Results 10,841-10,860 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Food Processing Sectors. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I sincerely hope Deputy Naughten will be wrong because my view is that the dairy investment fund will create significant opportunities for the sector. At present, Enterprise Ireland deals with Annex I products and manufacturing produce. Primary processing has now moved from Enterprise Ireland. Enterprise Ireland has been targeted at additionality, research and innovation. My view â this...
- Food Processing Sectors. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I agree with Deputy Upton. Mr. Coakley's views are ones we would hope to reflect in this dairy investment scheme, where we are looking at a vision for, and new opportunities within, agriculture. As Deputy Upton will be aware, my view is that in the milk sector there are still opportunities for exploitation of the baseline produce whether in protein, healthy living or looking at new...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: A revised farm waste management scheme was launched by my Department on 24 March 2006, as part of the arrangements to enable farmers to meet the additional requirements of the nitrates directive. The principal changes to the scheme include an increase in the standard grant rate from 40% to 60%, with 70% being available in the four zone C counties; an extension of the scheme for the first...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy knows, he is moving on to discuss another subject, which is not under my auspices but comes within the remit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Water metering is a controversial issue but alternatives that could be used by farmers, including rainwater, will be examined in the context of ensuring efficiencies within the farming sector. With regard to the storage of clear water, the farm waste management scheme dealt specifically with soiled water and slurry. I expanded the scheme to allow for other necessary works to be carried out...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I will need to get clarity on the issue of pigs but I do not think there is a limit on the pig installation â it is an overall limit of â¬120,000. I do not wish to mislead the House so I will have to get the information requested by the Deputy later.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I understand, I simply do not know the answer and must get it for the Deputy.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The rainwater and clean water directive was introduced in February 2005.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Every farmer reads the Irish Farmers' Journal. It cost a fortune to take several pages in the Irish Farmers' Journal on these issues.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Rainwater is not part of this issue because it is clean water, not soiled water or slurry.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: On landing, if it mixes with livestock faeces, urine, silage effluent, chemical fertilisers, milking parlour washings, washings from mushroom houses or water used in washing farm equipment, it is considered soiled. Once soiled, there is a regulation and a specification and that is what must happen. Clean water has no specification, soiled water has a specification and slurry has a...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: Legal advice is too expensive.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: The information was posted to farmers during the summer.
- Animal Welfare. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I understand that this question relates to scientific experiments on laboratory animals. My Department has no statutory responsibility for this area. The protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes is regulated under EU and national legislation. Statutory responsibility for this legislation falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health and...
- Animal Welfare. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: My statutory responsibility is for the protection of farmed animals under the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984 and the EU regulation of 2000. The national legislation for experimental or scientific purposes is related respectively under a Council directive and the European Communities Amendment of Cruelty to Animals Act 1876 Regulations 1994. This is the statutory...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: My Department, in the context of delivering the single payment scheme, is required under EU law 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 the farm is maintained in good agricultural and...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: As I stated in my reply, an agreement was made with the farming organisations under the charter that we would have one inspection. The notification of inspections under certain parts of the single payment scheme can be given, including with regard to nitrates. However, it was agreed that both sectors would be put together so we would not have two or three inspections. My view, which I have...
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I refute that completely and categorically.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: It is those like the Deputy who are winding up farmers. We have seen a reduction in the number of inspections.
- EU Directives. (29 Nov 2006)
Mary Coughlan: I have an agreement on the number of inspections that will take place. The cross-compliance penalties imposed last year came to â¬330,000, from a total of â¬1.2 billion. Half of the people who received penalties in respect of small difficulties â I am referring to approximately 1,000 farmers â got off on the basis of the tolerances in my scheme. The tolerances were agreed with the...