Results 13,101-13,120 of 18,338 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The detailed rules governing the REPS 3 and 4 Schemes are contained in the Scheme 'Terms and Conditions' document, which may be amended by means of REPS Circulars issued by the Department. The 'Terms and Conditions' constitute a framework for the application of the detailed rules contained in the relevant Commission Regulations. In the case of REPS 3 Commission Regulation (EC) No. 445/2002...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007–13 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. Payments have issued to those whose applications required no further examination following the administrative checks. However queries arose on a significant number of...

Written Answers — Animal Identification Scheme: Animal Identification Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The introduction of EID for sheep was agreed at EU level in late 2003. At that time, it was agreed to defer the implementation date until January 2008. The Council of Agriculture Ministers revisited this issue in December 2007 when it was agreed that the deadline for the compulsory introduction of EID should be set for 31 December 2009, six years after the original decision was taken....

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: The objective of the €7 million in funding which will be provided by my Department and administered by Enterprise Ireland is to improve competitiveness within the food sector in export markets. This is linked to sustaining viable companies and enabling them to exploit world market opportunities. The focus of initiatives in 2010 will be to enable key exporting companies to adopt sustainable...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 628 together. I am aware of the difficulties experienced by farmers and others as a result of the recent inclement weather conditions. In that regard I have received representations on behalf of growers in relation to losses to potatoes and vegetable crops arising from the severe frost conditions since Christmas and the matter is currently being...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am aware that due to very wet conditions in November 2009 a proportion of the total national area of potatoes remained unharvested at the end of the year. Since Christmas Ireland has experienced very severe frost conditions which have resulted in losses to potatoes. The extent of losses would be influenced by location and the extent to which the potatoes were exposed. I have received...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Feb 2010)

Brendan Smith: There are currently 1,676 farmers in REPS in North Tipperary who will be eligible for payments in 2010. In addition, 39 farmers applied for REPS after the 2009 deadline of 15 May and before the scheme was closed to new applicants in July 2009. If their applications are valid, these farmers will begin their REPS 4 contracts in 2010 and will also be eligible for payment.

Animal Identification Scheme. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I have on many occasions expressed concern about the mandatory introduction of electronic identification, EID, in the sheep sector. My consistent view has been that the introduction of EID of sheep should be on a voluntary basis. This position was most recently articulated to the European Commission and fellow Ministers at the Agricultural Council on 20 November 2009. Regretfully, there...

Animal Identification Scheme. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I accept that there will be some additional cost to primary producers. One of the first meetings I had as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was with the EU Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou, in regard to this issue which comes under her remit within the European Union. I met Ms Vassiliou while she was here in Dublin and have spoken to her on a number of occasions in...

Animal Identification Scheme. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am not quite sure from where the proposal initiated in 2003. I am not sure if it was proposed by an individual member state or by the Commission. I believe - I am open to correction on this and will check this for the Deputy - it was a Commission proposal initiated by the then Commissioner for Health and Public Safety. The analysis undertaken by my Department indicates that the...

Common Agricultural Policy. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Formal negotiations have yet to commence on the future of the CAP and in that respect there are no proposals to change the calculation method of the single farm payment. However, policy debates have begun in a number of member states, including Ireland, and at EU level on the shape and direction of future EU agricultural policy. Among the issues that are being debated are the shape and...

Common Agricultural Policy. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I share Deputy Creed's views on the issues on which he has touched. At a Council of Ministers meeting in September 2008 under the French Presidency we had our first discussion on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. At that meeting I, along with some other members, outlined that we had to have an adequately resourced CAP and that my preference would be that we should know the...

Common Agricultural Policy. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Creed is correct on the co-decision and the influence of the European Parliament. Some time ago officials at senior level within my Department met all our MEPs and gave them a full briefing on the Common Agricultural Policy discussion document. I hope to meet all the MEPs when I attend the next Council of Ministers meeting in February. In the meantime the rapporteur of one of the...

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Under the Agriculture (Research, Training and Advice) Act 1988, Teagasc has statutory responsibility for the provision of research, education and advisory services to the agriculture sector. In accordance with section 13(3)(a) of the Act, Teagasc is required to submit a report in writing to my Department before the end of the financial year outlining its proposed programme of activities for...

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I am not aware of any documentation to which Deputy Creed referred.

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: It is important to recognise the excellent work carried out by Teagasc at all its research centres throughout the country. One such eminent centre is in the north of the Deputy's county of Cork at Moorepark, where there is great collaboration with many major international companies based in the country, both of Irish and foreign origin. The Deputy will be aware of the development alongside...

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: There was nothing in the Deputy's question that I could ascertain in respect of GM crops. It was a general question-----

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: No.

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Teagasc works to the Government programme and priorities. It does so in a very effective way and will continue to do so at all its research centres that it is developing as centres of excellence.

Departmental Agencies. (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: May I say that-----