Results 15,901-15,920 of 18,347 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: A good deal of work has been undertaken on drafting the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill which gives effect to a number of animal health and welfare commitments contained in the Programme for Government. My officials are currently meeting with organisations that made submissions on the draft Bill following the public consultation process initiated by me earlier in the year. It would not be...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Payments totalling €1029.60 in respect of thirteen animals issued on 14 November and 12 December 2008. The remaining four animals are showing errors on the animal event dates. Staff from the Suckler Herds Section of my Department in Portlaoise will be in contact with the person named shortly.

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Following the recall of pork products initiated on 6 December 2008, and on the basis of an ongoing evaluation process by my Department and other agencies involved in this issue I confirmed on 10 December 2008 that all the necessary controls are now in place to enable the restoration of supplies of Irish pork and bacon to consumers. The purpose of these controls, which were developed over a...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The payments due to the person named under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme amounting to €1,237.40 in respect of the 50% advance payment, and the balancing payment, also €1,237.40, have not issued, as the person named has not signed-up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) as required of all Scheme applicants. Prior to the 2009 EU financial year, farmers could choose to have their payments...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person concerned is an applicant under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. His application for payment is currently being examined and a decision will be made in regard to the application as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Regulatory Impact Analyses: Regulatory Impact Analyses (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Mussel Seed (Prohibition On Fishing) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 176 of 2008) provided for the closure of certain areas of the mussel seed fishery having regard to the need to conserve the resource and protect the environment. The European Communities (Control On Mussel Fishing) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 347 of 2008) provided for the re-opening of the mussel seed fishery from 23 August 2008 as...

Written Answers — Regulatory Impact Analyses: Regulatory Impact Analyses (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: While my Department is drafting a number of regulatory impact analyses at present, none have been completed since June 2008.

Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos, 433 to 435, inclusive, 445 to 447, inclusive, 450, 455 to 457, inclusive, 459, 461 and 467 together. In accordance with EU legislation, the National Feed Inspection Programme, complimented by the National Residue Monitoring Programme, is part of the overall Integrated Annual Control Plan for Ireland. This involves food and feed and details must be submitted to...

Written Answers — Coastal Erosion: Coastal Erosion (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: In line with a recent Government decision, responsibility for Coastal Protection and Coastal Flooding will become the responsibility of the Office of Public Works with effect from 1st January 2009. Arrangements are currently in train to effect the transfer. The Office of Public Works will therefore be responsible for the allocation of funding for Coast Protection works for 2009 and onwards....

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The applications received under my Department's Capital Investment Scheme for the marketing and processing of agricultural products are going through a competitive evaluation process in which the strengths of the various proposals are being assessed and ranked in line with the objectives of the Scheme. This process will be completed shortly and applicants will be informed of the outcome.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to different EU Regulations from the preceding versions of REPS. Under REPS 4, all payments are to be made in just two instalments. The first payment, of 75%, can be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme are completed. This is why it...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 8th April 2008. This application was selected for a cross compliance and satellite eligibility inspection. The cross compliance inspection was carried out on 25th June 2008 and the results have been processed. However, the satellite inspection raised a number of issues...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

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 — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Because of concerns about the eligibility of land declared by the person named for REPS payment, it was necessary to have a full investigation, including a farm inspection in November 2008, to determine if the agri-environmental plan submitted meets the requirements of the REP scheme terms and conditions. The applicant will be notified as soon as possible of the outcome of the investigation.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: While the person named lodged applications under both the 2007 and 2008 Single Payment Schemes, these have not been fully processed, as issues relating to the transfer of entitlements to the person named remain to be resolved. An application was received on 24 April 2007 requesting the transfer of 48.36 standard entitlements to the person named under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme. As...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to different EU Regulations from the preceding versions of REPS. Under REPS 4, all payments are to be made in just two instalments. The first payment, of 75%, can be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme are completed. This is why it...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Payment of €1,749.88 in respect of twenty-two animals was issued on 12 December 2008. Seventeen animals are showing errors on the animal events dates. One calf will not qualify because its dam calved twice within 300 days during 2008. The remaining thirteen animals have not yet been validated, as no weaning date has been submitted. Staff from the Suckler Herds Section of my Department...

Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448, 449, 458 and 466 together. The establishment must comply with relevant National and EU legislation, including those set down in the: European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations, 2005 (SI No. 910 of 2005) giving effect to EU Regulation 183/2005 laying down the requirements for feed hygiene; and European Communities (Undesirable substances in...

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: My officials are currently engaged in discussions with producers and the industry with a view to putting in place the framework necessary to deal with issues relating to the slaughter of pigs and cattle that have been exposed to, or are suspected of having been exposed to contaminated animal feed. To date and apart from a small number that were slaughtered for sampling and testing purposes,...

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (16 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Following the Government announcement on 6 December 2008 that laboratory results of animal feed and pork fat samples obtained by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) confirmed the presence of dioxins, the FSAI required the food industry to recall from the market pork products produced from certain pigs slaughtered in Ireland. Potentially contaminated pork products will be destroyed by...