Results 14,961-14,980 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Live Exports: Live Exports (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Ireland exported some 130,000 live cattle last year to various destinations in Europe and also to Lebanon, compared to 220,000 in 2003. The principal destinations in Europe were Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. The reduced numbers in 2004 can be attributed to buoyant prices for cattle on the home market and a strong export market in beef. In addition, the focus of the Irish...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Mar 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 — Incineration of Meat and Bonemeal: Incineration of Meat and Bonemeal (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has no regulatory function in regard to the approval of any plant to incinerate or co-incinerate meat and bonemeal. The responsible regulatory authorities are the local authority and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. As regards the case mentioned by the Deputy, I am aware of a proposal to co-incinerate MBM as a fuel at a plant in Offaly. I understand that Offaly County...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 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. Ireland submitted an action programme for further implementation of the directive to the European Commission on 22 October 2004. The Commission conveyed its view, by way of a letter of formal notice under Article 228 of the EU Treaty issued to...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (2 Mar 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, the other being technology. Promotion and marketing are becoming ever more critical as Irish agriculture enters a period of great change with future production decisions becoming more market-led and influenced by decoupling policy under the Luxembourg...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 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. After the letter of formal notice was received from the European Commission in December, stating that the action programme is not complete and does not comply with the requirements of the directive and the judgment of the European Court against...

Written Answers — Land Prices: Land Prices (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Low levels of land mobility have been a long-term feature of Irish farming and the substantial increase in land prices in recent years and the relatively small acreage of land that is placed on the market annually have not helped the situation. Since 1997 agricultural land prices have more than doubled reflecting a combination of a shortage of land on the market and increasing levels of...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The agreement on the mid-term review of Agenda 2000 reached at the Council of Agricultural Ministers on 26 June 2003 provided a financial envelope to each member state. This envelope represents the average value of livestock and arable aid premia paid in the member state during the three-year reference period 2000-02 calculated at 2002 rates of payment. The outcome of the agreement, which...

Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I want to inform the Deputy that there were two separate incidences, in the four week period from 18 October to 11 November 2004, in which traces of terrestrial animal bone were found in samples of the imported feed material. The affected feed material and associated compound feed was subsequently impounded, recalled, where necessary, and detained by my Department. The first incident refers...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: As part of the preparations for the new single payment scheme my Department has prepared a consultative document on cross-compliance and has made it available to interested organisations. This document takes account of the requirements laid down in the EU regulations on cross compliance and sets out Ireland's proposed approach to the obligations that should be respected by farmers receiving...

Written Answers — Veterinary Medicines Regulations: Veterinary Medicines Regulations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is finalising a package of amendments to the national control regime for veterinary medicines. One of the key objectives of these amendments is to put in place a regime which will address a number of difficulties identified arising from inflexibilities in the existing regime. I propose to make the prescription regime more effective and workable by removing the mandatory...

Written Answers — Horseracing Industry: Horseracing Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am aware of the current ongoing discussion regarding a significant increase in the level of production of thoroughbred foals in recent years, as reported in the Assessment of the Economic Contribution of the Thoroughbred Breeding and Horse Racing Industry in Ireland prepared by Indecon consultants. I am also aware of the concerns expressed by the industry that some of these foals may not...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There are six statutory bodies under the aegis of my Department: An Bord Bia; Coford; Coillte; Irish National Stud; National Milk Agency and Teagasc. There are currently a total of 69 persons serving on the boards of these bodies, including chairpersons, of whom 12 are women. I do not have full discretion in relation to appointments to some boards as some appointments are made on the basis of...

Written Answers — Single Payment Scheme: Single Payment Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department has been aware, from an early stage in the negotiations on the single payment scheme, that it had potential implications for farmers who had joined one or other of the early retirement schemes. Those issues were repeatedly raised by Ireland in the course of the negotiations, and we secured agreement on certain measures to address them. In general, the new single payment scheme...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 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. Ireland submitted an action programme for further implementation of the directive to the European Commission on 22 October 2004. In parallel with the submission of the action programme, Ireland also submitted a derogation proposal on 11 November...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I have not been in contact with the Department of Finance about re-instating roll-over relief on land acquired by compulsory purchase orders.

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I led a delegation of food and drink industry representatives to China as part of a wider trade mission led by the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, from 17 to 22 January 2005. I accompanied the Taoiseach at formal state functions, including a meeting with the Chinese Premier, Mr Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao. I also held talks with the Chinese Vice Minister of Agriculture and with the...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: In 2004, 126 cases of BSE were confirmed compared with 182 in 2003 and 333 in 2002. There have been ten cases to date in 2005 which represents a decrease of 73% on the number of cases, some 37, discovered in the same period in 2004. The vast 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...

Written Answers — Transport of Livestock: Transport of Livestock (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There is no legal obligation on ferry operators to carry livestock. The question of whether a ferry company carries livestock is a matter for the ferry company concerned. However, I should point out that any ferry operator intending to transport livestock from this State to another member state, or to a third country must have the vessel inspected and approved by my Department. The question...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Consultations are ongoing with the European Commission about the action programme for implementation of the nitrates directive in Ireland. The question of possible additional grant aid being provided to farmers under the farm waste management scheme will be decided in the light of the requirements of the action programme, when agreed.