Results 10,421-10,440 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The technical specifications for farm buildings operated by my Department for the purposes of the Farm Waste Management Scheme require the installation of adequate arrangements for the separation of clean and dirty water as part of the conditions of any new investment. This would include rainwater. In addition, I extended the terms of that Scheme in March 2006 to include the provision of...
- Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The EU restructuring aid for the sugar industry is available for specified stakeholders, namely sugar processors, beet growers and specialized beet machinery contractors. In accordance with the EU regulations, the Government in July 2006 made certain decisions concerning implementation of the restructuring aid, in particular the percentage to be reserved for beet growers and contractors....
- Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Procedures for transmitting the results of the recently concluded first Milk Quota Trading Scheme rests with the Co-ops themselves who will be in communication with buyers and sellers during the course of this week. My Department provided the Co-ops with full details of the results for each Co-op last Friday. The quota purchased will not be available for use by the purchaser until the new...
- Written Answers — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I am aware of the serious concerns of these poultry producers from my meeting with them last November. There is no scope under EU Common Market Regulations to give financial support or aid to these producers. Many commercial broiler producers, however, who were under contract to Castlemahon have taken the opportunity since the closure of adapting their premises to free-range poultry...
- Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Last year, I took advantage of the Commission's transitional rules to make special provision for REPS 2 contracts expiring up to 30 November 2006 to be extended for a further year. However this option is no longer available to me. The EU Regulations governing REPS 2 and REPS 3 expired on 31 December 2006. It is now legally impossible to approve or extend contracts under either of those...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006 contain a number of requirements in relation to record keeping. Much of this information, such as stock numbers and farmed area, is already maintained by farmers on their herd registers or contained in their declarations for the Single Payment Scheme. To assist farmers in complying with their...
- Written Answers — EU Regulations: EU Regulations (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 193 together. I am fully committed to reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the administration of the CAP and one of my priorities is to pursue simplification of procedures at farm level. The adoption by Ireland of full decoupling under the Single Payment Scheme, thereby replacing six EU subsidy schemes each with complex application, qualification and...
- Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I decided to increase the maximum in the 1994â99 Scheme from â¬12,075 to â¬14,075 per annum and the maximum in the 2000-2006 Scheme from â¬13,515 to â¬15,000 per annum with effect from 1st November 2006. These increases formed part of the undertakings in the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016. They will add some â¬33 million to the cost of the Schemes over the time they have...
- Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I announced the results of the first Milk Quota Trading Scheme last Wednesday 31st January 2007. Before I announce details of the second scheme, my officials have invited the main farm organisations and ICOS to a series of meetings later this week to consider these results and review the operation of the first scheme.
- Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (6 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 — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: I am supportive of initiatives to promote food on all-island basis where this is of mutual benefit and leads to closer economic co-operation. The development of an all-island animal health policy is a necessary prerequisite to the establishment of an all-island food label. The development of the animal health policy is being actively pursued in the context of North/South co-operation. In...
- Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: All beef sold or served in the retail or catering sector is now required by law to carry an indication of country of origin. There are EU Regulations, which provide for the labelling of unprocessed poultrymeat at retail level. The information which these regulations require on the label includes the registered number of the slaughterhouse or cutting plant and, where imported from a Third...
- Written Answers — Dairy Sector: Dairy Sector (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: Capital investment and research and development are priorities in the Agri Vision 2015 Plan of Action, which I launched in 2006 and which set out actions for building a knowledge-based, competitive, innovative and consumer focussed agri-food sector. The Dairy Processing Investment Fund, which I launched last September, represents an investment package of â¬300 million for the dairy sector...
- Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: My Department has regular ongoing contact with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on a whole range of matters including labelling. The Food Safety Authority's Chief Audit Manager and three Audit Managers conducted the audit of the 90 food premises in question. Following this audit, the FSAI provided each of the official agencies with a copy of the report on those premises under their...
- Written Answers — EU Studies: EU Studies (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The SCENAR 2020 Study was carried out by a number of EU institutions to identify future trends and driving forces that will form the framework for the European agricultural and rural economy up to the year 2020. The study took twelve months to complete and built up a reference scenario based on an analysis of trends from 1990 to 2005. These trends were then projected to the year 2020 as a...
- Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: My Department is fully committed to ensuring that consumers can have full confidence in the organic food they buy. For that reason, extra staff resources were assigned to the Organic Unit last year and my officials are now systematically inspecting retail outlets, including supermarkets, shops and farmers' markets, and checking to ensure that all product identified as organic has been...
- Written Answers — Rural Development: Rural Development (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: The European Council agreement on the EU Financial Perspective 2007-2013 which was reached in December 2005, provided for an increase in voluntary modulation to permit the transfer of up to 20% of a Member State's allocation for direct payments and market supports to rural development. I respect the European Parliament's decision to oppose this proposal. It does not have direct implications...
- Written Answers — Agricultural Processing Sectors: Agricultural Processing Sectors (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: In keeping with commitments given in the Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan, I announced over recent months, investment packages totalling â¬150 million to support the development of the dairy, beef and sheepmeat processing sectors. â¬100 million is for the dairy sector while â¬50 million is being provided for the beef and sheepmeat sectors. This substantial grant assistance, which should...
- Written Answers — Sheepmeat Industry: Sheepmeat Industry (6 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 — Social Partnership Agreements: Social Partnership Agreements (6 Feb 2007)
Mary Coughlan: One of the key features of the agriculture chapter of Towards 2016 has been the Government's willingness to provide a major increase in funding for agriculture from exchequer resources. This has not only made up for the inevitable decline in EU funding, due to our economic success as a country, but has also provided the finance for the very significant enhancement of some major schemes which...