Results 13,921-13,940 of 18,341 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named had 13 animals for consideration under the 2008 Suckler Welfare Scheme. One animal died and under the laws of the Scheme a payment for €80 has issued for this animal. It is a condition of the scheme that a gradual weaning procedure must be followed and more than one weaning date must be provided where there are more than 10 animals. On 19 August 2009, a letter issued to...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The area for which the licences are sought is a designated Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive and a Special Protection Area under the EU Birds Directive (Natura 2000 site). In the course of assessing the applications a number of complexities have arisen due to the Natura 2000 status of the area. As a result further consultation was necessary with the National...

Written Answers — Fur Farming: Fur Farming (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together. My Department is not legally required to collect statistics relating to mink and fox farming. While the industry supply figures of the number of breeding animals and the number of mink slaughtered that year on a particular licensed mink farm on the date of my Department's inspection, these figures are not verified at inspection. There...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 21 April 2009. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and animal identification and registration inspection under cross-compliance. The inspection process is completed and the application has now been fully processed. Payment under the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Oct 2009)

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, including plan checks, to be completed before the first 2009 payments issue. Processing of applications, has commenced to facilitate the release of payments at the earliest possible date.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I have reopened the Early Retirement Scheme until 30 October 2009 with a view to accepting as many as possible of those applications that were completed or close to completion at the time entry to the scheme was suspended on 14 October 2008. Any decision about reopening the scheme again in the future can be taken only in the context of the annual Budget/Estimates process.

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together. The 'Love Irish Food' brand is a wholly industry led campaign, which has published its criteria for membership. The Deputy will be aware that governments are precluded under state aid rules from funding promotion campaigns on the basis of origin.

Written Answers — Irish Horse Industry: Irish Horse Industry (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: Horse Sport Ireland is approved by my Department under S.I. 399 of 2004 to maintain the Irish Draught Horse Studbook as studbook of origin for the Irish Draught Horse breed. I am satisfied that the studbook is operated in accordance with the relevant national and EU legislation, including EU Commission Decision 96/78/EC.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I can confirm that the application under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme was received prior to the suspension of that Scheme on 14 October 2008. Payment will issue when it has been confirmed that all qualifying conditions have been met.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I can confirm that the application under the Installation Aid Scheme was received in good time and that payment will issue when it has been confirmed that all qualifying conditions have been met.

Written Answers — Rendering Industry: Rendering Industry (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: My Department's role in relation to rendering plants is to ensure that they are approved and operate in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002, which governs the use and disposal of animal by-products (ABP). The ABP Regulation is designed to protect human and animal health. It does not impose requirements in relation to the ownership structure of ABP plants and my Department does not...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS). The CMMS system is being replaced on a phased basis by the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system. The AIM system is the key application for the monitoring and recording of animal movements, providing traceability of animals in the food chain and providing assurance to consumers of Irish meat...

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: On 15th July, the Government approved my plan for a reorganisation of my Department's Local Office Network. The plan involves reducing, from 57 to 16, the number of offices from which the Department will operate District Veterinary, Forestry and Agricultural Environment and Structures support services in the future. This will result in a reduction of some 400 in the number of staff working in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The building for my Department in Portlaoise forms part of a Public Private Partnership (PPP), which also includes accommodation for decentralising Departments in Mullingar and Carlow. The PPP process is approaching finalisation and the OPW advises that it expects to make a final report and recommendation to the Minister for Finance on this matter shortly.

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 464, 465, 466, 468 and 471 together. Ireland notified the draft Health (Country of Origin of Poultrymeat, Pigmeat and Sheepmeat) Regulations 2007 to the European Commission in December 2007. Following a series of communications between the European Commission and my Department the Commission's direction to Ireland not to adopt the draft national Regulations...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under Regulation (EC) No. 1580/2007, as amended by Regulations (EC) Nos. 1221/2008 and 771/2009, fruit and vegetables are checked for compliance with the EU marketing standards that are laid down in the legislation. Apart from quality criteria, these standards also set down strict provisions regarding proper labelling and country of origin is included as a labelling requirement in these...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: As the tariff nomenclature does not distinguish products in this way, the information sought by the Deputy is not available.

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for the enforcement of this legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (F.S.A.I.). There are no official statistics showing the comparative cost of imported versus home produced primary products. Under the general labelling Directive (2000/13/EC), the...

Written Answers — Dairy Industry: Dairy Industry (13 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: My Department does not maintain a register of dairy co-operatives, but is responsible for the registration of milk purchasers. This information is held on a national basis and is not broken down by county. At present there are 76 milk purchasers registered with the Department.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 Oct 2009)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2009 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 12 May 2009. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced on 22 September, with payments issuing in respect of those cases cleared for payment at that stage. Payments continue to issue as outstanding issues are resolved. The application of the person named has...