Results 4,181-4,200 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Collection and Recycling of Farm Plastics: Discussion (29 Jun 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is the Department concerned about the volume of plastic that may be brought in from the North given its lower price there and no levies would be paid on it? When a person applies for a licence or on a yearly basis, does any Department official go through the recommended operators who have permits to ensure there is not a large volume of plastic around the country?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Collection and Recycling of Farm Plastics: Discussion (29 Jun 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have a final question. Is Mr. McDonald concerned that this system was set up for payment at the beginning, as Deputy Carthy said, and at the end when plastic is left back, while the farmer has to pay at both ends, which is tough?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I have a couple of questions. Ms Kavanagh spoke about research and development. Will that take five years or ten years? She has been on the working group. I am a bog man. I made it clear from the start when both Ms Kavanagh's group and the Department were in that I wanted to know how they would get over the European legislation and do screening for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I did not get answers to my questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With the permission of the Chair, I would like to ask a question. Mr. Dunne mentioned sub 30 ha, which is in reference to the High Court case that under 30 ha. does not require planning or appropriate assessment and so on. That relates to the people who could always work. Up to now, they have not been stopped, in my opinion. Is there a solution? If somebody has a bigger area, say 60 or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: She is the Minister with responsibility for horticulture.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for attending. I have a number of quick-fire questions. One of the functions of the task force was to establish the four-movement and 30-month rules and requirements for what we call "specs". I know Grant Thornton was looking at that. My understanding is that the processors and retailers were asked about this and the different specs that are needed in different...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Bearing in mind the market we are in, I killed cattle not too long ago that were overage. No one in Bord Bia was worried about whether they were overage because there is a shortage of cattle at the moment. It seems nobody cares whether they may have had 20 movements or are 40 months old. It is my understanding from research I have done that neither Grant Thornton nor anybody else went out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With due respect, it would have been no harm to go to the people who buy and eat the beef. That was not done, however. That is it. I will move on. I have a question regarding the information in the report on offal and the price of carcases. Mr. Dowling stated clearly that Grant Thornton was able to get the facts here in Ireland. Is it the case, however, that some retailers and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Mr. Dowling for that information. He has been on the task force for a while. In his opinion, what is the reason that the price dropped suddenly in February and cattle were able to go up after that? This did not happen in any other country in Europe. What is his thinking on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: An application has gone into the EU for protected geographical indication, PGI, status for Irish beef. Is it the task force's understanding that there will be a premium price for PGI product? Has any work been done to make sure that if we get PGI status, it will mean a higher, premium price for our beef?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In his submission, Mr. Dowling referred to farmers getting €160 million or €170 million extra, if I recall correctly. What moneys is he referring to there? Is that funding coming under the beef environmental efficiency pilot, BEEP, or something else?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry for interrupting but it should be made clear that when the €100 million was made available, including the €50 million from Europe, €70 million or €75 million was paid because cattle prices were on the floor. Some of the schemes Ms McPhillips mentioned existed before the task force was set up. We are seeing a reduction of 5% because of the BEAM scheme....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Am I correct in saying that no suckler grant was made? In his submission, Mr. Dowling referred to there being talk about a suckler grant and about money being made available, but no suckler cow welfare grant has been paid. I am talking about €200 or €300 to save the suckler herd. None of that was achieved.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I know that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Dowling is analysing cattle numbers and the beef sector. Does he have concerns about the number of dairy cattle or dairy beef that will come on the system next year? Does he agree that factories can increase the price when the supply of cattle is short? For example, there is no one banging on his door at the moment over the price because there are €4.50, €4.70 and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have read most of the Grant Thornton report. The industry, retailers and so on have said that they need this, this and this but they do not seem concerned at the moment about the four-movement rule, the 30-month rule or any of the other specs. Is that not unusual if the specs were important before now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Mr. Dowling.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I would like to go revisit a couple of issues with Ms McPhillips. There are producer groups already operating in the sheep sector and they are working well. There appears to be a resistance to the producer groups among the factories on the beef side. Is it correct that approximately 70% or more of the beef we export goes to the UK for mince?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: How much of that is mince?