Results 12,581-12,600 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Production: Sugar Beet Production (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 199 together. The political agreement on reform of the sugar regime reached last November provides that in the event of a decision to cease sugar production in Ireland, a restructuring fund of up to €145 million would become available for the economic, social and environmental costs of restructuring the Irish sugar industry. The fund is subject to the...

Written Answers — Animal Cruelty: Animal Cruelty (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 70 together. I have outlined in detail to the House on a number of occasions the circumstances surrounding this unusual case. I wish to restate the key aspects. First, the actions by my Department at the time were designed to protect public health by ensuring that animals treated with a prohibited substance did not enter the food chain. Second, my...

Written Answers — Export Subsidies: Export Subsidies (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The framework agreement for the next WTO round which was concluded in Geneva in August 2004 committed member countries, including the EU, to negotiate detailed rules, including an end date for the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsidies and for the introduction of disciplines on export measures with equivalent effect. At the WTO Hong Kong ministerial conference, which took place...

Written Answers — Social Partnership: Social Partnership (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I very much regret the decision of some of the farmers' organisations to suspend their involvement in the partnership talks. They retain the option of re-joining the discussions, and I would urge them to do so, but this is a matter for them to decide. The Government believes the farming pillar has a significant and useful part to play in the partnership process. In addition, it is very...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I remind the Deputy that the interim report of the WTO disputes panel on GMOs is a confidential report and it would not be appropriate for me to make public comments on such a report. A framework is in place for dealing with GMOs which includes comprehensive legislative measures, independent scientific analysis and risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority and significant scrutiny...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Animal Remedies Regulations 2005, S.I. No. 734/2005, were signed into law on 17 November 2005. I emphasised at that time that the provisions in EU Directive 28/2004 which required all veterinary medicines for food producing animals to become prescription only would not come into effect until the EU had adopted criteria for the exemption of certain products from this requirement. In view...

Written Answers — Farmers' Markets: Farmers' Markets (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: Farmers' markets represent a real growth opportunity for farmers and small-scale food producers, as demonstrated by over 100 farmers' markets now in operation throughout Ireland. I am committed to supporting activities to promote farmers' markets in general and was particularly pleased to launch the Origin farmers' markets initiative a few months ago in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, on...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Feb 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. The Minister, Deputy Roche, has recently made regulations giving legal effect to Ireland's national action programme under the directive. The regulations were finalised following difficult negotiations with the European Commission's scientific...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I am still considering certain aspects of the joint committee's report on the early retirement scheme and I expect to be in a position to make announcements in due course. A number of the committee's recommendations are, as I explained in my detailed response to the report, precluded by the EU regulations under which the current scheme and its predecessor are operated.

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The agreement on the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 reached at the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 26 June 2003 provided a financial envelope to each member state. This envelope represented the average value of livestock and arable aid premia paid in the member state during the three-year reference period 2000-02 calculated at 2002 rates of payment. The outcome of the agreement, which...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 67 together. EU state aid approval has been sought for a revised farm waste management scheme in order to assist farmers meet the additional requirements of the nitrates directive. Subject to receipt of the required EU approval, the proposed changes include: the introduction of a standard grant rate of 60%, with 70% being available in the four zone C...

Written Answers — Young Farmer Supports: Young Farmer Supports (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 55 and 65 together. Ireland has a greater percentage of younger farmers under 35 years of age, 11%, compared to the EU average of 8%. However, the Government recognises the importance of attracting young farmers into agriculture and has therefore put in place a number of incentives, as outlined below. Under the installation aid scheme operated by my...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The significant task of implementing the single farm payment scheme was successfully achieved when over €1 billion in single payments issued to 118,500 farmers last December, meeting the target we had set ourselves of making the payments on the first possible date. This was a major undertaking and the outcome, after painstaking preparatory work in establishing individual entitlements, was,...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I am supportive of initiatives to promote food on an all-island basis where this is of mutual benefit and leads to closer economic co-operation. Bord Bia, as part of its statutory role in promoting the development of Ireland's food and drink industry, works in close co-operation with its counterpart in Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, INI. Joint promotions and events have been...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The agreement on the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 was a balanced one which addressed Ireland's principal objectives. Among these objectives was the preservation of the financial benefits achieved under the Agenda 2000 agreement and the establishment of a policy framework that will allow farmers and the agri-sector the flexibility to adapt to evolving consumer and market demands. In...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: My Department received a total of 55 communications by 1 February 2006 in response to my request of 7 December 2005 for observations on the coexistence measures set out in the working group report referred to by the Deputy. These measures are aimed at creating conditions during the cultivation, harvest, transport and storage of crops that make it possible for conventional and organic growers...

Written Answers — Farm Numbers: Farm Numbers (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: The Rural Ireland 2025: Foresight report was compiled by a working group drawn from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth; University College Dublin; and Teagasc and gives its perspective on rural Ireland in the year 2025. In the "synthesis" section of the report, it states that it is unlikely that by 2025, Ireland will have appreciably more that 10,000 full-time commercial farmers and...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Feb 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. The Minister recently made regulations giving legal effect to Ireland's national action programme under the directive. It is now important for farmers to be given as much accurate information as possible about where they stand legally and about...

Written Answers — Beef Imports: Beef Imports (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: As a member of the EU and the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ireland is in a position to avail of opportunities for trade that are essential for the development of our open economy. Membership of these organisations also brings reciprocal trade obligations. The principle is that imported animal products meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between,...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (16 Feb 2006)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 76 together. There has been much comment and speculation in recent days and weeks about the effect of the nitrates regulations on farming. I am aware that the implementation of the regulations will be challenging for some farmers. I am also aware that there is a serious information deficit on some aspects of the matter. Clearly, this is not in the...