Results 11,321-11,340 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Coonan knows, that is the lead Department for that industry.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Of course we will. I said in my initial reply that we have ongoing co-operation with that Department.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: In very difficult financial circumstances, we have made provision for 1,800 ha. of miscanthus and willow to be planted in the coming year.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: I will just answer Deputy Creed's question about the report of the European Court of Auditors. There has been public commentary about that, particularly on national radio. The report mentioned that Mallow could have been a viable sugar beet processing facility, but only if the European Commission reforms had not been carried out. That is always left out of the commentary.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: The reforms were carried out.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is.

Sugar Beet Production (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: No, I am not. That is the point.

Animal Carcase Classification (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: In the European Union, carcases of adult bovines are classified or graded in accordance with Commission Regulation EC 1249/2008 using the EUROP scale for conformation and a scale of 1 to 5 to indicate fat cover. Classification is used in many cases as the basis for payment to producers and it underpins the EU price reporting system for beef. Some member states further divide each main class...

Animal Carcase Classification (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: There has been constant discussion with the various stakeholders, and we want to ensure there is maximum confidence in the system. A number of measures have been introduced to enhance controls and procedures, including increased frequency of control visits by officials of my Department; enhanced monitoring of control and classification results; formal self-checks of machines in each meat...

Animal Carcase Classification (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: I do not know the exact numbers, but I can check if necessary. I presume some of the departmental officers involved in the work also have other duties. There is also an EU inspection process. After the last inspection that took place, the conclusion of the EU audit team was that the standard of classification was very good for both conformation and fat cover. We conduct regular unannounced...

Animal Carcase Classification (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: In recent months, discussions have been held with all stakeholders with the aim of improving confidence in the operation of the mechanical classification system, which, as Deputies Doyle and Sherlock said, is important. A number of measures, which I have mentioned, have been introduced to ensure we have the best possible results for everybody involved.

Milk Quota (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: In mid-October I announced the ninth milk quota trading scheme, which is the first of two trading schemes to allocate quota in respect of the 2011-12 milk quota year. The closing date for receipt of applications was Friday, 5 November 2010. The structure of the scheme is largely unchanged from previous years. It operates in respect of each co-operative area and is comprised of a priority...

Milk Quota (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Sherlock is aware, I introduced a national component to the scheme this year, the first time this has been done. The Food Harvest report stated that we would review the existing milk quota trading scheme and I have already done so. Let us consider the line north from Dublin to Galway. The co-operatives in this area, including Connacht Gold, Lakeland Dairies and Town of Monaghan,...

Milk Quota (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of the Food Harvest 2020 report I established a dairy activation group, chaired by Dr. Seán Brady. I have given the group until the end of November to report to me on several issues.

Milk Quota (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Yes, it is completed. The group is comprised of representatives of Teagasc and some processors and farmers, especially young farmers, from various parts of the country. I have not seen the report yet but one issue is to ensure we maximise the plant and machinery in place for processing. There must be co-operation among the plants. I have met the various processors, the farm organisations...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: A total of 9,236 applications were received by my Department under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, by the closing date of 17 May 2010. All of these applications have been recorded and examined by my Department. To date 5,706 applications have been found to be fully compliant with scheme requirements and the applicants have received notification from the Department approving their...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Yes.

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Approximately 10,000 farmers - I say this without having checked the figures recently - will exit REPS 3 between now and the middle of next May, which is equivalent to the number of people who joined the new AEOS scheme on 17 May last. The original allocation for the REPS schemes in 2009 was €330 million. With reallocation from other subheads I was able to pay out €341 million. The...

Agri-Environment Options Scheme (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: Capital expenditure for next year will be of the order of €329 million. I do not know from where Deputy Doyle got the figure of €100 million. The four year plan states that €75 million in savings is to be achieved in 2011. This will be achieved under a number of subheads. An area in respect of which we have made substantial savings in the past 18 months is administration, in...

Sugar Beet Industry (1 Dec 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006 a temporary restructuring scheme was introduced with the aim of the EU Commission reducing EU sugar production in order to comply with WTO and other international obligations. The scheme provided an incentive for sugar processors to renounce sugar quota and dismantle the associated sugar processing plant and it provided compensation for...