Results 14,981-15,000 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 106 together. Under the EU sugar regime, each member state has a quota for manufactured sugar. There is no quota for sugar beet nor is there a quota at farm level. The EU regulations stipulate that the quota must be made available to the sugar manufacturing enterprises in the member state. Accordingly, in Ireland the entire sugar quota is processed by...

Written Answers — Export Regulations: Export Regulations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The framework agreement for the next WTO round which was concluded in Geneva in August 2004 commits member countries to agree detailed rules, including an end date, for the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsides and for the introduction of disciplines on all export measures with equivalent effect. This agreement covers export refunds, export credits, the trade-distorting...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Participants in the scheme of early retirement from farming introduced in 1994 under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2079/92 were required to have their holdings farmed for the duration of the pension by younger farmers who met the eligibility conditions of the scheme. In cases where the retiring farmers transferred their holdings by lease, such leases were normally for five years. If the...

Written Answers — Organic Farming. : Organic Farming. (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The percentage of agricultural land under organic production in Ireland stands at just under 0.7%. The following table lists the percentage land areas under organic production in each of the other EU member states as at 31 December 2003. EU Country Organic Area (kha) % of land area Austria 328.8 12.90 Belgium 24.2 1.73 Cyprus 0.166 0.12 Czech Republic 255.0 5.97 Denmark...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The rate of pension payable under the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming is the maximum amount provided for by the EU Council regulation under which the scheme was introduced. The regulation does not provide for indexation of payments. My Department's proposals for the current early retirement scheme, which commenced on 27 November 2000 and is one of the measures in the CAP rural...

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

Mary Coughlan: Until recently BSE had never been found under natural circumstances in ruminants other than cattle. Its presence in goats or other ruminants had been viewed as theoretically possible but had not previously been detected. Arising from an EU testing programme, a healthy goat slaughtered in 2002 in France was tested at random for evidence of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, TSE. Based on...

Written Answers — Punchestown Racecourse: Punchestown Racecourse (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The Punchestown lands are owned by the Kildare Hunt Club. A new organisational structure has been agreed under which a joint venture company made up of the Kildare Hunt Club and Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, has been incorporated. It is the intention that ownership of the Punchestown companies will transfer to the new company as soon as the question of the existence of any taxation liabilities...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The case mentioned by the Deputy arose from a dispute between a company, my Department and two co-defendants. This related to the storage of tallow at its premises going back to 1997. A settlement was reached with the plaintiff on 6 December 2004. The settlement was agreed on the basis of legal advice from State Counsel and with the sanction of the Office of the Attorney General. It was...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The general labelling regulations covering all food sold in Ireland require that the information be given clearly, accurately and in a language understood by the consumer. European Directive 2000/13/EC on the labelling of foodstuffs requires pre-packaged foodstuffs to carry information on the source or place of origin only where its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree on...

Written Answers — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The decision by Greencore Group plc-Irish Sugar Limited to close its sugar plant in Carlow and to consolidate all of its sugar manufacturing in Mallow was a commercial decision taken by the company in the light of the increasing competition in the sugar sector. I am of course concerned about the loss of jobs associated with the closure of the Carlow plant and the personal impact these job...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: My Department is completing a review of the scheme of early retirement from farming under the expenditure review process established by the Department of Finance in 1997 in the context of the strategic management initiative. The review, when completed, will be laid before the House. The purpose of the review is to analyse systematically whether the scheme is meeting its objectives and inform...

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

Mary Coughlan: The food institutional research measure, FIRM, forms part the productive sector operational programme of the National Development Plan 2000-2006. The main objectives of FIRM are to provide a base of information and expertise in generic technologies that supports innovation and product development in the food industry, and assists in assuring consumer protection by ensuring that product...

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 — Sugar Beet Industry: Sugar Beet Industry (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I received a request for a meeting from the group in question and I have arranged to meet them.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 128 together. The issues raised by the Deputies relate to proposals for forestry contained in the draft rural development regulation 2007-13, first published by the European Commission last summer, and which is the subject of ongoing negotiations in Brussels. I must emphasise that these are merely proposals at this stage and they are some way from...

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Up to last Friday, 25 February, over 17,000 applications have been received for REPS 3 since its introduction in June 2004. With some 27,000 farmers in REPS 2 this brings the overall participation level in REPS to approximately 44,000. The level of applications received under REPS 3 compares very favourably with any similar time period since REPS began in 1994 and is very encouraging. I...

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

Mary Coughlan: My colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, is responsible in the first instance for the promotion and development of renewable energy, including biofuels, and is committed to the development and promotion of a biofuels market in Ireland's transport fuel sector. An interdepartmental group, chaired by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural...

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. My Department in association with Teagasc has for some time been evaluating the possible effect on farming of the further implementation of the directive. These studies have indicated that the great majority of farmers are already operating below...

Written Answers — World Trade Negotiations: World Trade Negotiations (2 Mar 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 negotiations were also discussed at the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting I attended on 21 December 2004. The Council reviews developments in the negotiations on a regular basis and will be...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (2 Mar 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The review and appraisal of Ireland's forestry development strategy undertaken by Peter Bacon and Associates is a key element of a review of the sector. The proposals in the review are being considered in conjunction with the draft EU regulation on rural development policy, which proposes reductions in EU financial support for forestry. The Bacon report reaffirmed the need for an approved...