Results 3,101-3,120 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am talking about afterwards, when the digestion is finished.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I may have said it but Mr. O'Sullivan did not understand me. After slurry and grass are mixed in the anaerobic digester or the two tanks some people take the slurry out again and go away to a field with it. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can we not reduce that digestate – I know there is an argument about its economic viability – to be pelleted and reduce it by 60% or 70% to be put out like a fertiliser and that would be good for water quality?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would Mr. O'Sullivan agree that this will not come about unless there is a feed-in tariff? I have been to Banbridge to look at an AD system. I have done a fair bit of research on this. If there is no feed-in tariff there is nothing. Am I right in saying green grass is better than silage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We are getting information now that there is a new AD coming in. I spoke to a guy who was in Germany for six months and tests have been done there that show the green grass is working out better.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: My understanding was that GNI had earmarked three parts of the country where it would have feed-in to the gas system. Am I right in saying that it is considering Athenry or somewhere similar in the west of Ireland to put in a point where the gas can be fed in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Gas Networks Ireland's Vision 2050: Discussion (15 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: For the sake of argument, would it not better to use grass? Is it correct to say the carbon that can be extracted from grass could be used in producing a pint, for example, or other drinks? It could perhaps be sold to the drinks companies that might buy it.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Speech and Language Therapy Waiting Lists (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 153. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) will be seen by Athenry ASD services for speech and language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42367/19]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 187. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Cork County Council refuses to remove stray horses from lands in Hollyhill, Cork city, in view of numerous requests from the landowner to do so; the reason persons living in the area are allowed to own horses if they do not have adequate land for grazing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42547/19]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Services Infrastructure (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 276. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason for the delay in implementing the new three-year investment programme for water services in rural areas that was announced in February 2019 to be in place by the end of April 2019; when the changes will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42546/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for coming. Since the local improvement scheme, LIS, was resumed in 2016, a lot of good work has been done in different places. The guy who has been waiting for ten years would probably need to submit a new application. Last year the Minister allocated two tranches of funds, one early and one later in the year. Is there a possibility that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister can comment on it quickly, if he wants do so. Under the CLÁR programme, there was a second tranche of funding last year. In County Galway, for example, there was funding made available for 12 safety measures last year. There was funding for six such measures this year. Is there any hope extra funding can be made available given this year? What the CLÁR programme...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will the committee note the Minister's suggestion that we bring in the Departments of Education and Skills and Transport, Tourism and Sport to give a hand with some of that funding? The committee should put it together here and support what the Minister has said. I worry somewhat about councils contributing a top-up because some of them have a woeful amount to spend at the moment. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would it be fair to say that other counties nearly have it spent? Galway County Council is going well at spending its allocation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Did the Minister say there was a 13% administration cost from councils?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would his Department consider a pilot scheme where community groups would make an application as well as councils make theirs? Let it be done via two avenues. The Department could get a subcontractor in to do a road, which may work out cheaper. Would this be possible?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Departmental Outputs and Expenditure - Vote 42: Minister for Rural and Community Development (16 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is a worry about that. Let us consider, for example, a housing estate that has not been taken over by the council. Deputy Canney might remember that he was not allowed to put the money into works. No more than a road that is not a council road, there could be an obstacle there that may need to be checked out.

Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (17 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We need clarification on when the beef task force will meet. We all acknowledge that it is not good when people do not get to the table. There is a beef crisis. We cannot just bury our heads in the sand. We know that injunctions have been taken against some people. People were told that if the protests were stood down, the injunctions would be lifted. Can the Minister of State use his...

Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (17 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: He can talk.

Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (17 Oct 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I, too, thank the Minister of State for his reply. There are a number of issues on which clarification is needed. Where stands the price index promised a month ago? As pointed out by the Minister of State, threatening behaviour serves no purpose and none of us here would agree with it. In regard to the judgments hanging over people's heads, we need a goodwill gesture such as a phone call...