Results 11,921-11,940 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Veterinary Medicines Regulations: Veterinary Medicines Regulations (11 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 12047 on 29 March, my Department made a submission to the Commission on 17 March with a view to having the draft exemption criteria published by the Commission on 9 February adapted to better reflect the risk/benefit profile of veterinary medicinal products and to facilitate decisions on the route of supply to be taken on a scientific basis. However,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application, on 06 February 2004, for consideration of her circumstances under the Force Majeure/Exceptional Circumstances measure of the Single Payment Scheme. Having assessed the application, the Single Payment Entitlements Unit informed the person named that her application could not be accepted as she did not fulfil the Force Majeure criteria laid down in...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (11 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004 the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council requested the Scientific Advisory Committee on Animal Health and Welfare to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of electro-immobilisation on live farm animals subjected to this procedure and furnish a view. The Committee examined all aspects of this issue and recommended that the practice should be prohibited. My Department also...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The EU Regulations under which my Department operates the current Early Retirement Scheme will expire in December, and no new applications can be accepted after that. The Council Regulation on Rural Development for the period from 2007 to 2013 includes provision for member States to operate a range of measures including a scheme of early retirement from farming. No decisions have yet been...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category B. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid schemes would have been payable during the...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the Single Payments Scheme National Reserve under category C. Category C caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, sold the milk quota into the Milk Quota Restructuring Scheme and converted their enterprise to a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock Premia/or Arable...

Written Answers — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the Single Payments Scheme National Reserve under category D. Category D caters for farmers who commenced farming after 31 December 2002 or who commenced farming in 2002 but who received no direct payments in respect of that scheme year. A formal letter setting out my Department's decision has issued to the...

Written Answers — Import Controls: Import Controls (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is responsible for applying controls on the importation of dogs from the perspective of disease control, primarily protection from rabies. Under current legislation, importation of pit-bull terriers is not prohibited. While statutory responsibility for the control of dogs does not lie with my Department, I understand that it is not illegal in Ireland to own a dog of the breed...

Energy Sector: Motion (Resumed). (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak on this motion. As the House heard last evening, my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, is leading a cross-departmental cross-agency approach in developing and implementing our renewable energy policy. That Fine Gael has ignored the range of initiatives taken by the Government means...

Energy Sector: Motion (Resumed). (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I accept the €45 per hectare available under the energy crops scheme is a small enough incentive for the growing of energy crops and is not sufficiently attractive in itself to stimulate the growing of such crops. I called for a review of the premium at the February meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council for that reason. I am pleased the European Commission has undertaken to...

Energy Sector: Motion (Resumed). (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The importance and significance of biomass is increasing within the wider agenda of agriculture and energy policy generally. Most biomass energy in Ireland is derived from wood products which are converted into heat. The exploitation of wood resources, especially pulp wood, sawmill residues and harvestable forest residues, offers enormous potential and could contribute significantly to...

Energy Sector: Motion (Resumed). (10 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Acting Chairman should protect the Member.

Written Answers — Non-governmental Organisations: Non-governmental Organisations (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Tree Council is a voluntary NGO acting as an umbrella body linking together some 50 organisations with a common interest in trees. It is a forum for organisations concerned with trees and represents a valuable sounding board for opinion in that sector. However, it does not represent all Irish NGOs, and my Department has never regarded it as doing so.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application, in respect of four animals, under the 2004 Special Beef Premium Scheme, on 4 November 2004. Following the initial processing of the application, it was found that the four animals in question were not recorded as being in the herd of the person named on the date the application was received by the Department. This is a basic requirement of the Scheme...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 May 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, who has made Regulations last December giving legal effect to the provisions of Ireland's Action Programme. The Regulations, which came into effect on 1 February 2006, specify the minimum storage capacities for livestock manure required on farm...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 287, 299 and 302 together. The agreement on reform of the EU sugar regime, which comes into effect on 1 July 2006, provides for a restructuring fund in respect of the economic, social and environmental costs of restructuring of the sugar industry, involving factory closure and renunciation of quota. In Ireland's case, this fund would be worth up to €145m....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted a Private Contract Clause application to have entitlements transferred to him by way of a lease agreement under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme. The original Private Contract Clause application requested the transfer of 22.1 entitlements by way of lease, and this was subsequently amended to 12.54 entitlements with the 22.1 hectares leased. This resulted in an...

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The quota allocated from the National Reserve under the Agenda 2000 quota scheme known as the 32 Million Litre Scheme, is available to the recipients for their own use while they remain in milk production. When a recipient ceases milk production, the quota reverts to the national reserve other than where the recipient's quota is transferred to a family member by way of inheritance or similar...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. The applicant's claim for payment is currently being examined within my Department and payment will issue if it is found that all the terms and conditions of the Scheme have been complied with.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (9 May 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named had established 11.36 Standard Entitlements with a total net value of €4,221.72 under the Single Payment Scheme. One of the conditions of this Scheme required each applicant to submit a 2005 Single Payment application. The person named did not submit an application under the 2005 Scheme. My Department notified the person named by registered post in February 2006 that as he...