Results 14,741-14,760 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

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...

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

Brendan Smith: Three Senior Inspector positions have been filled in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 2009. One position was filled on 13 January 2009, whilst the other two were filled on 27 March 2009. The moratorium on recruitment and promotions was notified to this Department on 27 March 2009.

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

Brendan Smith: For the purposes of the control of area-based schemes operated by my Department, details of the area on which payments are based must be maintained on a digital system. The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) in Ireland reflects the digitised details of land parcels as submitted to my Department under a number of area-based schemes. As well as the Single Payment Scheme, the LPIS supports...

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: The eREPS system is an on-line facility for the preparation of REPS plans and is accessible to all planners. The contract to carry out the developments of the eREPS system was entered into by Teagasc with software company Bizmaps. The system, which was funded by the Department, is hosted by Bizmaps and is managed on the Department's behalf by Teagasc. Bizmaps continues to be responsible...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 May 2009)

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

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (7 May 2009)

Brendan Smith: Payment issued to the person named on 5 May 2009.