Results 4,201-4,220 of 5,550 for speaker:Martin Ferris

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: I would like to hear the Minister's views on beef factories' access to the database of the animal identification and movement system, or AIMS, and to farm financial data while no access has been provided to farming organisations or farmers themselves regarding the number of cattle slaughtered weekly and the level of inter-trading between meat factories.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: The joint committee met representatives of the beef processors last year. What is evident from that engagement and from the current roundtable circus is that the contribution from representatives from beef factories has been clouded and evasive to say the least. What is the situation regarding slaughtered cattle? Will we receive as part of the new transparency which we have yet to see a...

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: That is the crux of the problem; the number of cattle being slaughtered weekly by individual factories and inter-trading between them. Deputy Ó Cuív referred to a beef regulator earlier to address this issue. Something must be done to ensure transparency and to give equal opportunity to producers - the farmers who produce the cattle - to know the statistics that are out there. If...

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: Many people have a different view on that.

Other Questions: Beef Data Programme (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: It stretches credibility to say they do not have access.

Other Questions: Special Protection Areas Designation (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: I fully concur with Deputy O'Donovan. I met with farmers in the area. There is another problem. I refer to people who entered into the contract, albeit a little late because of the procedure and so forth, and they have not received one cent. There are hundreds of such farmers. Their land is effectively sterilised and they are getting no income from it. In the boundary area of parts of...

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: 10. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of higher demand for Teagasc level 5 and level 6 courses, due to the need for them to qualify for the young farmer top-up payments from next year, if he will act to set aside the embargo on public sector recruitment and provide Teagasc with the staff it needs to fulfil the new demand for places. [26144/14]

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: My question relates to the Harvest 2020 and the new payments for young farmers and the consequent demand for Teagasc courses. I ask the Minister of State if he will consider increasing Teagasc staff numbers to allow young farmers to meet the requirements for top-up payments.

Other Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: I welcome that the Minister of State has approved extra staff for Teagasc. It is important that young farmers qualify for top-up payments because their contribution to the general economy is so essential. I hope the Minister of State will bear in mind that despite the fact of the moratorium on recruitment, these schemes for young farmers will be of economic benefit to the country. I ask...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Fisheries Policy Reform (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: 14. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide information on the matching funding which the Government will make available along with the €148 million from the European Union over the next six years under the Common Fisheries Policy. [26141/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Payments (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: 25. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider an amnesty for farmers being penalised retrospectively due to unintentional over-claiming of payments due to changes in EU land eligibility technology. [26142/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Income Data (19 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: 35. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is concerned that the Teagasc national farm strategy for 2013 has pointed to the fact that cattle, tillage and sheep farmers' incomes are falling behind dairy farmers to the extent that persons are leaving the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26143/14]

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: I read in the Irish Farmers’ Journallast week that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney is "acutely aware" of the problems facing the Irish beef sector. Great words but to be honest, there are lots of people in this society who are fed up hearing members of the Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition telling us that they are acutely aware of our plight....

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: Yes, they do have access. That is how they are able to manipulate the market by flooding it when it suits them. It is widely believed that the beef factories have access to the database and to farm financial data, while farmers are not given access to figures collected by the Department on the numbers of cattle slaughtered each week, or, crucially, on the level of inter-trading among the...

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: He cannot do it because he does not know if someone in his Department is leaking it to them. He does not know.

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: Yes, but it is happening.

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: The information is being bought. It is happening-----

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: -----and nothing is being done about it. We can see that the representatives from the beef factories who turn up to the round table circus are always vague and evasive in their answers. No one is prepared to speak about the real situation with regard to slaughtered cattle. This talking shop is going nowhere because it is not getting to the bottom of what is going on - manipulation of the...

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: Another serious problem exists in respect of cattle that have been owned by four or more people. Who is being penalised in this regard? Again, it is the producers. What happens to cattle when they enter the production chain? If they have had four or more owners, are they sold more cheaply? The answer is "No". Those who are the fifth and sixth owners of cattle are being penalised. When...

Beef Industry: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jun 2014)

Martin Ferris: The Government could start by regulating the trade. If it does not do so, those in the industry will continue to do what they want. The people in question are not interested in what is good for Irish producers or farmers. They are only interested in what they can put into their own pockets and in making profits for their shareholders. They do not give a goddamn about producers and never...