

Grant Payments. (22 Oct 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Is mian liom ar dtús buíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Ferris a thug an deis dom an rún seo a phlé. Ireland is currently experiencing a period of economic turbulence stemming from both international and domestic factors and the context for this year's budget differs very considerably from those in the past 15 years. The most recent figures from the Department of Finance show that...

National Development Plan: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Nothing constructive then.

Fishing Industry: Motion (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I support the hard work and efforts of my Department colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Brendan Smith, and the Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, to find resolutions to the difficult challenges faced by the fishing industry. As pointed out by the Minister and Members in Fine Gael, the current circumstances in the fishing industry have been developing over time. The Irish fishing industry...

Farm Waste Management. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: The farm waste management scheme was introduced by our Department in March 2006 in order to assist farmers to meet the additional requirements of the nitrates directive. Under the scheme, a standard grant rate of 60%, or 70% in the four zone C counties, was available, and €114 million was spent on this scheme in 2007. Payment claims substantially in excess of this figure are expected in...

Farm Waste Management. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I have no doubt there will be many items on the social partnership agenda, of which this will be one. I cannot pre-empt what will happen there. We are working within the result of a lobbying effort to the European Commission. That has given us the date in question, and the Deputy will acknowledge there is not much room for movement on that basis. There is a dynamic which should be of...

Farm Waste Management. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Some were withdrawn.

Farm Waste Management. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I agree this is a very beneficial scheme, which is also generous. It is a once-off and it was very clear in March 2006, when it was introduced, that it was the time to get involved and get the work done. There has been much foot dragging, as the Deputy knows, over the years when it comes to the implementation of the directive in question. Far from going cap in hand, we have received...

Veterinary Service. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: The report on veterinary practitioners by the Competition Authority was published on 19 June. While the report found that legislation introduced by my Department in 2005 had gone a long way towards modernising the profession, it concluded that some reforms were still needed for consumers to benefit from competition. It has identified the following restrictions which it believes need to be...

Veterinary Service. (1 Jul 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Given that the report was received as recently as 19 June, the Department needs time to study it in greater detail. Nevertheless, nothing has been ruled out. The lack of availability of veterinary practitioners, a point raised by Deputy Penrose, is one of the reasons the Competition Authority has called for advertising rules to be released so as to ensure greater innovation and competition....

Carbon Allowances: Motion (Resumed) (5 Jun 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I apologise for the Minister's absence; he had to go to Luxembourg.

Carbon Allowances: Motion (Resumed) (5 Jun 2008)

Trevor Sargent: He had a meeting in Luxembourg.

Carbon Allowances: Motion (Resumed) (5 Jun 2008)

Trevor Sargent: It is a cross-party issue.