Results 8,861-8,880 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The cost of providing transport hire for my predecessor and I, Ministers of State assigned to my Department and my staff for the period 2003 to date in 2007 is set out in the table below. It is not possible to provide the information for the period 1997 to 2002 in the timeframe given and further details will be forwarded in writing directly to the Deputy as soon as possible. The transport...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: No decision has yet been made by my Department in the case referred to. Applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007 will be processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Written Answers — Agriculture Policy: Agriculture Policy (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: At present there are a number of generous schemes and reliefs aimed at encouraging land mobility and reducing the cost of transfers to young trained farmers. These include: A rental income tax exemption of up to €20,000 for farmers over 40 years who lease out land for a period of 10 years or more. A rental income tax exemption of up to €15,000 for farmers over 40 years who lease out land...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named successfully applied under the New Entrant measure of the Single Payment Scheme. Subsequently, the person named applied to be considered for an allocation of entitlements under Categories A, B and C of the 2005 National Reserve. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: As a result of environmental damage on commonages due to overgrazing by sheep, Ireland was required by the European Commission to put in place comprehensive measures to deliver environmentally sustainable farming practices as a condition of making REPS payments to commonage farmers. Over 4,000 Commonage Framework Plans, covering approximately 430,000 hectares, were prepared by agricultural...

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The number of staff in my Department provided with a Blackberry device or similar mobile e-mail equipment is 94. 87 staff have been provided with Blackberry devices and 7 staff are piloting a 'push email' solution on mobile-phones.

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has in place twenty one (21) databases to support its work. Twenty (20) databases are operated and hosted within the Department. One (1) database, which is shared with other Departments, is hosted by another public sector organization that provides hosting facilities.

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has invested significantly in IT over the past number of years and has successfully delivered many new IT systems to underpin its operations and to provide greater internal efficiencies, controls, and enhanced customer service. At any time there is a large programme of IT initiatives being progressed. The details requested by the Deputy in relation to the IT projects delivered...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The setting of policy in relation to the offsetting of carbon dioxide emissions from Ministerial travel is a matter, in the first instance, for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that he, on foot of the commitment in the Programme for Government on carbon offsetting official air travel, is developing a scheme for use by all Government...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has put in place a robust Information Technology infrastructure, at both the hardware and software levels, to ensure that all data (including personal data) is safe from hackers. A complex infrastructure consisting of firewalls, routers, and specialized software has been deployed to protect against intrusion by hackers, etc. As a further measure, the Department has put in...

Written Answers — Management Information Framework System: Management Information Framework System (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 659 and 660 together. The Management Information Framework has been fully operational in my Department. However, evaluation and improvement of the system is on-going and work is currently in hand to integrate into the system the fisheries related responsibilities which have been transferred to my Department. The main component of the Framework is the SAP...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The REPS agreement in question was between the Department and a third party, not the person named. Consequently the debt involved is not a matter for the representatives of the person named but for the third party concerned. I have asked my officials to communicate directly with the third party concerned to progress this matter.

Written Answers — Beef Imports: Beef Imports (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The report of the visit in March of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) to Brazil was published in October. The progress in the implementation of the recommendations of that report will be assessed by the FVO. In this context of a further FVO mission was undertaken in November. At my request the matter was discussed recently by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The vesting order for the person named is completed and is currently being sealed and will be lodged with the Property Registration Authority within a week.

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the 2007 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 1 May 2007. During processing of the application, it was necessary for an official of my Department to request additional information from the person named, which has now been supplied. Accordingly, full payment (€4,456.75) under the 2007 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will issue to the person named...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (11 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The harbour at Ballycotton is owned by Cork County Council and responsibility for its development rests with the Local Authority in the first instance. My Department does, however, co-fund approved capital works under the Fishery Harbours and Coastal Infrastructure Programme, subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and overall national priorities. Funding of €900,000 was approved...

Written Answers — Departmental Meetings: Departmental Meetings (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together. My Department has a Management Advisory Committee (MAC) chaired by the Secretary General which meets fortnightly. My Special Advisor is a member of the Committee. Periodically, a meeting of the MAC is held at Ministerial level which involves the MAC and myself and the Ministers of State. I chair those meetings. Reports are prepared of...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table. Minister Coughlan Minister of State Brown Minister of State Sargent Minister of State Wallace Permanent Civil Servants 11.1 * 2 4 5 Programme Managers 0 0 0 0 Special Advisors 1 (PCS) 0 1 0 Policy Assistants 0 0 0 0 Personnel on Secondment 1 (PCS) 1 (PCS) 2 (PCS) 0 Other non Permanent Civil Servants 3 4 2.5 5 PCS...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named held 23.07 payment entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme in 2007. In order to receive full payment, the applicant must declare one hectare of land in respect of each entitlement held. The person named declared 22.55 hectares of eligible lands in 2007 and received a 50% advance payment, amounting to €3,554.63, on 16 October 2007 based on the number of hectares...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (6 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, provided for the establishment of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). This independent authority was established on January 1st 2007. The Act clearly provides that the Authority is independent in the exercise of its functions and as such I have no remit as to its work programme or its strategic deployment of resources.