Results 12,081-12,100 of 18,478 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under the EU Regulations governing the Agri-Environment Options Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, all administrative checks, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Information System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Payment will issue at the earliest possible date once these checks have been completed.

Written Answers — Agri-environmental Scheme: Agri-environmental Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: A total of about 9,200 applications were received for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme, including 426 from County Clare. Letters of approval have issued to almost 6,000 applicants, of which 266 are in Co Clare. My officials are giving priority to processing the remaining applications with a view to issuing further approvals as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Herd Numbers: Herd Numbers (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The position in relation to herd numbers is that, under Irish and EU rules relating to disease control and intra-Community trade in live animals, the herd number identifies a herd as a defined "epidemiological" unit and separate epidemiological units must be allocated separate herd numbers. Being in one "epidemiological" unit means that the animals in the herd/flock on a holding share the...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named has not been in communication with my Department in the period since the Deputy's previous Question on his behalf. As I stated in my previous reply, my Department was unable to accept his application under the Early Retirement Scheme because it did not satisfy all of the scheme conditions. Specifically, there was an issue with his proposed transferee's off-farm income in...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Licences: Fishing Vessel Licences (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The recent surveys on decommissioning of fishing vessels were conducted as part of a Value for Money (VFM) Review, currently underway in my Department. This Review is focussed on the decommissioning schemes from 2005/06 and 2008. VFM Reviews are part of the Government's long-term Expenditure Review Programme. Their principal objectives are to ensure that analysis of the impacts of Exchequer...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The definition of the closed period was among the issues raised in submissions received during the public consultation process that formed part of the review of The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, commonly known as the 'Nitrates Regulations'. These regulations constitute the legal basis for Ireland's National Action Programme under the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The reduction in the buffer zones around water abstraction points was among the issues raised in submissions received during the public consultation process that formed part of the review of The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations, commonly known as the 'Nitrates Regulations'. These regulations constitute the legal basis for Ireland's...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Licences: Aquaculture Licences (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The area for which the licences are sought is a designated Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive and a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 site). In the case of aquaculture sites located within Natura 2000 areas my Department, in conjunction with the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. Additional information has been requested from the person concerned but it has not been received to date. Processing of the application will recommence when this additional information has been received.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. Additional information has been requested from the person concerned but it has not been received to date. Processing of the application will recommence when this additional information has been received.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named is not the Registered Herd Owner. The registered herd owner does not hold any Single Payment entitlements. The registered herd owner applied to be considered for an allocation of entitlements under Category A of the 2005 National Reserve which catered for farmers who inherited or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The payment application from the person named was received by my Department on 14th September 2010 and will be dealt with taking account of the targets set out in the Farmers Charter.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for 17 animals under the 2008 Suckler Welfare Scheme and 11 animals under the 2009 Scheme. The herd owner has been paid in full for these animals.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2009 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 22 April 2009. Following processing, it was found that the reference area of one parcel was over-claimed by 9.06%. Under the governing EU regulations, where the over-declaration between the total area declared and total area determined is greater than 3%, but not more than 20%, the area determined...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Further participation in the new Agri-environment Options Scheme will be determined by the level of funding available to my Department. All EU funding for the scheme up to the end of 2013 is now fully committed. Any further support in that period will have to be funded entirely by the Exchequer and this is a matter that will be considered in the context of the annual Estimates process.

Written Answers — Agri-environmental Scheme: Agri-environmental Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: Letters of approval have issued to almost 6,000 applicants for the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), giving farmers a start date in the scheme from 1 September 2010. This represents almost two-thirds of all applicants and the processing of these applications was carried out within a challenging time-frame. My officials are giving priority to processing the remaining applications with a...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 23 April 2010. In relation to the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Terms and Conditions governing the Scheme require, inter alia, that applicants maintain a minimum stocking density on their holding of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare declared, for at least three consecutive months,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received by my Department on 1 June 2010. However, as the closing date for receipt of applications under this Scheme was 17 May 2010, with the facility of the receipt of late applications up to 12 June 2010, subject to the regulatory penalty of 1% per working day, an 11% late penalty was applicable to the application of the person named....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for 36 animals under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Suckler Welfare Scheme, for herds with more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named weaned all his animals on the same date, and therefore did not comply with the...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (29 Sep 2010)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the appeal from the persons named was received in the Agriculture Appeals Office on 14th September 2010. The Appeals Officer has asked my Department for the appellants' file and it will be sent to them without delay.