Results 8,201-8,220 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Irish Life Tables: Irish Life Tables (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Irish Life Tables are calculated and published at least 2 years after each census year. For example, Irish Life Tables 14 were published in 2004, 2 years after the 2002 census. The Central Statistics Office intends to publish Irish Life Tables 15 in 2008, 2 years after the 2006 census. Irish Life Tables are calculated based on population data from the census, and 3 years mortality data...

Written Answers — Coastal Protection: Coastal Protection (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The dunes at Burrow Road, Sutton, Co. Dublin are owned by Fingal County Council and responsibility for their maintenance and development is a matter for the Local Authority in the first instance. It should be noted that in line with a recent Government decision, responsibility for Coastal Protection and Coastal Flooding will become the responsibility of the Department of Environment, Heritage...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: On 4 February my Department issued a licence under section 3(3) of the Foreshore Act to Shell E&P Ireland Ltd to carry out site investigation works at Broadhaven Bay, Portacloy Bay, Sruwaddacon Bay and the estuary adjacent to Curraunboy, Co. Mayo. The licence which is for site investigation works only was issued in accordance with normal procedures for assessing such applications. These...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has in recent times, developed a number of key initiatives that provide for a significant reduction in the level of correspondence, communications, reports generated both internally and in dealing with its clients. My Department has in recent years provided extensive internet facilities providing both information and transaction based services resulting in improved customer...

Written Answers — Seafood Industry: Seafood Industry (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am assuming the Deputy is not referring to the Cawley Report which was launched back in January 2007, but to the Rising Tide report. The Rising Tide is a comprehensive report on the review of the bottom culture mussel industry which was carried out during 2007 and which was undertaken at the request of the industry. The finished report is currently with me and I am in the process of...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The end-2008 deadline for completion of work by farmers under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a strict condition of the EU state aid approval for the Scheme. I have no plans to approach the EU Commission to alter the terms of the state aid approval.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: An application from the person named was received on 28 January 2008. Assuming that the application is valid, her start date in REPS will be 1 February 2008. Her REPS 4 payment in 2008 will relate to the number of months in 2008 covered by her new contract, which will be 11 months, and she will receive 75% of her payment when all administrative checks for REPS and the Single Payment Scheme...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is responsible for the administration of the Foreshore Act 1933, including the issue of leases and licences for Offshore Windfarms. A Foreshore Lease application to construct an Offshore Electricity Generating station will include an extensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In order to determine whether sufficient information has been presented by the developers in their...

Written Answers — Dredging Licences: Dredging Licences (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Dumping at Sea Act 1996 (as amended) provision is already made for public participation in the decision making process covering Dumping at Sea applications. The current public consultation process in relation to applications for Dumping at Sea permits requires that notices are published in local and national newspapers informing the public that an application has been made for a...

Written Answers — Energy Efficiency: Energy Efficiency (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: My Department's Services, Health and Safety Division has the lead role in monitoring energy use by my Department, and promoting energy efficiency schemes such as those described below. High efficiency fluorescent lighting has been installed in all of my Department's Offices. This lighting is considered by OPW to be up to five times more energy efficient than conventional lighting. In more...

Written Answers — Statutory Instruments: Statutory Instruments (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Regulations made by my Department pursuant to the European Communities Acts have statutory effect. All such Regulations when made are placed on my Department's web site for perusal by the public and other interested parties. Details of Orders and Regulations made each calendar year by my Department are also to be found in my Department's Annual Report. The Animals Remedies Act of 1993 made...

Written Answers — Animal By-Products: Animal By-Products (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Irish rendering industry produced 151,000 tonnes of meat and bone-meal (MBM) in 2007. The use or disposal of this material is strictly controlled under Regulation (EC) No. 1774 of 2002. The Regulation classifies animal by-products into three risk categories, ranging from Category 1 (high risk) material to Category 3 (which poses little or no risk). The Regulation approves a number of...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 to 312, inclusive, 316 and 320 together. The negotiations on the next WTO Round have entered another intensive phase as efforts continue to reach a full and final agreement by the end of 2008. There is no doubt that the outcome of these negotiations will represent a significant challenge for EU and Irish agriculture. The 2003 Reform of the CAP was...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Over the past five years, the area devoted to energy crops has increased from 137 hectares in 2003 to just over 9,000 hectares in 2007. The table highlights the upward trend since 2003. Year Area per hectare 2003 137 2004 732 2005 2,590 2006 4,456 2007 9,057 The increase in area is due to a number of factors including the buoyant bio-fuels market, growing demand for biomass feedstock...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Fish stocks are managed under the Common Fisheries Policy in order to provide a sustainable and viable industry going forward. Overfishing of any stock acts against its ongoing viability and as such it is an underlying principle that amounts in excess of quota taken from a stock must be paid back to that stock as soon as possible. Council Regulation 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for enforcement of labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) through its service contracts with my Department, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Health Services Executive, the Local Authorities and the National Consumer Agency....

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Detailed EU legislation lays down the conditions that Member States must apply to the production of and trade in products of animal origin as well as to imports of these products from third countries. Undertakings that carry out activities related to any stage of production, processing and distribution of food are required to comply with these conditions to ensure the safety of the food they...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Total full-time and part-time employment in the Irish Fishing Industry (incl Fisheries, Aquaculture, Processing and Ancillary activities) was 14,812 and 10,975 in the years 2000 and 2006 respectively. The report of the Seafood Strategy Review Group Steering a New Course (The Cawley Report) includes a number of recommendations focusing specifically on enhancing the value and quality of Irish...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: In the absence of an application it is not possible to determine whether the person named is eligible for REPS 4 or other schemes. An approved REPS planner can advise him on entry requirements. Schemes documentation is also available from my Department's local AES offices.

WTO Negotiations. (8 Apr 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The current round of WTO negotiations is ongoing and in the coming weeks further intensive efforts will be made to reach agreement in 2008. The chair of the WTO agriculture negotiating committee, Crawford Falconer, issued his latest draft modalities paper in February, with a view to making progress in the agriculture negotiations. These negotiations are now focused on addressing several...