Results 581-600 of 8,048 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On the likes of agricultural science courses, I presume the colleges are analysing the number of students who are doing these courses as against the numbers ten or 15 years ago. Has there been an uptick in the number of women in agricultural science?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I would be the first to say, as I have many a time, that in light of the age profile of farmers, we badly need a retirement scheme to encourage people to move the land on to the next generation. I will mention one thing. The witnesses probably have this in their analysis. For males and females, lifestyle now has changed compared with years ago. In some cases farmers will say they have got...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I was at a social farming event this morning down near Elfin. It is great to see that how that has worked with the small bit of funding that it gets. The thing for farmers at the moment is that they might not see a person from one end of the week to the other especially if they are living on their own and we need to try to sort that out. I have been talking to MEPs, etc. and I know that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry for interrupting Dr. Murtagh. What does she mean by organisations. Are they state bodies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We need to face the reality that over the past 12 to 15 years, the loss of farmers throughout Europe has been phenomenal. While people may live in fantasy, they still need food to stay alive. Whether people believe that are not, some obviously do not at the moment. People need to realise that. It would be useful if the witnesses could forward to the committee details of that French...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What would that be as a percentage of all fish caught around Europe?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 48. To ask the Minister for Finance to consider reducing the VAT rate for natively produced renewable fuel, such as firewood, in line with the decision to apply a lower rate of VAT on gas and electricity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40430/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 49. To ask the Minister for Finance to consider extending the reduction in VAT to apply to all appliances using renewable fuel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40431/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made in respect of an application for additional school accommodation devolved project submitted by a school (details supplied) in April 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39955/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made in respect of an application for additional school accommodation submitted by a school (details supplied) in April 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39956/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (3 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 153. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in derogation (details supplied); and the number above 700 units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39534/24]

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to come back on more parts of the budget. Obviously, budgets for infrastructure are welcome. I have touched previously on the fact that Irish Water let 350 workers and subcontractors go because there was no work going on around the country. If we are talking about building houses, obviously, we have to make sure we have the infrastructure in place. Roads, sewers,...

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome that, if it is going to happen, because a lot of farmers have raised it today. I urge the Minister of State to try to do that if he can. One issue that has come out today, and the devil is always in the detail and things might be said that are right or wrong, is the €9 million for some sort of pouches for people to put their phones into in schools. I would like...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Swimming Pools (2 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 117. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Government has any intention of providing a public swimming pool in Loughrea, Galway (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39264/24]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Swimming Pools (2 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 115. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Government has any intention of providing a public swimming pool in Loughrea, Galway (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39265/24]

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Budget Statement 2025 (1 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the budget. Like most Deputies, I welcome the increases for carers and our elderly. Childcare supports and the €2,000 increase in the threshold before entering the higher tax bracket are also welcome. Nobody will be against these changes. The only problem is that today is a day when the Government has a lot of money. We did not have a fraction...

Finance (Provision of Access to Cash Infrastructure) Bill 2024: Second Stage (26 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. If anything was ever to be learned by people across this country or, indeed, across Europe, it was when there was a bit of an outage in technology a few months ago and nobody was able to use their phone set-up or card set-up. Sometimes people go down a road and it is the cool thing to have this card and swipe everywhere they go. That day,...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and his staff for coming in to the committee. Probably everyone in the committee does a good few appeals. I find them pretty quick, in fairness. It can happen to anybody and was not a reflection on the person in the appeal I was involved in. If an independent appeals officer happens to become sick, which is not his or her fault - I am not taking aim at anyone - there...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I do not want to go over it, nor am I saying-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, it can happen. Is there anything that can be looked at again in respect of appeals when someone, through no fault of his or her own, becomes sick, be that the appeals officer or someone else? The appeals officer is really the relevant person.