Results 16,361-16,380 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (12 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The position is that an application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 12th May 2008. As part of the control procedures under EU legislation governing these Schemes, this application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and cross compliance inspection. The file is currently being processed and payment...
- Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: Short rotation coppice (SRC) willow is currently produced for use as a combustible fuel. I understand that some studies have been carried out on the possible use of SRC willow in anaerobic digestion plants, but it is generally not considered a suitable feedstock for this process.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Department is currently examining the usage of the commonage parcel mentioned on which the person named is a claimant. This examination has been necessitated as the claims submitted on this commonage under the Single Payment Scheme exceed the area of the commonage that is eligible for payment. The Department has communicated with all the claimants concerned and is awaiting documentary...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The position is that an application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 1st May 2008. As part of the control procedures under EU legislation governing these Schemes, this application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and cross compliance inspection. The file is currently being processed and it is...
- Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: I have made provision of â¬47 million in 2009 to meet current commitments under the Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming, but for the present it has been necessary to suspend new applications for the scheme. The limiting of the suspension of the Scheme will be considered at the earliest opportunity having regard to the general budgetary situation.
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The cost of legal services which my Department made were as follows â 2007 â â¬206,640 2008 to date â â¬521,386 I am satisfied that effective measures are in place to minimise the cost of legal services in my Department.
- Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The implications of the decision to merge COFORD into my Department, and the necessary actions to implement that decision are currently being examined within my Department. Until this process has been completed, I am not in a position to advise of implementation date or potential savings arising from the merger. No legislation is required to give effect to the decision.
- Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The seafood marketing and promotion element of Bord Iascaigh Mhara is to be merged with An Bord Bia. The Government's initiative in transferring the seafood marketing and promotion functions to Bord Bia will ensure the strengthening of seafood marketing as part of a more cohesive overall food marketing effort, while allowing BIM to focus all its energies in developing the seafood industry in...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: Where a valid application has been submitted, advance payments of 75% under the EU regulations governing REPS 4 can only issue when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the 2008 Single Payment Scheme are completed. This work is still ongoing with a view to beginning payment this month. The balancing 25% payment will follow when all 2008 REPS on-farm inspections...
- Written Answers — Bovine Disease Controls: Bovine Disease Controls (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: I am confident that the necessary EU approvals to apply the proposed increase in the minimum age for BSE testing will be received in time to enable us apply this from early in 2009. In general, Department staff undertake BSE monitoring as part of their day to day work and in association with other duties assigned to them. The financial resources required for the BSE programme in 2009 remains...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2006 (SI no. 378 of 2006) provide statutory support for good agricultural practice to protect waters against pollution from agricultural sources, in accordance with the requirements of the Nitrates Directive. The Regulations were made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in...
- Written Answers — Rural Development Programme: Rural Development Programme (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: I have made provision of â¬56.7 million in 2009 to meet current commitments under the Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming and the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme. The funding provided under Ireland's Rural Development Programme for the period 2007-2013 is substantially higher than that required to draw down all of the EU co-funding. For this reason, there will be sufficient eligible...
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The position is that an application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 13th May 2008. As part of the control procedures under EU legislation governing these Schemes, this application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and cross compliance inspection. The file is currently being processed and payment...
- Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Under the general labelling Directive (2000/13/EC), the place of origin of the foodstuff must be given only if its absence might mislead the consumer to a material degree. The European Commission is currently undertaking a major review of all food labelling legislation, which will lead...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The bulk of capital expenditure for my Department relates to payments to individual farmers under demand led schemes involving capital expenditure at farm level. The only instances where capital projects exceeded original estimates were in respect of four fishery harbour projects from the thirty eight undertaken by my Department since May 2007. In respect of each of these four projects, works...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: There were no retirements in my Department over the last three years which involved severance payments. 247 staff in my Department who retired in the period from 12 November 2005 to date received appropriate payments of lump sum and pension.
- Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: Where a valid REPS 4 application has been submitted, advance payments of 75% under the EU regulations governing REPS 4 can issue only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme are completed. This work is still ongoing with a view to beginning payment this month. The balancing 25% payment will follow when all 2008 REPS on-farm...
- Written Answers — Installation Aid Scheme: Installation Aid Scheme (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: Only fully completed applications made under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme and received up to and including 14 October 2008 will be processed by my Department.
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: My Department has no record of undertaking works of the nature raised by the Deputy in his question.
- Written Answers — Tuberculosis Incidence: Tuberculosis Incidence (11 Nov 2008)
Brendan Smith: The Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) of my Department routinely monitors TB in wild or domestic species submitted to it and, in recent years, TB has been diagnosed in farmed Alpaca, goats, domestic sheep and in wild species. However, in the majority of wild species where TB has occasionally been detected, such as rabbits, rats and foxes, these animals are considered to be merely...