Results 11,781-11,800 of 18,326 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Aquaculture Licences: Aquaculture Licences (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department is currently engaged in an extensive revision of the terms and conditions of aquaculture licences including licences for the cultivation of salmon. All relevant stakeholders including industry representatives have been closely involved with this process. The aim of this review is to ensure that aquaculture licences remain fit for purpose in the context of the challenges and...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: Greencastle harbour is owned by Donegal County Council and the maintenance and development of the harbour is the responsibility of the Council in the first instance. My Department has, however, in recent years, project managed works on phase 1 of the Greencastle Harbour development project on behalf of Donegal County Council as well as providing funding. Some €104,000 was allocated this...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 501 together. The Sea Fishery Protection Authority was established on 1st January 2007. However, it was established under the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (the now DCENR) and did not come under the aegis of my Department until late 2007. The annual budgets for this body for each of the years concerned are: 2007 2008...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 17 May 2010. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced on 22 September, with an advance payment of 75% issuing in respect of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage. A number of parcels listed on the application required digitisation; immediately this...

Written Answers — Milk Prices: Milk Prices (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: Dairy farmers' incomes comprise the market price paid for milk and direct income support from the EU. There has of course been a significant increase in milk prices in 2010 compared to the previous year, and the outlook is very much more positive than it was this time last year. As Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I am committed to developing a strong and vibrant dairy sector,...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: My overarching view is that we need a strong and adequately resourced CAP after 2013. This policy must support sustainable and competitive agriculture in the years ahead and, in particular, the development of our vision for the sector as espoused in Food Harvest 2020. We need to ensure security of food supply and maintain family farming in Europe. However, as an exporting country, we also...

Written Answers — Farm Household Incomes: Farm Household Incomes (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: The most recently published data on farm incomes is in Teagasc's National Farm Survey for 2009, which estimated that average farm income for that year was €11,968. Full-time farms, as defined by Teagasc, had an average farm income of €24,214. The following table shows the equivalent figures for 2008 and 2007. Direct comparison with 2010 is not yet possible as the 2010 survey will not be...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on the 23 April 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility inspection. While all of the cases selected for ground eligibility inspection have now been inspected and a high level of payment has been achieved under the scheme, processing of a...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: In March 2009 the Government announced a moratorium on promotion and recruitment in the civil service. Under the terms of the moratorium, no posts can be filled without the prior sanction of the Minister for Finance. Accordingly, sanction has been requested from the Department of Finance to recruit officers on a temporary basis to undertake the national forest inventory. Discussions are...

Written Answers — Animal Carcase Disposal: Animal Carcase Disposal (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: Decisions regarding the type of horse an individual chooses to breed are a matter for the individual breeder. My Department has provided incentives and assistance through a range of measures down through the years, in accordance with European Commission State Aid Guidelines, aimed at improving equine quality. These measures are contained within the NDP 2007-2013. Since 2007 my Department...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned submitted a REPS 4 application in July 2009. The REPS contract was given a start date of 1 January 2010 and is currently being processed for payment together with all other 2010 applications. As the REPS 4 scheme is now closed, an extra parcel cannot be included or claimed on the plan. It is open to a participant, however, to submit an amended application including an...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on the 13 May 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility inspection. While all of the cases selected for ground eligibility inspection have now been inspected and a high level of payment has been achieved under the scheme, processing of a small...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Licences: Aquaculture Licences (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: The following table outlines the number of appeals before the Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010 Year No. of Appeals b/f from previous year No. of Appeals rec'd in year No. of Appeals before the Board in year No. of Appeals c/f to following year 2006 1 6 7 5 2007 5 0 5 0 2008 0 1 1 0 2009 0 0 0 0 2010 to date 0 0 0 0 The main...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department has been operating an e-working Scheme since September 2007. The Scheme enables officers to work from an office more convenient to their home. The criteria for approval require that local line management is satisfied that both the person and the work are deemed suitable for e-working. Availability of office accommodation is also a factor. It is the intention of my Department...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: Considerable progress has been made over the past year in implementing a comprehensive reconfiguration of my Department's local office structure, as part of which sixteen enhanced regional offices are being developed, including one in Co Galway. Work on this process is continuing and I am anxious that the new local office structure is fully in place as soon as possible. As the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are currently 533 members of the staff of my Department participating in the Civil Service Worksharing Scheme, which, I understand, is the scheme referred to in the question. Of these, 504 are female and 29 male. My Department is supportive of family friendly and work life balance policies in the workplace and accommodates staff wishing to avail of these arrangements subject to the...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2010 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 23 April 2010. The 75% advance payment, paid on 21 September 2010, was on the basis of those parcels processed by my Department at that stage. As the remaining land parcels are digitised further payments will be made. The 25% balancing payments under this Scheme are scheduled to commence issuing...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on the 9 April 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and animal identification inspection. The inspection process is completed and the application has now been fully processed. The 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: The National Reserve fund is replenished each year by the value of unused entitlements that are surrendered to the Reserve under the entitlement usage rules. This year the value of the unused entitlements will not be known until the end of the year. It is expected that allocations from 2010 National Reserve will commence shortly afterwards. Allocations under the 2008 and 2009 National...

Written Answers — Tree Felling Licences: Tree Felling Licences (14 Oct 2010)

Brendan Smith: A felling licence has not yet issued for this site. My Department has requested further information from Coillte Teoranta on the proposed felling plan for the site at Castlecomer Demesne. Following receipt of this plan, a decision will be taken by the Department on the granting of a licence.