Results 16,181-16,200 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: A validation process is in place. That is why I said we sent it out to the trade on Sunday evening.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: If processor X sources a supply of pigs from farm Y, and farm Y can validly prove to the Department veterinary people and the FSAI——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: ——that it has sourced pigs that had no connection with any of the farms or any of that feed, those people have the potential to be back in operation since Monday morning. That is very important. The trade notice that was issued stated: All pigmeat and pigmeat products produced from Irish pigs slaughtered from 7 December 2008 must be labelled in a manner that distinguishes it from other...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am talking about facilitating the people who slaughter. The trade notice also stated: "As and from 7 December 2008, pigs may not be slaughtered unless they are accompanied by a document indicating the source(s) of the animal feed used in the holding of origin." That clarification went out on Sunday evening or night to the trade. In response to Deputy Johnny Brady, I said earlier that...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Dutch authorities contacted the Department and the FSAI on Friday evening, subsequent to our Department's publication of the notice that we had restricted farms. The communication came from the Dutch authorities on the Friday to both the Department and the FSAI.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Sorry — the question referred to the domestic context. The Department communicated with the FSAI from the first indication of worry. The chief medical officer at the Department of Health and Children was involved from Saturday morning. The man only took up his job on Thursday, but he was contacted. The FSAI has been in contact with the European Food Safety Authority. On Saturday we...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: It was finished on Monday. To clarify, a few different prototype labels were made, and I saw them on Monday.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am glad to have the opportunity to make a comprehensive statement relating to the circumstances that led to the weekend's recall of all Irish pork and bacon products and the developments since then. The focus of my statement will primarily be on the role of my Department, while my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Mary Wallace,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named finished his contract in REPS 2 on 30 September 2007 and received all payments due under that contract, and has since applied for REPS 4. 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,...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Those farmers who held a sugar beet quota during one or more of the years 2001, 2002, 2004 were entitled to have the Single Payment Entitlements topped up. However, as neither of the persons named held such a quota, they were not automatically entitled to have their Single Payment adjusted. The father of the persons named did hold such a quota and he chose to request that his payments be...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The number of REPS 4 payments made on a county-by-county basis is as follows: County Number paid Cavan 11 Clare 10 Cork 13 Donegal 28 Galway 10 Kerry 19 Kilkenny 7 Leitrim 9 Limerick 6 Longford 5 Mayo 5 Monaghan 2 Offaly 3 Roscommon 8 Sligo 8 Tipperary 10 Waterford 8 Wexford 1 Total 163 These payments all relate to applications received in 2007. The total paid to these...

Written Answers — Sheep Sector: Sheep Sector (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The sheep sector is a significant beneficiary of the main schemes operated by my Department. Sheep farmers receive an annual estimated €126m. under the Single Farm Payment and an annual estimated €60m. under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. In the case of REPS, some €84m. is paid annually to them. The sector is also benefiting from measures that have been put in place following the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 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 (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I understand that an application for payment from the person in question was received on 24 October. This is being processed at present and, provided the work is up to the required standard, payment will be made in the normal way.

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Year No. of Herds in Country Cattle population under test Number of animal tests Number of Reactors 1997 145,209 7,725,634 9,910,074 28,647 1998 142,302 7,946.989 10,677,291 44,498 1999 138,263 7,569,735 10,749,580 44,903 2000 133,542 7,032,407 10,304,162 39,847 2001 130,525 7,097,430 9,402,196 33,702 2002...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department's Bovine TB eradication programme is based primarily on the diagnosis of disease using the Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin test (SICTT), which is generally referred to as the TB skin test and which is an EU approved test. I should explain that no test is 100% accurate and the 'sensitivity' and 'specificity' of the skin test is a function not just of the test itself...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: A key objective of the TB eradication scheme is the prompt removal of reactor animals direct to a designated factory for slaughter. My Department currently arranges and pays for a national reactor collection service to remove reactor animals from holdings. In general, reactors are removed within one week of acceptance by the herd owner of the valuation attributed to the animals through the...

Written Answers — Veterinary Inspection Services: Veterinary Inspection Services (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Since 1996, it has been the responsibility of herdowners to make the necessary arrangements with their private veterinary practitioners to have the annual TB and Brucellosis herd tests carried out and, in general, unless reactors are disclosed the herdowner pays the testing veterinary practitioner for carrying out these tests. This system has worked well since its inception and I am not...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I understand that the Question relates to bovine TB. In accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 64/432/EEC, all eligible bovines that are exported to other member states are subject to a 30-day pre-movement TB test. For trade within Ireland, the current legal requirement is that an eligible animals may not leave a holding, including for slaughter, unless they have been tested within...

Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (4 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The information sought by the Deputy is not maintained centrally and it would place excessive demands on scarce staff resources in the Department to compile these data.