Results 16,381-16,400 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Agriculture: Motion (2 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The Government is also investing significantly in the dairy processing industry, through the dairy investment fund, to ensure it will have the capacity to process the increased yield I believe dairy farmers will be more than capable of producing. I had identified the maintenance of market supports as a particular priority given Ireland's seasonal pattern of...

Agriculture: Motion (2 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Despite claims to the contrary, I have not backed away from any commitments to sheep farmers. The sector remains a priority and is one that needs assistance. I have no doubt that proposals to support the sheep sector will form a central part of the discussions to which I have invited the farm organisations later this month. I look forward to that dialogue and to constructive discussion and...

Agriculture: Motion (2 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Securing an official brucellosis-free status for Ireland will enable me to reduce some of the control elements of the eradication programme. This will bring consequential benefits for farmers, particularly with regard to trade. In addition, it will be possible to bring about a gradual reduction in the level of testing that will, over time, lead to reduced testing and lower costs for farmers....

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The only early retirement arrangements which staff in my Department can avail of is Cost Neutral Early Retirement. This is a facility which allows established staff to retire between 50 and 60 and un-established staff to retire between 55 and 65 with immediate payment of pension and lump sum. These benefits are subject to actuarial reduction to take account of early payment of the lump sum...

Written Answers — Poultry Imports: Poultry Imports (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The trade statistics available to my Department do not differentiate imports on the basis of how products are packaged.

Written Answers — Milk Quota: Milk Quota (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The variation in price experienced in the latest Milk Quota Trading Scheme reflects a similar pattern in the previous four trading schemes run in the past two years. These variations arise for a variety of reasons, the more prominent being the balance between supply and demand within Co-op areas. Those areas with the largest market clearing prices display the characteristics of a strong...

Written Answers — Horticulture Industry: Horticulture Industry (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The horticulture and nursery sector contributed approximately €282 million to farm output in 2007. There are no definitive statistics of the number of persons employed but the industry is heavily labour intensive and it is estimated that as many as 18,500 are employed across the food and non-food areas.

Written Answers — Horticulture Industry: Horticulture Industry (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The horticulture and nursery sector contributed approximately €282 million to farm output in 2007 and has considerable potential for further development but producers concentrate for the most part on supplying the home market and on import substitution. The only notable exception is the mushroom sector in that up to 80% of this crop is grown for export to the UK. Aid is available under the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application was received on the 8 May 2008 requesting the transfer of 32.69 standard entitlements by way of lease from the first person named to the second person named. As the first person named had insufficient entitlements to cover the requested transfer, it was necessary to obtain clarification and approval regarding the number of entitlements to be transferred. This issue has now...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named submitted an application under the Single Payment Scheme/ Disadvantaged Area Scheme and he included a commonage parcel on this application. The Department is currently examining the usage of this commonage parcel on which the person named is a claimant. This examination has been necessitated as the claims submitted on this commonage exceed the area of the commonage that is...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The number of applications under the Early Retirement Scheme currently being processed by my Department is 156. There are 941 applications under the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme; of these 326 have been paid. All fully completed applications for these Schemes received by my Department up to and including 14 October 2008 will be processed and, if in order, payment will be made.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 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. The balancing 25% payment will follow when all 2008 REPS on-farm inspections have taken place. Following the resolution of industrial action in...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 7th May 2008. 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 will issue shortly. The delay in this case arose because of the need to clarify a number of issues...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for the Suckler Welfare Scheme on 15 January 2008. Each applicant is obliged to submit data in respect of animal events for beef calves born during 2008, e.g. disbudding, meal introduction and weaning. These mainly consist of dates, with the date of weaning the most important, as it triggers the payment process. To date, 17 calves have been tagged and registered,...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and commenced operation on 1 January 1989. As the legislation provides that all of the shares in the company are held by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, it operates under the aegis of my Department. On vesting day, Coillte Teoranta took over the...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2008. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced on 24 September, with payments issuing in respect of those cases cleared for payment at that stage. Payments continue to issue as further cases subsequently become clear. The application of the person named was...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management 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 — Poultry Industry: Poultry Industry (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: A meeting of the Poultry Expert Group has been arranged for 9 December. The Group's 2007 report focused on a range of issues including labelling, environment protection, welfare legislation and feeding stuffs. I have asked the Group to reconvene so that it can review its recommendations in the light of developments over the last year and consider what further issues warrant consideration....

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 12th May 2008. This application was selected for and was the subject of a ground eligibility and cross compliance inspection. The position is that the file is currently being processed and payment will issue shortly. The delay in this case arose because of the need to clarify...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (26 Nov 2008)

Brendan Smith: An application under the Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on the 12th May 2008. The Single Payment application for the person named has been fully processed and the payment due under the Single Payment Scheme will issue shortly.