Results 12,641-12,660 of 18,482 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I believe the number is relatively small but late submissions necessitate otherwise unnecessary clerical work by the Department. It costs us to write to people. We even telephone people to ask them to return their claims before the end of the year so we can pay them. That is not always the biggest problem. Inspectors are trying to finalise submissions when they visit individual farmers.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Ferris and all Members from Kerry have spoken to me on a number of occasions regarding delays in payments from the two offices in County Kerry. From recollection and from having spoken to Oireachtas colleagues in the past day or two, I note approximately 60% of payments had been made in County Kerry. There was a difficulty over staffing in the office but it has been resolved today....

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I discussed the relatively small cohort to which the Deputy referred with officials relatively recently. I will obtain an update and inform the Deputy of the outcome on Tuesday next. I asked whether there was a provision that could facilitate those who, through no fault of their own, had not the opportunity to return a form.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The schemes are run very efficiently. Many applications that are received are deficient. At times, the Department sends back applications for further clarification and in respect of which further data must be submitted. The replies do not always come as expeditiously as the Department would like. We want to ensure farmers receive their payments rather than deny them the opportunity of...

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: In order to sign off on some applications so payments can be made, officials of a certain rank are required. In the offices in question, we had no officials of that rank. An agreement has been reached to allow for officials to be put in place who will be able to sign off on the forms.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: That will start immediately in regard to Kerry.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme. (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I presume they will be sent out quite rapidly, although everybody will not have them on Monday.

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: As part of proposals in relation to the use of unspent Single Payment Scheme and Modulation funds and the European Economic Recovery Programme, I announced in 2009 that, subject to the receipt of EU Commission approval, I intended to introduce support for a number of specific categories of farmers which would be focused on supporting productive investment. The measures include:- A scheme...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Common Agricultural Policy will provide the main policy framework for development of the primary agriculture and agri-food industries in Ireland and the EU to 2020 and beyond. Currently the CAP underpins farm income through payments decoupled from production, manages extremes of price volatility through market management instruments and supports investment, environmental and wider rural...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The European Commission issued a Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in April 2009 and sought responses to their proposals. Minister Killeen, who had responsibility for the Fisheries portfolio at that time, appointed Dr. Noel Cawley to chair a nationwide public consultation process. The result of the extensive consultations contributed in no small way to Ireland's...

Written Answers — Domestic Abattoirs: Domestic Abattoirs (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are abattoirs located in every county in Ireland. The regulation of local abattoirs is the responsibility of local authorities, who report to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on this issue. I understand that there are 220 local abattoirs under the supervision of the local authorities, while 51 larger establishments come under the remit of my Department. In order to assist the...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: Live exports continue to be an important outlet for Irish cattle, providing an essential element of competition with the beef trade. Following the abolition of Export Refunds on live animals, other than for breeding, this trade is now almost exclusively with other EU Member States. Live cattle exports surged to over 286,000 head in 2009 – almost double the level recorded in 2008. The main...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I have been asked by the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) to consider a proposal to allow a limited Commercial Sea Bass fishery in the Celtic Sea. The FIF has specifically proposed that vessels would be permitted to land only Sea Bass caught south of (fifty one degrees thirty minutes North) in area VII, which is an area approximately 50 KM off the South East coast of Ireland. Irish...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department, in the context of delivering the Direct Payment Schemes, is required to carry out on-the-spot inspections on a number of farms covering such issues as eligibility under the Scheme, compliance with EU legislation in the areas of the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health and ensuring that the farm is maintained in good agricultural and environmental...

Written Answers — Cereal Sector: Cereal Sector (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The maintenance of an efficient and viable cereals sector in Ireland is clearly very important. Not only does it generate an income to our tillage farmers but it is also a key source of feedingstuffs for our livestock sector. Annual cereals production in Ireland has fluctuated around 2 million tonnes in recent years and it is desirable to try and sustain this level of production in order to...

Written Answers — Carbon Tax: Carbon Tax (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The implementation of a carbon tax on fossil fuels is, in the first instance, a matter for my colleagues, the Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Finance Bill, 2010, introduced carbon taxation of mineral oils which will apply to petrol, auto-diesel, kerosene, marked gas oil, liquid petroleum gas, fuel oil and natural gas. These...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: By way of general comment, it is clearly evident that the Single Farm Payment, under which over €1.25 billion is paid annually to Irish farmers, is an extremely important Scheme not just to the agricultural industry, but also to the rural economy as a whole. With regard to the specific issue raised by the Deputy, I wish firstly to emphasise that no changes have been made with regard to the...

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

Brendan Smith: The processing of REPS 4 payments is governed by EU Regulations which require exhaustive administrative checks and on-the-spot inspections. In most parts of the country, the processing of payments is well advanced and the majority of participants have received their full payments for 2009. In a significant number of cases, however, the administrative checks raised issues and queries which...

Written Answers — Dairy Sector: Dairy Sector (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: The EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) provides a range of measures that can be used to manage the dairy market, and these were modified in the CAP reforms of 1999 and 2003. In the Health Check negotiations in 2008 there was pressure to remove or weaken the support measures significantly. At that time I fought hard to keep the key market instruments in place and the importance of the...

Written Answers — Fertiliser Use: Fertiliser Use (29 Apr 2010)

Brendan Smith: I want to compliment Teagasc on the work carried out by their National Farm Survey Unit and their Environmental Research Centre in order to publish their Survey of Fertilizer Use in Ireland from 2004 to 2008 for Grassland and Arable Crops. I am especially pleased to note that the survey demonstrates that the national usage of the major nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on...