Results 4,621-4,640 of 8,194 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I refer to the period from 2017 to now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am talking about applications that are stuck in the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Very well. The planting target for Ireland for the four-year period from 2017 to 2020 was 31,140 ha. To date the Department has licensed the planting of 15,109 ha. That is less than 50% of the target. There is a shortfall of 15,000 ha. We have climate targets. Farmers are being kicked around because of cows. This system has failed over several years. I wish the Minister of State the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We are behind by 15,000 ha. Does the Minister of State have faith in this Department? Personnel have been in place looking at this for ten years. The habitats directive was introduced in 2011. It is there for everyone to see. Departments were told about it. I was not even in politics at the time and I knew about the 15 km rule. This Department watched over this. This is a mess and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The crisis is ongoing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That was because we did not do them right, even though we had ten years to look at the directive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If one starts building a house by putting in the wrong foundations, it will stay wrong.

Regulation of Private Security Firms Bill 2019: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on this matter. I support Deputy Ó Laoghaire's Bill. This issue was talked about last year and the year before. I welcome that the Minister of State is accepting the Bill but I note that the Government is talking about bringing in its own legislation on this matter. As Deputy Howlin pointed out, we all knew a year ago or two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank our guests for their presentations. Mr. Scott stated the derogation outlined in Article 105(4) is available to Ireland to use to solve this problem. I just want to be clear on that. Can either of the witnesses say how active vets have been on the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, in recent years? I believe this can be resolved. I got a phone call from the Minister's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: First, to go back to the comment from Ms Garvan, farmers are not idiots. If something is not working, they are not going to keep giving it. This is because we know what will happen. An animal will die. As bad as farming is, farmers are not going to keep letting that happen throughout the country. This is the thing about the over-subscribing of medicines. A farmer may go to the vet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: No. Is Mr. Forde liaising directly? Who is liasing with Europe?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Did anybody pick up a telephone and talk to someone and ask why the Department could not do this or ask about other ways around it? Why have we not gone down the road that the British have gone down, even if there are extra courses? In fairness to all the people who spoke today, they are willing to do this to bring them up to the standard that ticks the box. I am asking another question...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: One thing needs to be clarified for the record of the committee, and we need to live in the real world. I am a farmer; there are plenty of farmers here. A person will not go to the vet and say, "Give me a prescription; I will use it somewhere else down the road." We would be living in cuckoo world if we believed that. Let us get real about it. There is an onus on a person if the vet is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 3.15 p.m. or 3.20 p.m..

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation on Veterinary Medicinal Products: Discussion (12 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can we not jump out again for five minutes?

Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (11 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I will be supporting the Bill. Hopefully we will never have to use it; that is the first thing we should all say. There has been a lot of talk about our access to Europe. Regarding ports such as Rosslare, we have to up the ante. A lot of our stock is exported. We have a 9-1-9 system. The Government should be considering putting a lairage system in place in the likes of Rosslare to...

Regional Airports: Motion [Private Members] (11 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I compliment Deputy McNamara on putting forward this well-put-together motion. Not only does it affect my backyard, it also covers all the regional airports. I met Joe Gilmore and Mary Considine to discuss the struggle going on at the moment. The Minister of State, in fairness to her, has met them too. I welcome the announcement yesterday. The motion could not be better timed. It puts...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Partial Capacity Benefit Scheme (11 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 160. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal submitted by a person (details supplied) for partial capacity benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35740/20]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 30. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment if grant aid will be provided to livestock marts to update equipment and assist with online costs; and, if so, if the grant scheme will be changed in order that marts with a turnover of €5 million will be eligible to access funding in view of the fact that profit is minimal. [34560/20]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (10 Nov 2020)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The start-up grant earlier this year was welcome but businesses with a turnover of more than €5 million could not apply. I realise that when the Tánaiste took over the portfolio he increased it to €25 million. If marts sold 100 cattle a week they would go over the €5 million mark. When they reopened, some of them were not aware that it had increased to €25...