Results 14,581-14,600 of 18,341 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I announced earlier this year that unused funds available in 2009 from the Single Farm Payment National Reserve would be paid to hill sheep farmers in the form of an Uplands Sheep Payment. The amount in question is approximately €7 million in 2009. Under the final agreement on the Health Check of the CAP, Ireland will have access to additional funds of the order of €25 million annually...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: There were 16,607 forestry premiums awarded in the 2009 annual premium payment run on 5 May 2009. There are 1,440 payments still outstanding. Of these, 783 are delayed because the applicants did not return the forms, and 657 have administrative queries outstanding.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The withdrawal of the 17% increase in REPS 4 rates of payments was a necessary response to the pressures on the public finances and the number of applications for REPS 4 expected by the closing date of 15 May. The undertakings in the REPS 4 Scheme have been agreed with the European Commission and any changes to such undertakings can be introduced only with the approval of the Commission. I...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: I have been in contact with the Minister for Finance and officials from the Department of Finance in relation to this matter. I have also facilitated contacts on this subject between farming representatives and the Department of Finance.

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The contractual relationship between retailers and suppliers is a matter in the first instance for the contracting parties themselves and not one in which governments can intervene. However the Competition Acts do prohibit unfair practices and the Competition Authority established under these Acts has a statutory role in ensuring that markets including the retail sector operate freely. If...

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Areas Scheme: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission is currently conducting a review of Disadvantaged Areas across the Community, having been mandated by the Council of Ministers to conduct the review. The object of the exercise is to establish an E.U.-wide system, which will allow comparisons between regions, on the basis of eight bio-physical criteria, rather than the socioeconomic criteria which...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named received two separate penalties, totalling €850.67, for breaches of the REPS undertaking. The penalties were imposed,firstly, for failure to stock-proof an external boundary and secondly was for non-compliance with a requirement in the agrienvironmental plan to create a new habitat and to have this new habitat stock-proofed. On the day of an inspection by an official of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named took over the farm with effect from 11 March 2008. The application for the Suckler Welfare Scheme, which was received in my Department on 25 January 2008, was made in the name of her late husband. The person named has now signed a Form of Undertaking and this will allow payment to be made. It is expected that payment will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named inherited 38.4 Single Payment entitlements from her late husband. In addition a further 4.13 entitlements were transferred to the person named by way of gift, giving her a total of 42.53 standard entitlements. Both transfers were fully processed under the 2008 scheme year. The person named declared a total of 39.7 hectares of land on her 2008 Single Payment application. As...

Written Answers — Shooting Rights: Shooting Rights (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988. Day-to-day operational matters, such as the awarding of shooting rights at Coillte forests, are the responsibility of the company.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The persons named became joint owners of the herd with effect from 5 March 2008. The application for the Suckler Welfare Scheme, which was received in my Department on 9 January 2008, was made in one of their names. Both parties have now signed a Form of Undertaking and this will allow payment to be made. It is expected that payment will issue shortly

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The person named is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications under this Scheme are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Under the Musk Rats Act, 1933 (Application to Mink) Order 1965, the keeping of mink is prohibited except under licence, obtained from my Department. Licences are issued under this legislation only if the applicant, following an inspection, is found to be compliant with a number of key conditions. The licensed fur farms operating in this country meet current national and EU requirements. Fur...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (12 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: A reduction in payment was imposed initially in this case for an apparent planning error. The case has been reviewed, however, and it has been established that the apparent error arose as a result of cumulative rounding up of values within the eREPS system. The decision to reduce the payment has, therefore, been reversed.

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspections: Veterinary Inspections (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Officials of my Department are, as part of an ongoing review of resources, currently carrying out a review of work undertaken by the DVO-based veterinary inspectorate within my Department. This review is at an early stage and is focusing on staffing levels, organisational structures, business processes and possible synergies with other areas of veterinary work. Circular ER 06/09, which came...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: For a number of years, EU Directives have laid down the training requirements for departmental staff assisting the official veterinarian in carrying out his duties in meat plants. The Meat Hygiene Package, which was introduced by the EU on 1 January, 2006, reiterated and clarified the need for such training. Teagasc were awarded the contract to provide training for Agricultural Officers in...

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspections: Veterinary Inspections (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants are supervised by Department veterinary inspectors, assisted in their duties by temporary veterinary inspectors drawn from private practice on a rota basis and by Department agricultural officers. Veterinary Inspectors are permanently located in all the larger meat and poultry slaughtering and processing plants and are responsible for the provision...

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspections: Veterinary Inspections (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: My Department does not impose a charge on farmers in respect of carcase inspections in meat plants. The charges in relation to such inspections are levied on meat processors and included in their contribution to the costs of the veterinary meat inspection service, provided by my Department at all meat plants. The following table sets out the amounts collected from meat processors for this...