Results 12,461-12,480 of 18,331 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Grant-aid under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme was paid by my Department to the person concerned on 29 April 2010.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the relevant payments have now been made to the person in question.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department does not have detailed records in all cases of the previous employment history outside the civil service of staff members and therefore details of pension entitlements of staff currently employed in my Department as a result of previous employment in the public sector are not available.

Carcase Classification Systems. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Beef carcase classification is traditionally based on a visual assessment of the carcase by a human classifier and, prior to the introduction of mechanical classification, critics would have regarded such human assessment as subjective, prone to error and lacking consistency. Mechanical classification was introduced in Ireland more than five years ago and is now well established and accepted...

Carcase Classification Systems. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am glad Deputy Creed referred to the report in one of our daily national newspapers which totally misinterpreted the data given to them, causing as he correctly stated, anxiety among farmers who are sending cattle for slaughter and payment. I assure Deputy Creed - it is important to put this on record - that there is large-scale checking by human classifiers of the mechanical results....

Carcase Classification Systems. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Yes. It was ridiculous.

Carcase Classification Systems. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is very important to put on record for everyone that the machines have continued to perform very well when assessed using the performance criteria laid down in the EU regulations. As I remarked earlier, classification was based on a visual assessment of the beef carcass by the classifier. Since the introduction of the mechanical classification of beef carcases, the performance of the...

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The sheep sector is a valuable part of the economy with two-thirds of its product destined for export and its future dependent on its ability to meet the needs of the market. I have always acknowledged this fact and have developed a strategy to provide specific supports to the sector. On the financial side, I assigned €7 million from the 2009 single farm payment national reserve to 13,000...

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I totally disagree with Deputy Creed. We are not throwing money at anything. We are providing a very valuable investment.

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I noticed Deputy Creed's statement on the Wednesday after Easter when I launched the scheme. I recall that he both welcomed it and criticised it the same sentence.

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Of course I do. I introduced the €7 million upland sheep scheme last year. That was the totality of the funding available from the unused funds to which I had access in 2009. I stated I would dedicate that funding to the sheep sector because of the difficulties it has gone through. More than €5 million of that €7 million has been paid out. Queries were made to certain people. It...

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The figure was €7 million in 2009.

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: We are discussing the upland sheep scheme now. More than €5 million has been paid down. We have introduced schemes that are altogether administratively simple, under which we do not have a necessary inspection process that costs money. I refer to the new €18 million scheme. Department officials were engaged in widespread consultation with each of the farming organisations. We sought...

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: We are providing assistance now. Sheep farmers and their representatives have warmly welcomed this investment, which is very important and will maintain an increased-----

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I totally reject what Deputy Creed has said. I refer to genetics. We have established Sheep Ireland which will be very important for improving the genetics. People will not remain in a sector if they do not get an adequate return.

Grant Payments. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The market decides that as well. This is a support to help the industry to maintain a critical mass such that we have adequate product for the processing industry as well. We export two thirds of what we produce in this country. This very important sector is worth €250 million per annum. The targeted additional funding that is to be provided will arrest the decline in numbers that has...

Common Agricultural Policy. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I launched a consultation process with stakeholders in July 2009 to obtain their views on the EU agriculture policies which will serve Ireland and the EU best in the years to come. I am pleased with the responses I received, which will help to inform our position during the important negotiations that lie ahead. In this House last month, I announced my intention to establish a consultative...

Common Agricultural Policy. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: My first meeting with the new Commissioner after his appointment was a week after he took office. I emphasised that the agricultural community throughout the EU should be transmitting a better message to the citizens of the Union. I said we need to remind those outside the agrifood sector that the Common Agricultural Policy benefits every citizen in the Union. I pointed out that the policy...

Common Agricultural Policy. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I suggest that the agrifood sector should derive more funding from the research, development and innovation directorate. We discussed that issue with the new EU Commissioner, Mrs. Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, quite recently. I did not respond to the point the Deputy made earlier about the importance of Pillar 1. I am totally committed to Pillar 1. If we ensure direct payments continue to be...

Cereal Sector. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I presume the Deputy is referring to recent reports of imports of malt from the UK by a major Irish brewer. This is a private commercial matter for the company in which I have no role. However, since my Department has had a long association with the malting barley industry in Ireland, I am naturally interested in developments in this area. With regard to its decision to use imported malt,...