Results 18,361-18,380 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: I, Brendan Smith, wrote it.
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: The record of achievement of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, and her proactive approach since her appointment as Minister for Agriculture and Food, has been outstanding. There is no need for me to reiterate her achievements as they are on the record of the House. Opposition attempts to create the impression of a crisis crumbled in the face of the record spelled out last night in...
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: Time constraints prevented the Minister from detailing the exceptional progress made in implementing the recommendations of the food labelling groupââ
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: On the issue of complaints of mislabelling of foods, the Government has centralised the enforcement of all food labelling regulations in the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. This not only streamlines the enforcement measures but also provides a one-stop shop for consumer complaints about labelling. We recognised consumer demand for information on the origin of beef used in restaurants and...
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: The Deputy should listen and cut out the misrepresentation. The Minister realised at an early stage that slurry storage and the needs of the intensive dairy, pig and poultry sectors were issues. Following completion of a survey by Teagasc of storage levels on farms, the Minister has made proposals for major improvements to the farm waste management scheme in terms of grant rates and wider...
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: Fine Gael did away with that scheme in the mid-1990s. Funding of â¬43 million has been provided for the scheme in the Department's 2006 Estimates. Grant aid is also to be provided to support the demonstration of new technologies in the treatment of livestock manure. This will be of particular benefit to pig and poultry producers. The early negotiation of a derogation for farmers operating...
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: It is snobbery.
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: That is not correct.
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: That is the Government that abolished payments in the mid-1990s under the former Minister, Mr. Yates.
- Future of Irish Farming: Motion (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)
Brendan Smith: That is a misrepresentation.
- Sugar Beet Industry. (31 Jan 2006)
Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this important issue. I wish to put on record that the Minister did not mislead anyone with regard to the levy. It will be a matter for beet growers and Irish Sugar Limited to make decisions about sugar beet growing in light of the reformed sugar regime on which political agreement was reached by the Council of Ministers in November 2005. The main features...
- Seanad: Food Promotion. (16 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I am responding to Senator Mooney on the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter because it has given me an opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Health and Children on it. Senator Mooney outlined succinctly and clearly the issues which arise...
- Seanad: Community Employment Schemes. (16 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Mansergh for raising this important matter and articulating so well his concerns about an issue that is of importance to many individuals and communities. The primary purpose of community employment as an active labour market programme is to reintegrate long-term unemployed persons into open labour market jobs. Community employment provides unemployed people with temporary...
- Seanad: Community Employment Schemes. (16 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: My understanding is that this will not apply to all schemes, but I will check on the demarcation.
- Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (16 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Bradford for raising this important issue and for his considered contribution to the debate. This is the third time I have addressed the House on this issue in 2005. On the first occasion Senator Mansergh made an important contribution. This is a matter which has understandably exercised the minds of Oireachtas Members of all parties during the year. The recent agreement by...
- Seanad: Sugar Beet Industry. (16 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I assure Senator Bradford that I will bring his proposal to the Minister for Agriculture and Food early next week.
- Seanad: Regional Veterinary Centres. (13 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Finucane for raising this important matter in the House this evening. In his 2003 budget speech, the then Minister for Finance announced the decentralisation of 10,300 public service staff to 53 centres in 25 counties, including eight Department headquarters. The Government's decision on the locations and numbers involved in the decentralisation of the Department of...
- World Trade Organisation Negotiations: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: I wish to share time with Deputy Callanan.
- World Trade Organisation Negotiations: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)
Brendan Smith: As we have heard today, the negotiations on the next WTO agreement have entered an intensive phase in the run-up to the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong which begins on 13 December. Although it appears there may be a need to hold a further ministerial conference in the first half of 2006 to finalise all the details of a new agreement, there is no doubt that the negotiations which begin...
- Food Imports. (15 Nov 2005)
Brendan Smith: There are EU harmonised rules in place that govern the importation of animal products to minimise any risks that might be associated with trade with third countries. It is a general requirement that animal products imported in the European Union from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in and trade between EU member states. All meat imports must...