Results 3,041-3,060 of 3,519 for speaker:Michelle Mulherin

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Urban Development (15 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: The Minister is heartily welcome. I thank him for coming in to take this Commencement matter. I am very excited about this application, which will be before him for consideration under the urban regeneration and development fund 2018. If funded and delivered, this project will be transformational not just for the town of Ballina but for north Mayo, east Mayo and south Sligo, which tie into...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Urban Development (15 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I appreciate that the Minister has come to the Chamber. I know he will take seriously the points I made on the opportunity to empower a region in a strategic fashion.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Gender Equality (15 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I thank the Minister of State. Before I go to the next item, I welcome to the Gallery Deputy Murphy O'Mahony and her guests, Mary and Dermot Collins, all the way from Bandon, County Cork. It is their 25th wedding anniversary and I congratulate them.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I raise the serious plight and situation small beef farmers find themselves in. Two factories are selling beef below the cost of production and things are getting worse. There is a glut of cattle in the market, which could be down, in part, to some of the dairy herd being sold for meat. Last week alone there was a record approximately 40,000 animals slaughtered and yet compared to this...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: Yes, I am. Some of these farmers will go to the wall. I ask for the Minister to come in here to have a debate on the matter. I know it is not within his gift to decide on the prices the factories pay to farmers but it has all the appearances of a concerted practice when practically every factory in the country is offering the same price per kilo. The Minister needs to put pressure on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I refer to the issue of the unsustainable prices being paid to beef farmers and how that impacts on the work of Bord Bia, particularly in the context of the Food Wise 2025 targets. In recent weeks, the price that farmers are getting from the factories is down 30 cent per kilo. Farmers were getting €4.05 last year but are only getting €3.75 now and I believe the price has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: We could have quite an extensive conversation on this but I asked Mr. Brennan how the meat factories have been challenged by authorities here. Bord Bia is getting them a lot of business and they are very profitable but the primary producer in the food supply chain is not even breaking even. As Mr. Brennan said, this speaks to viability or non-viability. What is Bord Bia doing? It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: -----but if it has nothing to sell it will be defunct. How are the factories being challenged?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: When Bord Bia speaks with the processors seeking to sell abroad does it not ask about giving the farmers a fair price? Mr. Brennan is not answering the question. It is a difficult question because it is not an easy issue to solve.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: These factories are all powerful and the farmer is by himself or herself. The beef forum is up in the air at present. The prices are depressed. The prospect is not good. The meat factories and processors are not paying Bord Bia to do this. The taxpayer is paying Bord Bia and the State agencies so can we not ask something of them? As I understand it, the same carcass in the UK would get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: If Mr. Brennan answers the question-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: All the rest is academic if we do not sort this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: Yes, Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: If Mr. Brennan answers the question we will move on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: So it can be challenged.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I propose we bring them all in. We can also bring in Bord Bia.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Brexit for Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I made a specific point. The most recent meeting of the beef forum was around the time of the budget and there was disarray at it. When is the next meeting and where is the forum at with regard to having all the stakeholders at the table?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish Sport Horse Industry: Discussion (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: I welcome the witnesses. I am delighted that the Irish Sport Horse Alliance has taken this initiative and has commissioned this report. Mr. Power outlined the challenge with the industry being fragmented. In the view of the public it is also fragmented in the value that it brings. I come from a part of the country where horse sports are all around. However, what it is delivering to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Irish Sport Horse Industry: Discussion (20 Nov 2018)

Michelle Mulherin: Has Mr. Power looked at a possible funding stream under the rural development programme?