Results 6,521-6,540 of 18,320 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Aid (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 776. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the necessary provisions will be implemented to enable farmers to access low-cost short-term loans, due to serious cash flow pressures at present, as provided for at the EU Agriculture Council in respect of state aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22835/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 777. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he will make at the next EU Agriculture Council in respect of the need to support the dairy sector through its present difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22836/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry Exports (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 779. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if additional resources will be provided to Bord Bia to assist client companies exporting to Northern Ireland and to Britain due to difficulties arising from the weakening of the value of sterling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22845/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 780. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the export of live cattle to Turkey is likely to commence; if all the necessary protocols have been put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22846/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 781. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of discussions at the recent European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council on to the need to have additional food products exempted from the Russian ban on exports from the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22847/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pigmeat Sector (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 782. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of discussions at the recent European Union Agriculture and Fisheries Council on the ongoing difficulties facing the pigmeat sector; the proposals there are to provide additional assistance at European level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22848/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 783. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has secured agreement from the European Commission to have an advance payment of 70% of the basic payment scheme by mid-October 2016 in view of the income difficulties facing farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22849/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pigmeat Sector (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 784. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date in the implementation of the report prepared by the pig industry stakeholder group; the timeline for the implementation of the measures proposed in that report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22850/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: UK Referendum on EU Membership (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 785. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of any discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, following the British decision to leave the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22861/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: North-South Ministerial Council (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 786. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date for the next meeting with the Northern Ireland Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in sectorial format, as provided for in the North-South Ministerial Council; the issues to be discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22862/16]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Grocery Industry Regulation (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 908. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her proposals to establish an independent ombudsman office in respect of retail regulation, due to concerns over the unfair treatment of farmers and suppliers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22894/16]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: North-South Ministerial Council (19 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 922. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date for the next meeting with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive in sectorial format, as provided for in the North-South Ministerial Council; the issues to be discussed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22856/16]

Topical Issue Debate: Accident and Emergency Departments Closures (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I take the opportunity to compliment the staff in Cavan General Hospital, many of whom I know personally. All the staff, regardless of the discipline they work in, work extremely hard under a lot of pressure and stress and they are diligent and committed to their patients. As I said earlier, fortunately, there was major development and...

Topical Issue Debate: Accident and Emergency Departments Closures (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: I am very concerned about the media reports that appeared last weekend about the status of the emergency departments in nine hospitals, including Cavan General Hospital. The huge number of people attending the hospital in Cavan every week clearly indicates the need for its emergency department to retain all services. Only last May, in parliamentary questions, I raised the need to provide...

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister for his response and indicating that he will provide for a USO. I hope his departmental officials, in their discussions with ComReg, will stress the urgency of this matter. The Minister has mentioned that he has raised it with his colleagues at the Council of Communications Ministers. I hope progress will be made more quickly in this instance than in the case of...

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: I stress the need for the broadband plan to be rolled out as rapidly as possible in areas such as mine. It is drumlin country in which there is poor mobile phone coverage. The Minister mentioned that there was a USO in respect of voice telephony. I presume that this includes mobile telephony.

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: It is not included. Although I am broadening the question, people nowadays remove landlines from their homes because of the costs involved and their daily business is transacted on mobile phones. Will the Minister consider trying to ensure telecoms companies which generate significant revenues from their mobile phone services will provide an adequate service? Regardless of where I travel...

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: Companies could co-locate more effectively.

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: Co-location has not been maximised by the companies involved.

Other Questions: Broadband Service Provision (14 Jul 2016)

Brendan Smith: 8. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 601 of 8 June 2016, if he has had discussions with ComReg regarding the application of a universal service obligation on broadband telecommunications providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21511/16]