Results 401-420 of 527 for speaker:Mary Wallace

Pig Industry. (10 Oct 2007)

Mary Wallace: We fully appreciate this is a difficult time for pig producers. The sector has enjoyed a period of relative stability in recent years and Irish producers have shown themselves to be exceptionally efficient with the result that a reasonable income has been achievable from pig farming. There is, however, no doubt that the sector currently faces a major challenge with the risk that some...

Noxious Weed Control. (3 Oct 2007)

Mary Wallace: My Department has conducted public awareness campaigns for the control of noxious weeds in 2006 and in the spring and summer of this year. The campaigns were directed at landowners and users of land — mainly farmers, local authorities and developers. Campaigns consisted of the circulation of posters for display in all Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Teagasc and local...

Noxious Weed Control. (3 Oct 2007)

Mary Wallace: The National Roads Authority is considering the provision of a dedicated financial allocation to local authorities to address the control of noxious weeds on approximately 5,500 km of national roads. During the summer I saw farmers in County Galway and council workers on the Dundalk bypass hand-pulling ragwort. This was a waste of time, because the weed can be sprayed in the early spring or...

Noxious Weed Control. (3 Oct 2007)

Mary Wallace: Council workers could then do other work during the summer months.

Noxious Weed Control. (3 Oct 2007)

Mary Wallace: Deputy Upton is correct. There are three reasons for dealing with noxious weeds. First, we have designated ragwort as a noxious weed because it is poisonous to animals when grazed or consumed in hay or silage; second, other noxious weeds, such as thistle and dock in grassland and wild oat in cereals, affect crop growth and consequently crop yield; third, if noxious weeds are not controlled...

Public Transport. (27 Jun 2007)

Mary Wallace: I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his appointment and wish him every success. In September 2006, Exchequer funding of €30 million was announced towards the cost of 100 additional buses for Dublin Bus. Dublin Bus took delivery of these buses in 2006. These additional buses enable Dublin Bus to expand the number and frequency of services throughout its network to the benefit of...

Farm Inspection Scheme. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: The introduction of the single payment scheme and my Department's commitment to the farm bodies to ensure maximum integration of inspections across schemes and for cross-compliance has resulted in a drop in annual farm inspection levels from 18,000 under the coupled regime to less than 8,000 in 2006. I agree the inspection requirements linked to cross-compliance are complex and I am...

Farm Inspection Scheme. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: As we have said on several occasions, we agree with the sentiments in regard to simplification. We have looked in detail at the 66 page document to which Deputy Penrose referred. It is important to state the only occasion in which all that paperwork would need to be used would be in a case where a farmer had all of the following on his or her farm: wild birds nesting; a habitat or two;...

Farm Inspection Scheme. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: As the Minister has outlined on several occasions, the inspection forms do not have to be read or completed by the farmer. They are to be completed by the inspector. There is a good reason for a detailed inspection guideline for the inspector, namely, it ensures inspectors from Donegal to Wexford apply the same criteria. If there was a vague, half page guideline, one could have several...

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: As the Deputy may be aware, an interdepartmental-inter-agency working group was established within the Department in 2003 to develop proposals for a national strategy and best practices to ensure the co-existence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming. That group presented us with its final report and recommendations in December 2005 which, inter alia, recommended that a...

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: In respect of GM feed, I must clarify that the exclusion from the Irish market of GM maize and soya beans would result in a significant cost to the animal production sector. I understand 95% of our imports of soya and maize are GM feedstuffs.

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: Yes. Undoubtedly, the price of feed would increase costs for livestock producers. As for the issue of a possible ban, we must be careful in this regard because once a GM crop has been approved for growing within the Community, EU law prevents us from banning it. We cannot legislate or prevent the growing of approved GM crops.

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: We are obliged to introduce coexisting arrangements to protect existing non-GM arrangements. The Irish position on GMOs is positive but precautionary.

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: To be clear, the Commission has taken a stance against this. It is contrary to EU law. We must be mindful that we operate within such law in this regard. As to whether we could decide to take the voluntary route, perhaps we could.

Genetically Modified Organisms. (8 Mar 2007)

Mary Wallace: However, this would necessitate everyone moving forward voluntarily rather than the imposition of a ban. We cannot impose a ban because we operate under EU law. Moreover, regardless of whether one wants to, one must bear in mind the increased costs to the Irish animal production sector that would arise following the imposition of a ban on the importation of GM foods. In addition to the...

Seanad: Genetically Modified Organisms. (7 Feb 2007)

Mary Wallace: I thank Senator Henry for raising this important matter in the House and I propose to address the topic in three distinct parts. The first relates to the question of excluding GM crops from Irish agriculture, the second to cross-pollination between GM and non-GM crops and the third pertains to the issue of the economic value in respect of the GM crops. Before doing so, as the Senator...

Animal Diseases. (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Wallace: The issue raised in the Deputy's question of 27 June 2006 continues to be the subject of a thorough and comprehensive investigation by our Department, as part of which officials have travelled overseas to consult with international colleagues. An extensive amount of information has been gathered as part of the investigation which is currently being assessed. It is not possible at this stage...

Animal Diseases. (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Wallace: The Department is continuing to progress the investigation into the circumstances in which the disease was first introduced to the country. The investigation is a comprehensive one and the Department will, in the event of sufficient evidence being established, endeavour to pursue a prosecution. Due to the nature of the investigation, the Department is not in a position to comment further on...

Animal Diseases. (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Wallace: The Veterinary Council is dealing with that and has introduced new protocols. The Department has given advice to horse owners and in view of the veterinary association involvement in this matter, the Department is reiterating the advice consistently given over the past five months that veterinary practitioners should at all times observe the highest standards of hygiene and should ensure...

Animal Diseases. (6 Feb 2007)

Mary Wallace: I stress that the Department has made clear that it does not intend to make any contribution to horse owners in respect of losses claimed to have occurred as a consequence of being restricted. On vigilance, testing and the 57-day period of which I spoke, no doubt a great deal of testing has taken place in this area. There have been 14,000 negative tests in January alone, we have completed...