Results 12,121-12,140 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Department of Agriculture and Food makes deductions from the early retirement pension where a national retirement pension is being paid to the applicant, their spouse in some cases, or where penalties have been imposed for non-compliance with the conditions of the scheme. Every effort is made to ensure the correct amounts are deducted in all cases. In the small number of cases where the...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: There is no provision for additional payments to participants in the early retirement schemes concerning leased quotas. However, the Department of Agriculture and Food was aware from an early stage in the negotiations leading to the introduction of the single payment scheme of the possible implications for retired farmers who had leased their holdings. In so far as it proved possible in the...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The rate of pension payable under the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming is the maximum amount of €12,075 per annum provided for by the EU council regulation under which the scheme was introduced. The maximum payable under the regulation governing the 2000 scheme of early retirement from farming is €15,000 per annum. At the time the scheme was introduced the Department of...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Under the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming a total of 10,664 applications were approved for payment; of these 6,294 cases, or 59.02% of the total, received the maximum rate of pension of €12,075 per annum. Under the early retirement, ERS2, 2000 scheme 2,741 applications have been approved for payment to date; of these 1,650, or 60.19%, qualified for the maximum rate of pension...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the 2005 single payment scheme was received from the person named on 16 May 2005. The person named had established special condition entitlements during the reference period. Special condition entitlements were established where applicants under the livestock premium schemes during the reference period were not obliged to submit an area aid application. As advised in the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application under the single payment scheme on 13 May 2005. He also benefited from the transfer of entitlements by way of private contract clause. Payment amounting to €6,813.23 issued to the applicant on 29 December 2005. An application for the consolidation of entitlements under the single payment scheme was received on 2 March 2006. Officials from the...

Decentralisation Programme. (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Gabhaim mo bhuíochas dhuit, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, as deis a thabhairt dom a chur in iúl don Dáil agus an Teachta Donal Moynihan cad atá ag dul ar aghaidh ag an mbomaite i Maigh Chromtha. The construction of a laboratory complex in Macroom is part of the Government's decentralisation programme. It involves the rationalisation of the laboratories currently located in the Munster region...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Under the early retirement scheme, participants who entered the scheme in joint management with their spouses can be paid the early retirement pension only as a supplement to any national retirement pension they or their spouses receive. On entering the scheme, participants are made aware of this requirement and the onus is primarily on them to notify my Department when they, or their...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: An application under the 2005 single payment scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2005. A part payment of €5,338.61 issued on 1 December 2005 and the balancing payment of €2,412.80 will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: It is a requirement of the EU Council regulations under which the 1994 and 2000 early retirement schemes were introduced that the early retirement pension must be reduced by the amount of any national retirement pension to which the participant and his or her spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement may be entitled. However, disability allowance and disability benefit are not...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: It is a requirement of the EU Council regulations under which the 1994 and 2000 early retirement schemes were introduced that the early retirement pension can be paid only as a supplement to any national retirement pension to which the participant and his or her spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement is entitled. This means that the value of any such national retirement pension...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application for consideration in respect of the inheritance measure of the single payment scheme. His application has been fully processed and payment of €16,155.42, in respect of his 49.73 standard entitlements issued on 9 December 2005. The person named also submitted a private contract clause application to have entitlements with land transferred to him by...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The single payment scheme was introduced in Ireland in 2005 as part of the new measures agreed in the reform of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. While member states were free to choose between different models of the single payment scheme, ranging from the historical model to various regional models, the reference period agreed by the Council of Ministers for the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 to 384, inclusive, together. EU Directive 2005/77/EC has been transposed into Irish law by SI 86 of 2006 which was signed by me on 16 February 2006. EU Directives 2005/70/EC and 2005/74/EC will be transposed by the due date.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The position is that 17,500 farmers submitted applications to the national reserve but over 6,000 farmers applied under two or more categories which means that over 23,000 files have to be processed. In dealing with the new single payment scheme, priority was given to establishing the system and paying eligible farmers at the earliest date. I am satisfied this was achieved. The following...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has statutory responsibility for the welfare and protection of farmed animals. The legislation governing this is the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes Act 1984 and the European Community (Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes) Regulations 2000. In addition, there is specific legislation in relation to pigs, calves and laying hens. The Protection of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The current owner of the herd number quoted applied under the force majeure measure of the single payment scheme on 6 February 2004. My Department, having examined the circumstances of the case, deemed that the applicant did not satisfy the criteria of Article 40 of Council Regulation EC No. 1782/2003, determining force majeure-exceptional circumstances. The current owner of the herd number...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Levies: Bovine Disease Levies (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Dairy inspection and bovine disease levies are provided for in legislation and help defray some of the costs associated with official controls performed to ensure compliance with EU and national legislation and compensation. I have no plans to abolish such levies. My Department has no responsibility for NDC, Bord Bainne and farm organisation levies.

Written Answers — Land-holding Subdivisions: Land-holding Subdivisions (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Since the commencement on 4 November 2005 of section 12 of the Land Act 2005 there is no longer a requirement to obtain my Department's consent to subdivision of an agricultural holding. Prior to that date, applications for consent were dealt with immediately, usually within a matter of days.

Written Answers — Land-holding Subdivisions: Land-holding Subdivisions (4 Apr 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Subdivision consent from my Department is no longer necessary since 4 November 2005, the date of commencement of section 12 of the Land Act 2005. The number of consents issued for the last five years is set out in the following table. My Department has not refused consent under the Land Acts for any application over the past five years. Year No. of Consents issued 2005 15,561 2004...