Results 12,601-12,620 of 18,482 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: On examination of the application from the person named, my officials concluded that the holding concerned in the application had been artificially created for the purpose of drawing down or maximising benefits under REPS. This decision was conveyed to the person named in a letter dated 3 March 2009. It is open to the person named to appeal this decision to the Agriculture Appeals Office.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: An amended application from the person named is currently being examined in my Department. The applicant will be informed of the outcome once this examination is complete.

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

Brendan Smith: The above named person registered nineteen calves for this scheme in 2009. It is a condition of the Suckler Welfare Scheme that for herds of more than ten animals that a graduated weaning practice be implemented. The animals must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimal interval of at least five days. To date payment has not issued to this...

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

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications under this Scheme have been processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016. As the funding made available for the Scheme has been allocated to the eligible applications received up to 21 October 2007, there are no plans to...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am satisfied that all reasonable steps have been taken to address the objections of the person named in the allocation of shares and that the matter has been fully investigated by my Department. The Scheme that approves the person named for one of the shares is proceeding. I believe that no useful purpose would be served by another meeting on the matter and I understand that the person...

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The agreement concluded with pig processors in December 2008 involved making available a facility of up to €180 million from the public finances to assist processors in funding the recall and destruction of certain pork products from the market. To date, a total of €87.5m has been paid to qualifying applicants under the Pigmeat Recall Scheme. Of this, €41.5m has been paid to 9 primary...

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

Brendan Smith: My Department has adjudicated that the Sworn Affidavit received from the person named with regard the Single Payment Scheme 2009 confirms proof of postage to the Department of the appropriate Single Payment Scheme application form before the 15th May 2009 i.e. the deadline for receipt of applications. The appropriate payment will now be made to the person named.

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The six designated Fishery Harbour Centres, including Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre, are managed via a statutory fund, known as the Fishery Harbour Centres' Fund, which the Comptroller & Auditor General audits on an annual basis. The most recent audited accounts available are for the year ended 31/12/2006 and show the total income for Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre for that year to be...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: The harbour at Killybegs is designated as a Fishery Harbour Centre under the Fishery Harbour Centres Acts 1968 (as amended) and is managed and operated by my Department in accordance with these Acts. These Acts provide for the establishment and operation of the Fishery Harbour Centres to promote, develop and carry on sea fishing, fish processing, fishing related activities and matters...

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: Ensuring that foods marketed in Ireland are safe and compliance with relevant food safety legislation is the responsibility of the individual food businesses. Enforcing the legislation is the responsibility of the Food Safety authority of Ireland (FSAI), which delegates that activity to various official agencies under service contracts. In accordance with its service contract with the FSAI,...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (5 May 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is clear from on-going communication between officials of my Department and representatives of relevant stakeholders including Local Authority Veterinary Inspectors, Animal Welfare Organisations and the Horse Industry that horse welfare problems continue to be reported including a risk of abandonment of horses. My officials are continuing to engage with the relevant stakeholders in an...

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.