Results 14,261-14,280 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: We are getting nowhere unless we can get this legislation finished and enacted and see how it works out.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I move amendment No. 51a: In page 12, line 14, to delete "attend before" and substitute "meet with".

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: This relates to the duty of the assessment officer to facilitate communication, participation and dialogue in the assessment process. The provision requires the assessment officer to endeavour to ensure that such participation takes place. The proposed amendment would oblige the assessment officer to ensure this sort of involvement by the applicant and effectively leave the officer...

Bovine Disease Controls. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: No prosecutions have taken place as a result of the feeding of meat and bonemeal to cattle since the introduction of the ban. No evidence has been uncovered which would support a prosecution in any case. I am satisfied, however, that the ban is being enforced, given that the incidence of the disease in the national herd is rapidly declining and that the vast majority of cases have occurred in...

Bovine Disease Controls. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The question referred to the feeding of meat and bonemeal. There has been no evidence of that being an issue in any of the BSE cases. Prosecutions have taken place and are pending regarding other issues relating to BSE, but not for the feeding of meat and bonemeal, since that has not happened. Regarding the sporadic occurrences in animals born after the introduction of the ban, they are of...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland was the first member state to opt for full decoupling of direct payments when, in October 2003, it was decided to introduce the single payment scheme with effect from 1 January 2005, the earliest date that the new regime could be implemented. The overshoot issue arises from transition from the animal-based to the decoupled system. Each member state has a regional beef ceiling for...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy has described the issue regarding the Irish Farmers Journal incorrectly, since the Commissioner was asked about the question before I had approached her — interviews often take place before conversations. Second, she was not here, and that interview took place in Brussels. I have met the Commissioner three times on the issue and departmental officials have met at secretary...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In Europe, it takes quite a while to have everything evaluated. Initially, the issue goes to the DG and its officials are also involved. I advised the Commissioner on the political ramifications of this issue. She has been in consultation with her own officials to look at this issue. I will speak to her again next Monday and I will impress upon her the necessity of a favourable decision on...

Legal Settlement. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There are insinuations from the other side of the House which are completely inappropriate, as well as scaremongering by members of the Fine Gael Party. I read an article written in a Drogheda based newspaper which was scurrilous and factually incorrect. Decisions must be made to proceed in some cases. As there was a third party involved in this case, it was not a direct case between my...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Under the new single payment scheme farmers receiving direct aid are required to respect the various statutory management requirements set down in EU legislation on the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health and to maintain the farm in good agricultural and environmental condition. There is also an obligation on the member state to ensure that there is no...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There has been no finality in our discussions on the protocol with the farm organisations but I hope they will conclude next week. As often happens, leaks from the committee appeared in newspapers. Although the substance of these leaks was incorrect, I could not do much about them once the newspapers had gone to print. I will make the paper publicly available once it has been agreed. Farmers...

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Yes, there is a list. Categories include environment, birds and habitat, sludge and pollution, nitrates — if the relevant directive is ever implemented — and identification.

Grant Payments. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Yes, they will be told.

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: As I outlined in my speech at the opening of the Teagasc biotechnology centre, my policy priority for the agrifood sector is to support the development of sustainable, competitive and multi-functional agricultural production and a food processing sector which is export oriented, innovative and consumer focused. To ensure this, agriculture and food research must provide a strong scientific...

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Deputy Upton tapped into the intellectual issue, which is of great concern and on which there has not been much agreement. Moorepark and the universities have conducted a lot of public good research, in particular under the FIRM programme, which will be available to all. I agree that driving research and development within the food industry is paramount if we are to compete. Large companies...

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Considerable investment has been made, through Teagasc, in research. For example, investment for non-capital purposes was €118.5 million and for capital purposes, €4.5 million. Much work has been done in food research. Teagasc employs 200 scientists in nine centres. I had the opportunity in the United States to discuss the issue of intellectual property. We are prepared to look as...

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department does not usually talk about import substitution as Ireland is a significant exporter of its food and drinks products.

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Very little of what we produce ourselves is not exported.

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There are some products we cannot produce, which is a matter we can do little to address unless we get a new climate. That could happen, God knows.

Research Funding. (25 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am disappointed about organic production for a number of reasons. The price of organic produce, which we have all discussed, is high because a great deal of it is imported. We acknowledged at a committee meeting yesterday that there is nothing more organic than our grasslands and domestic methods of production. There has been significant investment in support of organic food through...