Results 14,121-14,140 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The report of the organic development committee, published in April 2002, recommended that initially the promotion of organic food should focus on Irish products which have already achieved a niche in the home market and that, as supply increases, there should be a growing emphasis on developing export markets. Supply of organic beef is now increasing and export opportunities are being...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: A group under the chairmanship of Dr. Crosby carried out a technical examination of costs arising following restocking with a particular category of sheep in the case of flock-owners where the depopulation occurred during the initial scrapie depopulation regime. In total, 100 flocks were depopulated under this phase and restocking was not permitted for a period of two years. Flock owners...

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The organic market development group, OMDG, recognises the important role of farmers' markets in Ireland both as a route to market and also as a starting point for new organic entrants. While organic producers are well represented at local food markets in Ireland the markets are not the exclusive preserve of organic producers. The OMDG, which is chaired by Bord Bia, believes that the small...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person named, having been notified that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003, submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee. Following a full examination of the circumstances outlined in the appeal, the independent single payment appeals...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person concerned is an applicant under the installation aid scheme. By virtue of the terms of the scheme, applicants are required to submit their preliminary application — IAS 1 — within six months of the date of establishment. In this case, the period for lodgment of the IAS 1 form expired in August 2002 but the application was not received by my Department from the person concerned...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person named has been notified that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003. Following this decision the person named submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee. A full review of the circumstances of the case will be carried out by the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person named has been notified that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure -exceptional circumstances under Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003. Following this decision the person named submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee. The single payment appeals do not fall under the remit of the agriculture...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person named submitted an application under the scheme of early retirement from farming on 24 December 2004. The application was incomplete and further information was requested, most recently on 26 April 2005. The agricultural adviser engaged by the person named to prepare his application subsequently sought an extension of the period for submitting the additional information and this...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Leased commonage is currently ineligible for payment in REPS because such leases have been associated with the over-grazing of upland commonages in the West. I am sympathetic, however, to the position of farmers who have traditionally farmed commonage in a sustainable way on long-term lease. I have asked my officials to devise proposals that will address their situation while safeguarding the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The directive referred to by the Deputy is Directive 2004/28, which resulted from a review of the EU veterinary medicine regime. This directive entered into force with its publication on 30 April 2004 and member states are obliged to transpose it into national law by 30 October 2005. My Department is currently engaged in drafting legislation to transpose this directive, which includes a...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: As the Deputy is aware, Ireland implemented the single payment scheme in January 2005. The special beef premium scheme and the slaughter premium scheme were the only schemes for which the deadline for receipt of applications was 31 December 2004. This meant that as many farmers as possible submitted their applications in late December 2004 to benefit from the special beef premium. Under the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person submitted two applications under the 2004 special beef premium scheme in respect of 12 animals. The first application, in respect of eight animals, was received on 25 November 2004, while the second application, in respect of four animals, was received on 17 December 2004. Following computer validation, it was found that six of the animals on the first application and the four...

Written Answers — National Forestry Strategy: National Forestry Strategy (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Implementation of the forestry strategy is related to the package of supports that provides an incentive for landowners to plant, particularly farmers. I have been pressing strongly that under the proposed new rural development regulation, which is the subject of ongoing negotiations at the Council of Ministers, an adequate package of supports for 2007-13 is agreed. Throughout the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The 2003 area aid application for the person named has been fully processed with an area determined for payment purposes of 42.75 hectares. This application was originally processed in 2003 with a total forage area of 42.81 hectares but a query arose as to the land use of one of the land parcels included on the area aid application. This parcel of land was assigned as forestry but was being...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The file of the person named was randomly selected for field inspection under computer-based risk analysis. Due to the integrated nature of the bovine schemes, payments due could not be made pending the inputting of these inspection results. These results have recently been recorded and, accordingly, any payments due will now be cleared.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The person named declared a forage area of 19.36 hectares on her 2004 area aid application form. Her stocking density for 2004, based on this area and the number of livestock units on her holding throughout the year as determined from her ewe premium application in the case of sheep and five census dates in the case of cattle, was 2.0599 livestock units per hectare. Since this stocking...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The forest service of my Department wrote to the person in question on 17 May 2005 requesting documentation with regard to eligibility for the farmer rate of forestry premium. Payment of the premium will be made on receipt of this documentation. If the person in question is unable to furnish the required documentation, payment of the premium at the non-farmer rate will be made.

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (2 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together. Under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936, it is an offence not to prevent the spread of certain weeds, including ragwort and the owner, occupier, user or manager of lands on which ragwort is growing is liable, on conviction, to be fined. Ragwort is a highly poisonous plant as the alkaloids it contains can cause serious damage to the liver of farm...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: No commissions, inquiries or tribunals were commenced by my Department from 1995 to 31 December 2004.

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (2 Jun 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The issues here relate to the forestry elements contained in the draft Rural Development Regulation 2007-2013, first published by the European Commission in July 2004 and which is the subject of ongoing negotiations in the Council of Ministers. Throughout the negotiations so far, the Irish position on the draft regulation in general, including the specific aspects related to forestry has been...