Results 961-980 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Dairy Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The ultimate aim is to ensure that all of these measures will have such an impact. Farmers often complain that processors are the first to benefit from many of the measures that are taken. Deputy Creed has proposed another intervention on the processors' side. Like all of us, the Minister would like the prices being paid to farmers to increase as quickly as possible. All the indicators...

Dairy Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: In my initial reply, I gave the House some information about the availability of credit. Like other Members of the House, the Deputy will be aware of the existence of the Credit Supply Clearing Group, which has had some impact in that regard. As Deputy Creed rightly said, farmers face substantial short-term difficulties. A little over a year ago, many farmers built additional...

Dairy Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: Over the past year or so, we have witnessed unprecedented examples of volatility in dairy product prices. This volatility is a symptom of the changed EU policy framework in which we are operating. Global market forces are having a major influence on the price paid for milk. The mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy in 2003 led to a series of reforms that resulted in a shift...

Dairy Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The Deputy is quite right to suggest that many farmers reinvested their profits on the basis of their belief that the price of milk, which was historically high in 2007 and 2008, was likely to be maintained in the medium term. To be fair, the indicators at the time suggested that was likely to happen. The Deputy made the point that the current position is unsustainable for a number of...

Dairy Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: I have not addressed the final element of the Deputy's initial question. The relationship between producers, processors and retailers is an important aspect of all of this. There may well be a structural change in the market at this particular time. I have heard that postulated by people who look at the price in New Zealand and the USA, for example. Notwithstanding that, considerable...

Fisheries Industry Development. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The seafood development measure contained in the National Development Plan 2007-13 is divided between the EU co-funded operational programme, OP, and the national seafood development operational programme. The EU co-funded OP has already commenced and has funded the 2008 decommissioning scheme which has allowed 46 boats to be decommissioned with grant aid totalling €36.6 million already...

Fisheries Industry Development. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The reality is that €5 million was provided in grant aid for this year and €4.5 million has been allocated. The projects referred to by the Deputy are more than likely in Natura 2000 sites where grant aid cannot be paid until the issues outstanding have been addressed. Consultants were commissioned to prepare an environmental impact assessment. Subsequent to that the Department of...

Fisheries Industry Development. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The inherent difficulties, for example as regards sea lice in salmon, considerably pre-date the present Government and in fact were an issue when the marine element of the Department, including those elements now with the Departments of Communications and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were within the same Department. In fact, that debate and all the issues surrounding...

Food Industry. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: My Department works closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and our respective departmental agencies on issues confronting the food and drinks industry. The economic downturn, rising costs and currency exposures have translated into sudden and severe deterioration in trading conditions. One of my key priorities is to ensure a policy and support framework that will...

Milk Quota. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: On 10 June 2009, the Minister announced details of the scheme for the allocation of milk quota to new entrants. While since then in excess of 80 application forms have issued to individuals who have expressed an interest in the scheme, no completed applications have, as yet, been returned to the Department. As the closing date is 31 July 2009, I expect that the majority of applications will...

Milk Quota. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: As the Deputy will be aware, there must be a starting and closing date for all schemes. There is a pool of 13.5 million litres of milk which I understand will be sufficient to cater for 67 applicants. It is difficult to know at this stage how many applications have been made because historically applications to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food tend to come in in the last...

Milk Quota. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: Deputy Creed is right. The intention would be that these farmers who would be allocated quota under this scheme would increase their quota and have viable holdings in the near future. Around 60 new entrants came into the dairying sector in the past year who might, had the scheme been in place, have had an expectation that it might cover them. As happens with all incentive schemes, the...

Milk Quota. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: The hope is that the level of incentive provided by the existence of the scheme will encourage people who otherwise might not be in a position to do so to enter. As I said to Deputy Sherlock, at this stage 80 application forms have been sent out and it is too early to predict how many valid applications will be made and how many of those will succeed when the adjudication panel sits. Until...

Milk Quota. (30 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: It is unlikely a scheme has ever been devised that has not thrown up hard luck cases or people who might have benefited from the scheme had they been aware of the conditions that might apply. I have listened to Deputies Creed, Crawford and Sherlock and it is a reasonable point but the outcome depends on the number who qualify for the present scheme because it is limited to 13.5 million litres.

Milk Prices. (24 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: On milk prices I point out that since last November when it became apparent that dairy commodity prices were in decline internationally from the record prices of only 12 months earlier, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Brendan Smith, has been in close contact with the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms Mariann Fischer Boel, and has been very...

Milk Prices. (24 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: This will be of particular assistance to farmers experiencing difficulties in the dairy market and others and will mean that almost €900 million will be paid in mid-October to Irish farmers, rather than early December. At the CAP health check negotiations, the Minister secured changes to the modulation arrangements whereby we will no longer be required to make deductions in respect of the...

Milk Prices. (24 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: It is a sensible change in the rules. It will mean that farmers will no longer have to wait for six months for a refund of deductions amounting to €350 in most cases. With regard to budgetary decisions in general, Deputies will be aware that these were made in the context of the deterioration in the overall economic and financial environment. Our approach has been to strike a careful...

Grant Payments. (24 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: Like all sectors of the economy, agriculture is facing very challenging times at present. The world recession is having an impact both on demand for agricultural products and on the cost base under which farmers are producing their goods for the market. We have seen a severe downturn in the dairy sector which has not been helped by the international financial crisis. The Minister, Deputy...

School Staffing. (24 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, Minister for Education and Science. I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment today. The Minister for Education and Science is committed to providing information on the allocation of teachers to schools and as a new feature on the Department's website. The process has begun with the...

Agricultural Colleges. (16 Jun 2009)

Tony Killeen: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Jim O'Keeffe as ucht an méid atá ráite aige agus as ucht deis a thabhairt dom freagra a thabhairt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo. The Government fully recognises the importance of agricultural education and training for the development of the agriculture and food industries. This is reflected in the commitment, contained in the programme for Government, to...