Results 4,521-4,540 of 8,194 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Information and Communications Technology (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 820. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 971 of 24 November 2020, the reason software (details supplied) is not publicly available given that taxpayers paid for its development; if the software is not available publicly, if it is being purchased or licensed from any other organisation, such as a second or third-level college or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Management (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 821. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 968, 969 and 970 of 24 November 2020, the educational qualification required to fill the role of head of environment in the Forest Service; if the role of chief inspector in the Forest Service has been filled; the name of the current chief inspector in the Forest Service; if it is the head of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for attending the committee. Mr. Cullinan and the IFA were in Brussels in the past week or two. The IFA has raised the possibility of stopping imports from entering the EU. Up to 100,000 tonnes of beef are imported from the UK and I agree with them on the Mercosur deal. Did the IFA talk with MEPs? In the event of a no-deal Brexit, what support was the IFA getting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What about sheep?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There will be no tariff on our beef going up there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: So why are sheep one way and cattle-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What will happen with ewes coming in from the UK? Will there be a tariff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome all the witnesses. My first question is for the representatives of MII. A lot of cattle have crossed the Border in the past six months. Does MII represent both sides of the Border or just one side? Do they envisage that production will be ramped up more in the North in light of the Northern Ireland protocol and that in the event of a hard Brexit more cattle would travel on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does Mr. Healy think the South American countries are going nearly at capacity at the moment? From what I know, they are also sending more to China. Does he think they are fit to come in on the English market that quickly? My honest opinion is that there will be a gap and if there was a no-deal Brexit, the UK would have to get meat.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. I am disappointed that amendment No. 74, which I tabled, was ruled out of order. I do not know why because it was a very simple amendment based on the fact that agricultural contractors do 90% of the work. I know the Minister will tell us about the tax rebate the farmers have and that there is double taxation. The reality is that farm...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: First, I will deal with the forestry sector. What genius put in the minus €8 million because the less than 3,000 ha, not even at 2,500 ha, is largely attributed to the fall-off in interest by farmers? We know the situation. The Minister referred to 4,300 licences. In fairness, the committee has found it is 4,700 licences. In a statement yesterday, which was like a goading...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Minister expect the full allocation of the money to be used up in the TAMS programme?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister has referred to additional people being recruited into the forestry section. Apart from the applications gone to appeal, there are 4,700 applications currently in the system. It was stated yesterday that 2,700 of those have no problems. Why are they not out so, if there are so many people assisting?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but why are the 2,700 applications not being sent out?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is it fair to say that the Department has massively ramped up the numbers of people, including ecologists, who are looking after applications in the last six or eight months? Why then is the figure for tree-felling licences for November 2019 greater than that of November 2020, according to dashboard that we get?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am talking about felling.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Department gives us a dashboard, which is very helpful. In November 2019 the number of felling licences issued, with fewer staff members and fewer ecologists and less everything, is greater than the number of licences issued in November 2020, even with the heap of extra staff. That is unusual. This year there were fewer licences issued in November than in 2019, even though the number...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am looking at them here. I have the dashboard in front of me.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 30 – Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I worry about this. In the week the committee had the Department in, to be fair, there was a real surge that week and 68 and 41 licences were issued for felling to both Coillte and the private sector. Funnily enough, since then, the figures have come down to 23 and 24, 5 and 21, 23 and 14, and, on the 30th, it was 51 and 22, so that week was way higher. This needs to be addressed, given...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (2 Dec 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 96. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his Department has bought or leased housing in an area (details supplied) for direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40625/20]