Results 17,361-17,380 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Rural Environment Protection Scheme: Rural Environment Protection Scheme (27 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named has been requested to provide amended documentation on a number of occasions, the most recent being last Friday. The required documentation has still not been received and processing of the application cannot be carried out until it is received.

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (27 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Farmers operate in a competitive environment where efficiency of production is of paramount importance to the viability of their business. In this context, energy constitutes a significant and rising input cost and it is in the interest of all farmers, and indeed other competitive sectors, to manage such costs efficiently and to limit use where possible. My Department has baseline data on...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (27 May 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. The application concerned will therefore be processed subject to funding still being available at that time.

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

Brendan Smith: The application for payment by the person named will be processed in my Department's local office within the next ten working days, and if it is in order payment will issue shortly thereafter.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (22 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Ministerial cars are driven by members of an Garda Síochána. Such vehicles are exempt from tolls under section 62 of the Roads Act 1993. Accordingly, no cost arises to the Exchequer.

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (22 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The company named applied for aid under the Compensation Scheme for Sugar Beet Machinery Contractors which is one element of the EU restructuring aid package for the sugar industry. Under the EU Regulations governing payment of the EU restructuring aid, eligibility for aid is confined to sugar processors, beet growers and machinery contractors who worked with their specialised agricultural...

Grant Payments. (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I am happy to assure the House that the procedures operated by my Department during the application period for the submission of the 2008 single farm payment forms worked extremely well. In all, over 99.5% of all applications were submitted on time by farmers either by post, the Department's electronic on-line system or by delivering them to one of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The question of charges/levies by Local Authorities in respect of all developments is a matter for the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The matter has been discussed by my officials with the farming representatives and I am writing to my colleague the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government asking him to have the case examined in regard to...

Written Answers — Food Safety: Food Safety (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Under the European Communities (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 910 of 2005), which give effect to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, primary producers of honey are required to register with my Department and to comply with rules on hygiene and record keeping. There are no...

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named applied for grant-aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme but was deemed ineligible as the application was not signed by an Agricultural Advisor/Consultant. The applicant was notified of this outcome and advised of his right of appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office.

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The end-2008 deadline for completion of work under the Farm Waste Management Scheme is the period determined in the EU Commission's state aid approval for the Scheme and, as no amendment has been made to that approval, I am required by the terms of the relevant Decision to ensure that grants are only paid to those farmers who respect the deadline concerned.

Written Answers — Farm Waste Management: Farm Waste Management (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The end-2008 deadline 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 no plans to approach the EU Commission to alter the terms of the state aid approval.

Written Answers — On-farm Investment Schemes: On-farm Investment Schemes (21 May 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 provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016. An application submitted on 24 October 2007 will be processed subject to funding still being available at that time.

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Coillte Teoranta was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters are the responsibility of the company. Coillte Teoranta is licensed under a 5-year General Felling Licence issued by the Forest Service to harvest small blocks of trees in Moyode Woods, Co Galway. The total area of these blocks for harvesting is 9.8 hectares and...

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements (21 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: A Leas-Chathaoirligh, I thank you and your colleagues in this House for your good wishes on my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I welcome this opportunity to address the House on the ongoing WTO negotiations. The current round of negotiations, known as the Doha development round, has been underway since 2001. Since then, many deadlines have been set for its...

Written Answers — Afforestation Programme: Afforestation Programme (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: Virtually all commercial felling is undertaken on foot of a General Felling Licence, issued in accordance with the requirements of the Forestry Act 1946, and it is a standard condition of such licences that all areas felled must be replanted. The Deputy does not ask for details in respect of any particular period, but by way of illustration, General Felling Licences for the clear-felling of...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: In practical terms, the Reform Treaty will not alter the arrangements that currently apply in the fisheries sector to any great extent other than applying the principle of co-decision in certain areas for the first time. Fisheries are now included in the Articles on the Common Agricultural Policy and references to the Common Agricultural Policy will be deemed to include fisheries. The...

Written Answers — Food Labelling: Food Labelling (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Minister for Health & Children has overall responsibility for the general food labelling legislation. Responsibility for enforcement of labelling legislation rests with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) through its service contracts with my Department, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Health Service Executive, the Local Authorities and the National Consumer Agency....

Written Answers — Animal Feedstuffs: Animal Feedstuffs (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The worldwide increase in the price of commodities such as cereals and oil over the last 18 months has caused the price of compound animal feeds and fertilizers to increase by about 30% and 50%, respectively. My predecessor has taken steps, through the Council of Ministers, to address some of the causes of these increases by bringing about a suspension of the obligation to set 10% of arable...

Written Answers — Common Agricultural Policy: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Commission proposals on the Health Check of the CAP are due to be published on 20 May. Advance copies of the proposals have been received in the last few days. The negotiating process will commence under the Slovenian Presidency with a series of Working Groups in May and June. My aim in the negotiations will be to achieve the best possible outcome for Ireland and for agriculture. We...