Results 13,141-13,160 of 18,338 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The percentage of land area currently under forestry is approximately 10.7%. My Department promotes the planting of new forests through a range of attractive support measures - the Afforestation Grant Scheme, the Forest Environment Protection Scheme and the Native Woodland Scheme. These schemes provide 100% establishment grants and annual premiums for up to 20 years. In addition, my...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Ministers had a first discussion of a communication from the Commission that had been presented by Commissioner Fischer Boel at the December Agriculture Council meeting. That communication outlined a number of proposals to make the European food supply chain more transparent while promoting sustainable and market-based relationships. These proposals covered the promotion of sustainable and...

Written Answers — Beef Industry: Beef Industry (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy is aware, the price paid for beef is a matter for the meat industry and the farmers who supply cattle. Beef carcasses are classified or graded in accordance with EU Regulations using the EUROP scale for conformation and a scale of 1 to 5 to indicate fat cover. Mechanical grading has facilitated the use of sub-classes within each main class for both conformation and fat cover in...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 162 together. Under the agreement reached in November 2008 on the Health Check of the CAP, I secured approval to use previously inaccessible unspent Single Payment Scheme funds to address, among other things, specific disadvantages affecting certain sectors in economically vulnerable or environmentally sensitive areas. Member States may also provide...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Irish food and drink exporters faced unprecedented challenges in 2009 due to a sustained decline in the value of sterling, the economic downturn and a sharp slowdown in global demand for major commodities. Over recent months there are tentative indications that exports are beginning to stabilise as the global economy begins to show signs of returning to growth. Stronger volumes and better...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Ireland is fully committed to playing its part in the efforts to tackle climate change. The EU climate change and renewable energy package aims to deliver the European Union's ambitious commitments to fight climate change and promote renewable energy up to 2020 and beyond. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, has indicated that he is in the process of...

Written Answers — Fur Farming: Fur Farming (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: My officials are examining the legislative and other changes deemed necessary to implement the commitment in the revised Programme for Government to phase out fur farming over three years. As many issues are still under consideration, it is not appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The original 2009 Vote allocation of €330 million which was provided for expenditure on REPS was increased to €369 million by way of Supplementary estimate on 8 December. The additional funding was sought principally to meet expected expenditure arising under REPS 4. However, not all REPS 4 applications cleared the stringent pre-payment administrative checks in time to be paid during 2009...

Written Answers — Animal Identification Scheme: Animal Identification Scheme (27 Jan 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, 6 years after the original decision was taken. I have...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Registrar General of Fishing Boats is charged with maintaining the Register of Fishing Boats and publishes a Register report of Irish vessels on the Department's website under Sea Fisheries/Irish Sea Fishing Fleet Register/Register Report. The total number of vessels on the Sea Fishing Boat Register as at 11/1/2010 was 2,094. The Register report is updated weekly. In relation to the...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 129, 130, 166 and 179 together. Although formal negotiations have yet to commence on the future of the CAP, there is no doubt in my mind that the CAP of the future should contain a major element of income support in the form of a decoupled Single Payment regime, and this view is shared widely among my Ministerial colleagues. The shape and format of this...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Mindful of the commitments to the development of an All-Island Animal Health and Welfare Strategy agreed under North South Ministerial Council arrangements, officials from both administrations are in ongoing contact on issues of mutual concern pertaining to animal health and welfare in both parts of the island including a co-ordinated approach to legislation appropriate to the area. Drafting...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment consulted closely with my Department in preparing the consultation paper for the public consultation process that has now taken place. The next step will be to draft a code of practice and my Department will liaise closely with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on this. The EU Commission has also issued a Communication on a...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Notification to my Department of a case of Johne's disease only takes place on the basis of a positive faecal culture. As this takes 42 days to grow there have been no instances identified as yet for 2010. In total there were 471 culture tests completed by my Department for 2009. From these, there have been 99 positive tests sourced from 58 different herds including one positive goat herd....

Written Answers — Food Safety Standards: Food Safety Standards (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I established the inter-agency review of the dioxin contamination incident for the purpose inter alia of identifying any adjustments to official controls in the light of experiences gained from the incident. The report of the review concluded that once the incident was identified by my Department's residue monitoring programme it was handled well and all actions were proportionate and...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The proposed Council Regulation fixing for 2010 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required states that in the case of Spurdog/Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) the following rules will apply; By-catches are permitted up to 10% of the 2009 quotas established in...

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The live export trade is an important component of our meat and livestock industry and provides a complement to the beef trade. Overall live exports in 2009 increased by 94% on 2008 levels. In the same period, exports to the UK increased by 159%, with those to Great Britain increasing by 440% and those to other destinations by 74%. While the purchasing policy of UK meat plants is a commercial...

Written Answers — Land Values: Land Values (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: A recent report by Independent global property consultants Knight Frank Ireland shows that farmland prices declined significantly countrywide, but the most significant decline was in the Dublin/Kildare/Wicklow region, where average prices dropped by 56.6%. The average price paid per acre in this premier region in 2009 was €10,920 down from the previous year's €25,210. The substantial...

Written Answers — Grocery Industry: Grocery Industry (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: As signalled by the Tánaiste, the intention is to implement a national Code of Practice for doing business in the Grocery Goods sector with a view to ensuring a fair trading relationship between retailers and their suppliers. The code will be initially on a voluntary basis. The EU Commission has also issued a Communication on a better functioning food supply chain in Europe. As I said at...

Written Answers — Fishing Quota: Fishing Quota (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 135 together. A final decision on the mackerel quotas was predicated on the outcome of the EU Norway negotiations which concluded with an agreement yesterday evening. Indications are that a Commission non-paper will be presented shortly to the Council working group on Fisheries followed with a formal proposal to the same body soon after. The proposal...