Results 8,641-8,660 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Coastal Erosion: Coastal Erosion (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The Beach at Quilty, Co. Clare is owned by Clare County Council and responsibility for its 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 and Local...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application under the Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 2 May 2007. As part of the control procedures under EU legislation governing the Single Payment Scheme, the application was randomly selected for and was the subject of satellite eligibility and an on the spot cross compliance inspection. During the course of the cross compliance...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: REPS farmers in this area received payment, under an agreement with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, for undertaking a new grazing regime which was necessary to deal with serious environmental problems caused by overgrazing. The agreement was confined to farmers in REPS 2 and REPS 3 on the grounds that the...

Written Answers — Fur Farming: Fur Farming (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Musk Rats Act, 1933 (Application to Mink) Order 1965, the keeping of mink is prohibited except under licence, obtained from my Department. Licences are issued under this legislation only if the applicant, following an inspection, is found to be compliant with a number of key conditions. I, as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, may withdraw or amend any of these...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: As indicated in my previous reply, applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 partnership agreement, Towards 2016. Applications for grant-aid under the Farm Improvement Scheme were received from the person concerned on 26 and 31 October 2007 and are, therefore, eligible for...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person named is a participant in REPS 3. In the course of the ongoing discussions on the payment arrangements for REPS, the European Commission have very recently raised questions about the established practice of paying REPS 2 and REPS 3 farmers at the beginning of each contract year. My officials have argued strongly with the Commission that the practice of paying at the start of the...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. It is not clear from the Deputy's question whether he has specific conservation measures in mind that he believes are impacting unfairly on families of those working in the industry. In general terms, it is clear that many of the fish stocks of importance to Irish fishermen in Irish and other European waters are...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: During a routine check, it was noted that the herd number in question had been transferred to the person named from her late husband on 19 May 2007. A letter issued to the person named advising her of the need to transfer Single Farm Payment entitlements to allow payment to issue under the 2007 Scheme year. Relevant application forms were issued to the person named and subsequently received...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 468 together. The establishment dates for the statutory bodies for which I have responsibility is as follows: Name of Statutory Body Date of Establishment An Bord Bia 1 December 1994 Teagasc 8 September 1988 Coillte 1 January 1989 Irish National Stud 11 April 1946 Veterinary Council of Ireland 1 January 2006 National Milk Agency 1 October...

Written Answers — Legal Proceedings: Legal Proceedings (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I am not a party to the proceedings referred to in the question. I am advised that an appeal is pending and consequently it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I launched REPS 4 on 8 August 2007. To date some 1,250 applications have been received and the first payments under REPS 4 will issue next week.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are still questions to be resolved with the European Commission regarding processing of payments in REPS 2, REPS 3 and REPS 4 and whether we can continue with the previous practice of making up-front payments to all REP scheme participants at the start of the contract year. My officials have argued in the strongest terms with the Commission Services that we should be allowed to...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: REPS 4 includes a new mixed grazing supplementary measure specifically targeted at the sheep sector. Farmers availing of this new supplementary measure can draw down an additional annual payment of up to €1,000. In addition, payment rates in REPS 4 are 17% higher than those in REPS 3, in accordance with the partnership agreement with the farming organisations. I have recently had...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There are a number of applications for foreshore licences being processed in respect of applications from Waterford County Council. The current position regarding the applications is as follows. Regarding the Outfall from Stormwater/Surfacewater Collection system at Cappoquin (Application received 29 April 2005), my Department's Engineering Division, having reviewed additional information...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application under the consolidation measure of the 2007 Single Payment Scheme. This application is now processed in full and outstanding payment will issue in the coming days.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: There is only one Taskforce currently operating in my Department as follows: In response to the threat posed by the spread of avian influenza and the need to coordinate the development of a robust range of contingency measures, a Government Taskforce on Avian Influenza was established in 2006. It is chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries & Food and, apart from my Department,...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together. The following taskforces were established in my Department in the past five years: Mushroom Taskforce The taskforce was set up in December 2003 to arrive at a consensus on the major issues facing the mushroom sector and to devise a time bound action plan to address those issues in order to secure the future viability of the sector. The...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: The returns to the Decentralisation Implementation Group for the non-property costs of the move to Portlaoise are as follows. Quarter Costs € Prior to July 2006 Nil Return July – September 2006 6,116.33 October – December 2006 7,885.76 January – March 2007 12,201 April – June 2007 14,535 July – September 2007 13,185 Total 53,923 These costs are the extended extra costs...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: To the end of December 2007, 253 civil servants have decentralised to my Department's offices in Portlaoise and 80 civil servants have decentralised to my Department's offices in Clonakilty. The Government decision on the decentralisation of my Department is that the headquarters will move to Portlaoise involving some 600 staff; the local offices in Cork city will move to Fermoy involving...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Feb 2008)

Mary Coughlan: While an application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was received on 21 March 2007, it was in the name of the spouse of the person named. Due to the subsequent death of the spouse of the person named, it is necessary to transfer the herd number to the person named. An official from my Department will visit the person named to allow speedy completion of the necessary documentation,...