Results 14,441-14,460 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The classification of all of County Monaghan as a more severely handicapped disadvantaged area has cleared all the hurdles in Brussels, as was announced last week by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith. I am extremely pleased at this news which meets a commitment made to the social partners in Sustaining Progress. The agreement of the European Commission to my...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The price paid for milk is a commercial matter between milk producers and purchasers. The manufactured milk prices are determined by a number of factors, including the international market for dairy products, the product mix and the efficiency of the processor as well as the overall operation of the EU price support mechanisms. My role, as Minister for Agriculture and Food, is to ensure that...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Implementation of the nitrates directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The nitrates action programme may have implications for the intensive farming sector, particularly in terms of the utilisation of the manure produced by intensive pig and poultry units. Accordingly, I have asked my officials to examine various aspects...

Written Answers — Modulated Funds: Modulated Funds (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The modulated funds become available for use in 2006. In that year, their use is confined to the measures in the CAP rural development plan — agri-environment, early retirement, compensatory allowances and forestry — and the new initiatives introduced as part of the CAP mid-term review — food quality, animal welfare, farm advisory services and meeting standards. I will decide shortly on...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Following the coming in to force, on 21 April, of the EU Commission Decision 2005/317/EC on emergency measures regarding the non-authorised genetically modified organism Bt10 in maize products, my Department has introduced a requirement that all imports of maize gluten feed and distillers dried grains originating from the USA be accompanied by an original analytical certificate to demonstrate...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The implementation of the nitrates directive is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In October last, Ireland submitted an action programme to the European Commission for further implementation of the nitrates directive. In December, the Commission conveyed its view that the action programme was not complete and did not comply...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The EU Commission outlined its initial ideas for reform of the EU sugar regime in a communication to the Council and the European Parliament last July. The communication was the subject of technical discussions at Council working group level in Brussels and there was a policy debate at the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting in November. The European Commission's initial ideas for...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I received the report of the Oireachtas joint committee formally on 7 April. I have asked my officials to consider the recommendations in the report, having due regard to the terms and conditions both of the early retirement scheme itself and of the European Commission regulations under which both the current and previous schemes were introduced.

Written Answers — Organic Farming: Organic Farming (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has already provided incentives to encourage organic farming which are substantial in proportion to the size of the sector. Through the rural environment protection scheme, almost €4 million was paid directly to organic farmers in 2004. Since REPS began in 1994, it has delivered some €31 million to the sector. Under the current scheme, an organic farmer with 55 hectares is...

Written Answers — Special Beef Premium: Special Beef Premium (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I made arrangements last month to expedite balancing payments to farmers affected by the special beef premium quota excess based on an estimated overshoot reduction. Over the past two weeks, some €80 million has been paid to special beef, suckler cow and slaughter premium applicants with the vast bulk of this going to farmers with more than 25 special beef premium animals. I have also...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I discussed the WTO agriculture negotiations and Irish concerns in relation thereto at a bilateral meeting with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development on 20 December 2004. The Council of Agriculture Ministers, which reviews the situation on a regular basis, discussed the developments in the negotiations at its meetings on 14 March and 26 April 2005, both of which I attended.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has received approximately 20,100 applications for REPS 3 of which just under 18,500 have already been processed, approved and paid. There are currently more than 45,100 farmers in REPS as a whole. Participation levels will very soon surpass the record reached at the end of 1999. The level of interest in REPS 3 is very encouraging and, with farmers considering their options...

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004, 126 cases of BSE were confirmed compared with 182 in 2003 and 333 in 2002. There have been 25 cases to date in 2005 which represents a decrease of 57% on the number of cases discovered in the same period in 2004, 59. The majority of these cases were in animals born prior to the introduction here of the additional controls in 1996 and 1997. The shift in age profile in BSE cases as...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The designation of land under the EU birds and habitats directives is a function of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The question of compensation for farmers in the Shannon Callows area is a matter, in the first instance, for that Department, and I understand that discussions on the matter with the farming bodies have been going on for some time and are not...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Under the Government's decentralisation programme my Department's Dublin headquarters will be transferred to Portlaoise, my Department's laboratories in Cork and Limerick will move to Macroom and my Department's local offices in Cork city and Mallow will move to Fermoy. Last November, the decentralisation implementation group published its report to the Minister for Finance identifying the...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Both Ministers of State at my Department have met groups set up to advance the interests of retired farmers. Officials of my Department have also had meetings with them on several occasions. The group referred to had an opportunity to present its case to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food and the committee has recently produced its report. My officials are examining the...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The 2004 enterprise strategy group report to the Tánaiste entitled, Ahead of the Curve, focused on marketing as one of two development axes for Irish industry, the other being technology. Promotion and marketing is becoming ever more critical as the Irish agri-food sector enters a period of great change with future production decisions becoming more market led and influenced by decoupling...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The review and appraisal of Ireland's forestry development strategy undertaken by Peter Bacon and Associates supports a planting target of 20,000 hectares per annum, as set out in the programme for Government. The report also comments that a lesser planting target could be a viable basis for support, providing the planting is undertaken in a manner that maximises the non-timber benefits. The...

Written Answers — Food Banks: Food Banks (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Food banks are charitable organisations outside the ambit of central government and accordingly my Department has no role in their operation. In accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No. 3149/932 on the supply of food from intervention stocks for the benefit of the most deprived persons in the Community, my Department has in the past made intervention stocks available to charitable...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (4 May 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The issue raised by the Deputy relates to one of the proposals for forestry contained in the draft rural development regulation 2007-13, first published by the European Commission in July 2004 and which is the subject of ongoing negotiations in the Council of Ministers. From the outset, the Irish position on the draft regulation in general, including the specific aspects related to forestry...