Results 12,761-12,780 of 18,338 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Due to Industrial Action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a reply to this question.

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: The closures of my Department's local offices in Sligo and Ballina are taking place as part of a major rationalisation plan for my Department that was approved by Government last year. This rationalisation process involves a comprehensive restructuring of the Department's local office network in order to provide a fully integrated service to our farming clients and the wider agri-food and...

Written Answers — Crop Losses: Crop Losses (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Following a preliminary assessment of the crop losses caused by the severe weather conditions in January, I announced, last month, the introduction of a limited scheme of financial assistance to certain potato and field vegetable growers who have suffered significant losses of produce due to frost damage. It is not proposed to extend the scope of the scheme to include fodder beet.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: All the costs associated with my official duties in Italy from St. Patrick's Day related events have not yet been invoiced to my Department.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (23 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Out of 28,842 farmers due payments in REPS 4, 19,951 had been paid in full as of 22 March 2010. Due to industrial action by staff in my Department, I am not in a position to provide a breakdown by county of the cases still outstanding. To meet the requirements of EU regulations, applications for REPS payments have to go through an exhaustive series of administrative checks before payment can...

Dairy Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: I have no problem with meeting groups, I am probably too accessible.

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: As I indicated in my reply to the Deputy on 27 January, I am pleased that the Spanish Presidency is committed to progressing the issue of improving the functioning of the food chain. There is a need for considerable improvement so that all players, including producers and consumers, receive fair treatment. The Council of Ministers has held an initial exchange of views on a communication...

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Hoctor for the question on the labelling issue, which she has raised with me on numerous occasions. The Commission has carried out a two-year consultation on Community quality policy to better communicate to consumers higher EU standards in marketing, geographic indicators and organic and quality assurance to give EU farmers a competitive edge. The Council has endorsed a...

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Sherlock's question is very comprehensive. Regardless of which side of the House Members come from we all support country of origin labelling. Some years ago, the Department of Health and Children, the lead Department with regard to labelling since it is the health directorate in Europe that deals with this matter, put proposals directly to the Commission on sheep meat and poultry...

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Doyle makes the valid point that this involves the primary producer, the consumer and the retail sector. It would be beneficial to everyone to have in place these new systems.

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: Recently, the Tánaiste spoke in this House of the introduction in the near future of a voluntary code to be followed by a statutory code which would follow legislation to merge the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency. It is within that particular architecture-----

Food Industry. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: I appreciate Deputy Doyle's work in this regard but the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has been working very assiduously in respect of this issue. The legislation is complicated but it is a very important issue for every sector of society.

Horse Racing Ireland. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Sherlock will be aware.

Horse Racing Ireland. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Sherlock will be aware.

Horse Racing Ireland. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: As Deputy Sherlock will be aware, the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, coming from the good County Clare, would be more familiar with horses than I would, or than Deputy McGinley coming from Ulster would. We are a little impoverished in that part of Ulster in that we do not have a large horse population. For example, Deputy Sherlock from north Cork, and Deputy Hoctor from north Tipperary...

Horse Racing Ireland. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: I did not want to draw the Leas-Cheann Comhairle into it.

World Trade Negotiations. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: At present, despite high-level political commitments to conclude the WTO negotiations and notwithstanding the advanced stage of the negotiations, the prospects for a deal in 2010 are in doubt. The positions of some other key countries remain unclear and this has made progress difficult. That having been said, it is inevitable that the current WTO negotiating round will conclude at some...

World Trade Negotiations. (11 Mar 2010)

Brendan Smith: That is particularly relevant in view of the fact that the review of the Common Agricultural Policy is underway at present and there is a change in Commissioners as well. These are particular issues. However, at every opportunity we highlight the fact that we can only support a WTO deal that is ambitious, fair and balanced. Less than two weeks ago I attended the OECD ministerial meeting on...