Results 8,901-8,920 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: By way of background, I should point out that the Hunting Association of Ireland (HAI), which encompasses bodies that represent organised fox hunting in Ireland has in place rules and procedures which apply in particular to the practices of digging out, bolting and earthstopping. This initiative was taken after my Department had conveyed to the bodies its concern about such practices. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: No specific study has been carried out into the opening hours of my Department, but client surveys in relation to the service provided by my Department have been conducted. In general there was a very high satisfaction rating with 95% of the 900 participants in the most recent survey expressing themselves either satisfied or very satisfied overall with the service provided by my Department....

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has greatest interaction with customers in relation to the following areas: direct payments under the Single Payment Scheme and Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS); animal traceability including registration of animal births and movements; Forestry grants and premiums; and Fisheries catch recording. The majority of the interactions relating to these key areas with the...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Customer Charter, Charter of Rights for Farmers 2005/2007 and the Customer Service Action Plan all make reference to the opening of public offices. All Department public offices provide a service during the hours of 09.30a.m. to 12.30p.m. and 2.00p.m. to 5.00p.m., Monday to Friday. The Departments Headquarters is open from 09.15a.m. to 5.30p.m. and there is a 24 hour facility to report...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: With regard to State Bodies and agencies under the aegis of my Department, their opening hours, manning of telephone lines and whether they close for lunch, are operational matters for the bodies themselves.

Written Answers — Fireblight Incidence: Fireblight Incidence (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: As indicated to the Deputy in previous replies Fireblight test results show there is a problem primarily on roadside plantings of Sorbus sp in the Fingal area running from Donaghmeade, Baldoyle, Killbarack, Bayside, Sutton, Portmarknock, Howth, Malahide and Swords. Extensive infection has been found in Bayside Boulavard which is adjoined directly by Sutton Downes and Sutton Grove and it...

Written Answers — Fireblight Incidence: Fireblight Incidence (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: On the basis of annual surveys the disease is said not to be established in the Country and Ireland has a protected zone for the disease. Fireblight was first found in Ireland in 1986 on a Cotoneaster sp. in Clanbrassil St, Dublin 6, and sampling of suspect material by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has continued each year since then. As I indicated to the deputy in PQ Ref...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme / Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 23 March 2007. As part of the control procedures under EU legislation governing the Single Payment Scheme, the application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and cross compliance inspection. The inspection was carried out on 17 August, the results...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that Single Payment entitlements were established for farmers who were farming and in receipt of direct payments under the Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid Schemes during the reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002 and who continued to farm in 2005. The person named did not receive payments under the Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid Schemes during the reference years and,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2007. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced on 21 September, with payments issuing in respect of those cases cleared for payment at that stage. Payments continue to issue as further cases subsequently become clear. The application of the person named...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Issues relating to the transfer of entitlements and the incorporation of the decoupled Dairy Premium for 2005 and 2006 with payment entitlements established during the 2000 to 2002 reference period by the father of the person named, proved to be extremely complicated in this case. However, my Department has now resolved these issues and the outstanding payments due to the person named will...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: In June 1998, the Council of Fisheries Ministers took a decision to ban drift netting for tuna with effect from 1 January 2002, a decision which was provided for in EU law by Council Regulation 1239/1998. As part of the transition process to new methods of fishing this valuable species, Bord Iascaigh Mhara provided substantial EU-assisted support to interested fishermen to develop...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Redundant information technology equipment is disposed of in the following ways. Non-reusable equipment is sent for destruction by shredding and crushing with hard drives being removed and individually destroyed. Confirmation of all equipment destroyed is provided to the Department. In the case of reusable redundant information technology equipment the Department has an agreement with a...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department employs one civil servant at Assistant Principal Officer level who works as the Department's Press and Information Officer. There was one press officer employed by my Department in 2002. The number of press officers employed in the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for those bodies.

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: There are no podcasts available for downloading from my Department's websites. However, this is one of the issues that will be considered in the context of the forthcoming redevelopment of the Department's website. The operation of the websites of agencies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the agencies concerned.

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Earlier this year the heating of my Department's office in Johnstown Castle in Wexford was switched over to a Woodchip boiler. Following a survey carried out by the Office of Public Works it has been decided to install biofuel heating systems in the following Offices of my Department; Ballina AES Office, Cavan Regional Office, Castlebar Office, Ennis Local Office, Enniscorthy Local Office,...

Written Answers — Animal By-Products: Animal By-Products (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The legislative basis for the control and disposal of animal by-products not intended for human consumption is Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002, the Animal By-Products Regulation. Offal, belly grass and slurry are regarded as animal by-products under this Regulation. Raw animal by-products (offal) from meat factories must be processed in accordance with the Animal By-Products Regulation in...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Allocations of milk quota from the National Reserve are granted on the basis of recommendations from the Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal examines and makes recommendations on applications for additional quota from individual producers taking into account factors such as current quota size, off-farm income and/or other farm enterprises, size of holding, and family circumstances,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: An application to transfer National Reserve entitlements with land by way of lease under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme from the person named was received on the 11th May 2007. The entitlements in question were consolidated in 2005, at the request of the person named. Entitlements that are consolidated change status from Standard to National Reserve Entitlements. Under the terms and...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (4 Dec 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The sheep sector is an important part of the overall agri-food sector and its future depends on its ability to meet the needs of the market. The downward trend is production and an ageing consumer profile are major factors which the industry felt should be examined in order to develop a way forward. With this in mind the industry established the Sheep Industry Development Strategy Group...