Results 16,921-16,940 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: A total of 104 eligible applications involving possible investment of €91 million were submitted under my Department's Capital Investment Scheme for the marketing and processing of agricultural products. All eligible applications 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...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The deadline of 31 December 2008 for completion of work by farmers under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a condition of the EU state aid approval for the Scheme. I have raised this issue with the European Commission, as recently as July and the Commission has since reaffirmed that it expects Ireland to respect this deadline strictly.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: No members of staff from my Department attended the conference referred to by the Deputy in his Question. Attendance at conferences by staff in Agencies under the remit of this Department is an operational matter for the agencies and I have no function in the matter.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: I assume the Deputy is referring to the applications by the person concerned for grant-aid under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007 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 (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Payment to the person named will issue within the next 10 working days.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The deadline of 31 December 2008 for completion of work by farmers under the revised Farm Waste Management Scheme introduced by my Department in March 2006 is a condition of the EU state aid approval for the Scheme. I have raised this issue with the European Commission, as recently as July and the Commission has since reaffirmed that it expects Ireland to respect this deadline strictly.

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department has put in place a robust Information Technology infrastructure, at both the hardware and software levels, to ensure the safety of its computer systems and data including personal data. Personal data is held within the Department's Corporate Client System. This would include names, addresses, dates of birth, PPSN, etc. Access to this system together with the Department's...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The table below sets out the number of Department owned laptops, data storage devices and USB memory sticks reported lost or stolen from my Department in recent years: Year Lost/Stolen Recovered/Found 2007 1 Laptop reported stolen None 2008 5 Laptops reported stolen None All laptops are protected by use of a user-id and password. In all cases, the theft was reported to the Gardaí. To...

Written Answers — Farm Inspections: Farm Inspections (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The position is that my Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme and the Disadvantaged Areas Compensatory Allowance Scheme, is required to carry out on-the-spot inspections on a number of farms covering such issues as eligibility under the Schemes, and compliance with the cross-compliance regime. Each year a minimum of 5% of Scheme applicants must be inspected for...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Since the establishment of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) on 1 January 2007, the provision of the information requested is a matter for that Authority, which is an independent statutory body. I have asked that body to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The claim for payment lodged by the person concerned is being processed by my Department. I would expect that payment will be made in the near future provided that the claim is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the European Union's instrument for the management of fisheries and aquaculture. It was set down in 1983 and has been reviewed on a 10 year basis since then (in 1992 and 2002). It embraces such key areas as access to resources, conservation, control and enforcement structures and fleet policy. Since Ireland jointed the European Community, landings by...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The amount spent on advertising in the Irish language by my Department from 2003 to date was approximately €45,650. Expenditure on advertising by agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the bodies themselves.

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Details for the counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim are set out in tabular form below. The percentage figures are expressed as a proportion of farmers active in REPS at the end of each calendar year. Year Number of REPS farm Inspections % of western applicants inspected 2003 3,631 26 2004 3,809 24 2005 4,637 27 2006 2,966 13 2007 1,633 9 The number of farmers...

Written Answers — : (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The figures sought are presently being compiled and my Department will provide them to the Deputy within the next 2 weeks.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Mayo County Council applied for a licence under the Foreshore Acts to construct a temporary bridge at Achill Sound in March 2006. A licence to facilitate the construction of the temporary bridge was granted to the Council in October 2006. The licence included specific conditions relating to the methodology to be employed in the construction of the bridge. My Department has received...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: The publication of certain details of payments to individual beneficiaries under schemes funded or co-funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is a mandatory requirement under Council Regulation (EC) 1290/2005. The Regulation is binding and directly applicable in all Member States. My Department, as the EU...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Applications received under the Farm Improvement Scheme prior to its suspension on 31 October 2007 are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding made available for the Scheme by the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: Agreement was reached between the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the farm bodies on additional measures to reduce the grazing pressure on the Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex and Maumturk Mountains Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The objective of this agreement, for which NPWS are making additional payments...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (24 Sep 2008)

Brendan Smith: In the new Forestry Bill, which will replace the 1946 Forestry Act, it is proposed to take a more flexible approach regarding the question of replanting after harvesting. However, the general principle of replanting after felling will remain in order to ensure that the national forest estate is maintained. Under the Forestry Act 1946, it is illegal to fell a tree of any age or uproot trees...