Results 10,241-10,260 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Special Protection Areas: Special Protection Areas (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Hen Harrier is a protected species and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government has identified a number of areas around the country which are important for its survival. The European Commission have expressed the gravest concern at any further planting within these areas until it is possible to fully assess the impact of forestry on the species. In order to do that,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named is an applicant for grant-aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. Payment was made to the person concerned on 12 January 2007. The original receipts have now been returned to the applicant.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named is an applicant for grant-aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. Payment will be made by my Department to the person concerned shortly. The original receipts have now been returned to the applicant.

Written Answers — Farm Inspections: Farm Inspections (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is committed to ensuring the maximum level of integration of farm inspections across all areas including inspections for farmers participating in the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. On this basis, the overall number of annual inspections associated with the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is unlikely to exceed 8,000. This is a very significant reduction from...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: Arising from discussion with the Department of Finance the taxation status of milk quotas remains unchanged since the introduction of the Milk Quota Trading Scheme.

Written Answers — Dairy Sector: Dairy Sector (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My officials met with representatives of the National Milk Rights Group recently to discuss their submission under the EU Rural Development Programme for support towards a voluntary improvement scheme for dairy herds. I am having the proposal examined, together with other submissions that have been made in respect of the dairy herd.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The EU Petitions Committee wrote to my Department requesting details of the implementation of the recommendations made in the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture. This report on the Early Retirement Schemes was published in February 2005. The report dealt with a range of issues and I responded to it in detail in September 2005. As I explained in my response, certain of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The applications in this case in respect of the 2005 and 2006 Single Payment Scheme cannot be processed until the documentation requested by my Department in order to verify entitlement to all of the lands declared in the 2005 and 2006 application forms is submitted. An official of my Department has recently been in direct contact with one of the persons named in relation to this matter...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named has just over 5 ha of eligible land in REPS. He applied for payment on approx 41 ha of additional land in late 2004. He was informed in May, 2005 that the additional land was not eligible for REPS payment. He was advised of his right to appeal the decision to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office.

Written Answers — Environmental Protection: Environmental Protection (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: This situation relates to the implementation of the EU Wild Birds Directive and as such it is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. He has designated the Owenduff-Nephin Beg area of County Mayo, which includes the area in question, under both the Wild Birds and Habitats Directives. The European Commission secured a Judgement...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (27 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The following Divisions of my Department, due to decentralise to Portlaoise, are based at Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Milk Policy* (including milk public health and milk quotas) Meat Hygiene & Animal By-Products* Meat Policy* (including beef, sheepmeat, pigmeat/poultry) EU & International Affairs CAP Rural Development Food Industry Development Crop Policy & State Bodies*...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The first Milk Quota Trading Scheme attracted some 5,500 applications last November and for the first time involved the Department in directly managing and operating a restructuring scheme on behalf of all Coops throughout the country. As part of the processing arrangements application forms were entered into the database by an external data entry bureau. In this particular case, the...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management Scheme and has now completed the building works concerned. A decision will be made in regard to this application following a final inspection of the completed works which will be carried out shortly by a Department official. The person concerned also lodged two further applications in December 2006 under the same Scheme....

Written Answers — Sheep Industry: Sheep Industry (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The Sheep Industry Development Strategy Group issued its report in June 2006. This is a comprehensive study of the sheep industry which sets out a Development Plan for the sector contained in 37 recommendations. I decided that the best way to implement these recommendations was to set up an implementation body comprised of representatives of all sectors in the industry, including the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The person named has been paid an advance of €21,777.23 in respect of his 2006 Single Payment application. An application under the Consolidation measure of the 2006 Single Farm Payment Scheme was submitted on 12 May 2006. The Consolidation measure has been processed and this case is eligible for consolidation. However there is a total shortfall of 8.20 hectares and only 4.22 hectares can...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The new Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 provides for the continuation of grant-aid for the construction of equine stables and related facilities, including the conversion of existing buildings. The Scheme concerned, the Farm Improvement Scheme, will be introduced as soon as EU approval is received for the Programme.

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (22 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The on-farm capital investment measure included in the new National Development Plan includes possible support for the equine sector. The new Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, which has been submitted to the European Commission for approval, provides for the continuation of grant-aid for the construction of equine stables and related facilities. The Scheme concerned, the Farm...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is as set out in my reply to Question No. 1355 on 31st January 2007. The restructuring aid must be implemented strictly in accordance with the relevant EU Regulations. Under the Regulations, eligibility for the EU restructuring aid for the sugar industry is confined to three categories: processors, beet growers and certain specialised machinery contractors who worked under...

Written Answers — Farm Inspections: Farm Inspections (21 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: My Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, is required to carry out on-the-spot inspections on a number of farms covering such issues as eligibility under the Scheme, compliance with EU legislation in the areas of the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health and ensuring that the farm is maintained in good agricultural and environmental...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (21 Feb 2007)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme to the person named was submitted on the 12th January 2007. The application was accepted even though the closing date for receipt of completed applications to transfer entitlements was the 16th May 2006. During processing of the Transfer application it was necessary for an official of my...