Results 17,581-17,600 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named was notified in writing in October 2007 that a soil sample was required before any further REPS payments could be processed. The necessary soil sample has not yet been provided.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named has been approved for a REPS 3 payment which will issue within the next ten days.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. Year Payroll system costs € 2004 116,963.75 2005 152,617.91 2006 102,267.27 2007 126,656.30 2008 (to date) 26,771.27 A new payroll system was installed in my Department in 2001. The costs indicated cover software maintenance, modifications required, support and upgrades to the system including a module...

Written Answers — Alternative Farm Enterprises: Alternative Farm Enterprises (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: My Department received a submission from the association in question in which they raised a number of issues in relation to growing miscanthus. These issues, some of which are not within the remit of my Department are being examined and a detailed response will issue in due course. I am eager to support the development of miscanthus in Ireland and I am making grant aid available to growers...

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: It is a requirement of the EU Council Regulation under which the 1994 Early Retirement Scheme was introduced that the Early Retirement Pension can be paid only as a supplement to any national retirement pension to which the participant, and his or her spouse or partner in a joint management arrangement, is entitled. This means that the entire value of any such national retirement pension...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The following incentives are available from my Department to encourage farmers to produce bio-fuel feedstocks (energy crops). An EU premium of €45 per hectare available under the EU Energy Crops Scheme. A National Energy Crop Premium worth €80 per hectare. 50% establishment grants for willow and miscanthus. Areas sown with energy crops may also qualify for the single farm payment. The...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is an independent authority which was established under Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 on January 1st 2007. The Act provides that the Authority is independent in the exercise of its functions and may publish any reports on matters related to its functions, subject to the normal requirements regarding the Annual Report of...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The person named had applied under Category D of the 2005 National Reserve that catered for farmers who commenced farming after 31 December 2002 or who commenced farming in 2002 but did not received any direct payments in respect of that scheme year. The person named was deemed ineligible under this category as he had received his herdnumber in September 2001. However as outlined in my...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: With regard to the current position of the Operational Programme for Fisheries, the Commission Negotiating position was received on the 22nd of April 2008. The Commission has expressed disappointment that measures under Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund are not included as co-funded measures. The draft Operational Programme involves support for priority areas including decommissioning of...

Written Answers — Bovine Diseases: Bovine Diseases (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 380 together. Ireland has been and continues to be bluetongue-free and the presence of the disease in a number of other Member States has had very little impact on Irish agriculture. While a small number of imported animals that were tested on their arrival here were found to have been exposed to the virus in the past, they were found to be free of the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food sends a quarterly return to the Decentralisation Implementation Group which details the non-property costs such as travel and overtime. To the end of 2007, the last reporting deadline, the costs amounted to €90,128.

Seanad: Cancer Treatment Services (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I will take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. At the outset, I thank Senator Paddy Burke for raising this important issue regarding the restructuring of cancer services, with particular reference to Mayo General Hospital. Data on surgical cancer procedures is collated by the hospital inpatient inquiry system, commonly...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. Senator Buttimer's raising this issue gives me the opportunity to outline to this House the Government's strategy for capital investment in education projects and the position on the building project for Ballygarvan national school. Modernising facilities in...

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I understand that outstanding issues are being progressed through the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. All of us who deal with constituency work know how frustratingly slow some of these processes are. I will also bring that point to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Hanafin.

Seanad: Road Network (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am giving this reply to the House on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey, who is unavoidably absent. I note that this issue has for many years been close to the heart of Senator Ross. I have had the opportunity to listen to the Senator speaking in the broadcast media and read his comments in the print media, and I know he has highlighted such issues over many years...

Seanad: Road Network (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: No. It is just to vote.

Seanad: Road Network (7 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I assure the Senator that the issues he has raised will be brought to the attention of the Minister for Transport.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Motion (1 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Members for facilitating this matter. On Report Stage in the Seanad, an amendment which should have been deleted was deleted but was then inadvertently re-inserted. On my recommendation, the Dáil yesterday did not accept the amendment as requested by Seanad Éireann. This is now being reported back to the Seanad.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Motion (1 May 2008)

Brendan Smith: In technical terms, the Seanad did not insist on one of the amendments, No. 1, that it made to the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill being agreed to by the Dáil. This is most unusual and I will briefly outline the details. On Committee Stage, the Seanad accepted amendments which criminalised soliciting or importuning a trafficked person for the purpose of prostitution. Since the...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. In January of this year the HSE forwarded a report on this particular case to a Deputy in response to a similar Parliamentary question. I will arrange to have a copy of this report forwarded to the Deputy as soon...