Results 13,201-13,220 of 18,338 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department continues to examine and advance understanding of various scientific solutions and abatement options in close liaison with Teagasc. There has been significant commitment of €15.5 million to climate change research projects since 2005 under the Research Stimulus Fund operated by my Department. This includes research into areas such as more efficient slurry application,...

Written Answers — Equine Registration: Equine Registration (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: My Department is not in a position to comment on the submissions received to date from the Society in question. Additional information requested from the Society, which was only received yesterday, has not yet been examined.

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

Brendan Smith: There are two schemes operating in my Department through which new entrants to dairying might acquire a milk quota. These are the Milk Quota Trading Scheme and the Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants. Since 1 April 2008 to date, a total of 100 new entrants have purchased quota through the Milk Quota Trading Scheme. Quota purchased under this scheme is allocated to the new...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The Family Income Supplement is directly a matter for the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

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

Brendan Smith: A first policy debate on CAP after 2013 took place at the Informal Agriculture Council in September 2008 under the French Presidency. The Czech Presidency continued the debate in the first months of last year, focusing, in particular, on the issue of direct payments to farmers. Following on from this, in the last six months of 2009, the Swedish Presidency concentrated its discussions on...

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

Brendan Smith: A variety of new rules restricting fishing vessels' days at sea in the Irish Sea and the waters to the northwest of Ireland and Scotland were introduced as part of the EU's revised Cod Recovery Plan in December 2008. The plan introduced a new system of effort management that sets effort ceilings (expressed in kilowatt-days) for groups of vessels or fleet segments. In addition to the...

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

Brendan Smith: Animal Health Ireland (AHI) is a private company limited by guarantee and is not a public body under my control. My Department is committed to providing funding up to a maximum value of €0.5m per annum, for a period of 5 years, to AHI subject to matching contributions being provided by the industry.

Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (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 — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: In general, responsibility for enforcement of labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) through its service contracts with my Department, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Health Services Executive, the Local Authorities and the National Consumer Agency. My Department has responsibility for the operation of EU controls on imports of products of...

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

Brendan Smith: Mindful of the hardship and distress caused by the recent widespread flooding, on 27 November 2009 I announced the introduction of the Fodder Aid Scheme, targeted directly at those farmers who encountered damage to fodder in the affected areas. While I was very anxious that the funding reach the affected farmers as quickly as possible, it was essential that farmers demonstrate that their...

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

Brendan Smith: I assume that the Deputy is referring to analyses conducted during 2009 in relation to the gas flushing of imported poultry meat. Following receipt of the final elements of the results of these tests my Department has been in discussion with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland about the matter. The FSAI have organised a Forum, to be held on 2 February, for all interested stakeholders and...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Jan 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 — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 10 May 2008. The application was randomly selected for field inspection, at which it was found that the land declared had been over claimed by in excess of 50%, the penalty for which is that no payment issues for the year in question and an administrative fine amounting to the value of the Single Payment...

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

Brendan Smith: To assist the Government in identifying the most appropriate means of achieving Ireland's greenhouse gas emission target, the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security is examining the emissions reduction potential of the non-trading sector and will report to Government on the optimum alternatives to achieve this goal. In tandem, my colleague, the Minister for Environment,...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: Repair works to rural roads are the responsibility of the Local Authorities, who are under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

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

Brendan Smith: Ireland's amended Rural Development Programme, including a new agri-environment scheme, was presented to the EU Rural Development Management Committee in Brussels on 20 January. This followed detailed and protracted discussions with the Commission. The Committee agreed the programme and the Commission will now proceed to take a formal decision to approve it. This procedure is expected to take...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Jan 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 — Direct Payment Schemes: Direct Payment Schemes (27 Jan 2010)

Brendan Smith: The closing date for receipt of applications under the 2009 Single Payment Scheme was 15 May 2009. When the person named contacted my Department, he was informed that my Department had no record of receiving a 2009 Single Payment Scheme application from him. The person named was advised to submit a copy of the application form, together with proof of postage to my Department, showing the...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (27 Jan 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 applicants whose applications cleared the administrative checks. However, queries arose on a significant number of applications in the course of...