Results 11,101-11,120 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 175 together. Earlier this year, the Commission produced a draft revision of the Community Guidelines for State Aid in the Agriculture sector for the period 2007 to 2013. The Guidelines will be agreed later in the year within the competence of the Commission following a consultation process with Member States and will then be binding on Member States....

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The concept of substantial transformation is the basis used throughout the EU and elsewhere to define the origin of goods as being from the country where the last substantial economic change was made to them. In my view it should not be used to disguise the origin of certain products or to mislead the consumer as to the origin of raw materials. I have made my concerns in this respect known to...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Wood biomass is one of the most versatile of renewable energy sources and has the potential to play a major role in Ireland's future energy strategy. Wood energy, in the form of logs, chip and pellet, is renewable, carbon neutral, sustainable and can be produced locally. Solid biomass, mainly in the form of solid wood, is already the largest source of renewable energy in Ireland, accounting...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The introduction of the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), falling disease levels, the introduction of new computer systems and efficiency gains means that staff numbers within my Department are currently on a downward trend. My Department is actively managing the orderly redeployment of staff that become available to other work areas and, in conjunction with Department of Finance, to other...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Following the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme last year, farmers now have the freedom to choose whatever farming enterprise is most appropriate to their circumstances. Under the agreement on reform of the EU sugar regime, the Single Payment Scheme is being extended to cover sugar beet compensation. The sugar reform agreement also provides for the introduction of aid for...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The implementation of the Nitrates Directive is a matter, in the first instance, for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006, signed by Minister Roche on 18 July, 2006 give legal effect to Ireland's Action Programme under the Nitrates Directive. Local authorities and the...

Written Answers — Animal Health Issues: Animal Health Issues (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 137, 188 and 201 together. There is already a long history of co-operation between the administrations north and south on animal health issues. The administrations have traditionally shared information at local and national levels on disease control and surveillance issues and have worked together to combat illegal movements of animals and animal products....

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Under Council Directive 96/23, each Member State is required submit an annual Residue Monitoring Plan to the European Commission by 31 March each year. Ireland has complied fully with its obligations in this regard. Ireland's Plan for 2006, having been considered by the appropriate EU technical group on 5 October last, is scheduled for formal EU approval on 18 October.

Written Answers — Animal Health Issues: Animal Health Issues (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: An EU Directive on criteria for exempting veterinary medicines from a veterinary prescription requirement was adopted by the relevant EU Standing Committee on 10 October. The Commission has indicated that it intends to have the measure published so as to have legal effect before the end of this year. While decisions on the classification of veterinary medicines are ultimately a matter for...

Written Answers — Land Transfers: Land Transfers (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: In order to encourage land mobility, and to reduce the costs of land transfer, the Government already has put in place a number of incentives, these include: An Early Retirement Scheme pension of up to €13,515 for a period of 10 years on farms transferred by gift, sale or lease. An installation aid grant of €9,520 for young trained farmers. Capital Gains Tax — Retirement Relief for...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Food and Veterinary Office mission to complete Ireland's country profile is not due until 2007. The Food and Veterinary Office have embarked on a series of missions to Member States with a view to completing a country profile for each Member State. These missions commenced in 2005 when 8 Member States were visited, continued in 2006 during which 10 further Member States were/ will be...

Written Answers — Importation Restrictions: Importation Restrictions (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 168 together. Following the outbreak of avian influenza in late 2003 in south-eastern Asia, the European Commission adopted a series of protection measures in relation to the disease. These measures included, in particular, additional movement controls on birds accompanying their owners coming into the EU from third countries and the prohibition of...

Written Answers — EU Conventions: EU Conventions (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The European Convention on the Social Protection of Farmers came into force in June 1977 having received the required minimum number of ratifications within the Council of Europe. The majority of Council of Europe Member States have not ratified this Convention. Ireland is satisfied that its provisions are fulfilled through existing national and EU legislation which provide social...

Written Answers — Climate Change Strategy: Climate Change Strategy (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is represented on the inter-Departmental teams established to oversee implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy and in this context, is contributing in a substantial way to the review of the Strategy which is currently under way. We have identified a range of potential greenhouse gas reduction measures in the agriculture area for consideration in the review. These...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I recently announced the establishment of a new Milk Quota Trading System to supersede the current Milk Quota Restructuring Scheme. The new system was agreed following extensive consultation with the farm organisations and ICOS and will release larger quantities of quota to active and committed dairy farmers through the combined operation of a market Exchange and a maximum price Priority...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 170 together. Intensive negotiations since the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December 2005 failed to achieve progress and the current round of WTO negotiations were suspended by the WTO Director General at the end of July 2006. It is unclear at this stage when the negotiations will resume although the earliest date for resumption appears to be...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Greencore Group plc closed its Carlow sugar factory in March 2005. A year later, the company announced its intention to cease sugar production in Ireland completely and to apply for aid under the EU scheme for the restructuring of the sugar industry which was introduced as part of the agreement on reform of the EU sugar regime. Restructuring, in this context, refers to the abandonment of...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: A baseline study of the prevalence of salmonella in table egg flocks, conducted in 2004/5, found significant levels of S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium in some EU countries. These salmonella serovars account for a large proportion of known food-borne outbreaks of salmonellosis in humans. No cases of S. enteritidis or S. typhimurium were found in Ireland in the course of the survey. Current...

Written Answers — Tuberculosis Incidence: Tuberculosis Incidence (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The number of TB reactors removed for each year from 2000 to 2005 is as follows: 2000 39,847 2001 33,702 2002 28,930 2003 27,978 2004 22,967 2005 25,884 A key objective of the TB scheme is the prompt removal of reactor animals and animals which are deemed to be reactors are removed from the holding for slaughter as soon as possible after valuation of the animals has taken place via the...

Written Answers — Consumer Liaison Panel: Consumer Liaison Panel (17 Oct 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Consumer Liaison Panel was established in January 2002 to strengthen communication between the consumer and my Department. It is a Standing Panel which operates independently of the Department and meets as it considers necessary to liaise on general consumer issues in relation to the activities of the Department and to comment on the flow of information both to and from the public. The...