Results 4,461-4,480 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am not talking about animal welfare. I know everyone treats animals well. I am talking about the quality of the animal so that in future the cow might produce a higher proportion of solids. Is the Department looking at any part of that so we do not go down the road of perhaps gaining with solids but losing part of our beef industry, especially in light of some of the comments in the media...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have a question on low-emissions slurry spreading. The witnesses have spoken about water quality and free-draining land. I am a Mickey Mouse contractor in the world of contractors. The witnesses know well that when slurry is spread with low-emissions slurry spreaders, a heap of water must be put in and it has to be got down to water level to allow the macerator at the back to spread it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The watery slurry would go through free-draining soils more quickly. If that happens, it would clearly get to a stream a bit more quickly. Have any tests been done where results indicate we might be better putting out a thicker type of slurry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That depends on the land.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is grand, thanks. If a farmer has more cows than space, for example, and cannot get into the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, could that farmer make more room for soiled water, for example, to get a grant? Is that the proposal?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is that even for soiled water?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Are there proposals for the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to back the likes of anaerobic digesters through promotion or grant aid?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is another question on water quality and fencing off watercourses. Is the Department aware that in designated areas, you must get planning permission to put up a fence and a farmer cannot just rock up and start hammering down a stake? Is the Department aware that in commonages this is a problem? Is it solely on derogation that land can be fenced? Will the Department explain the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have a final question and I want to let in others. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency were in earlier and spoke about a section of the country where the water quality was affected by nitrates. There is a theory that the departmental officials might know but is it the case that 50% of all fertilisers in Ireland are used by 18,000 dairy farmers, with the other 110,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Given what we have seen on maps, the fact there are some fairly intensive dairy farms in the areas and the comments from the EPA, is there a concern that the proposals may not work effectively?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Am I not correct in saying that if I was a farmer with a single farm payment who leases it to Senator Daly so as not to make a single farm payment application, I would not be subject to any limitation on nitrates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: So I am not subject to anybody looking at my nitrates.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Nobody will send out a letter to me saying that I have gone over my nitrates because he or she does not know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is that being examined?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am specifically referring to the sludge that comes from the cities. Is the EPA not aware of the amounts involved in the three or four main cities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There are new Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, proposals coming out relating to sowing trees and spreading with GPS fertiliser spreaders, which would help water quality. There are something like five different examples, and this refers back to water quality. Are those options available up to somebody on the 170 kg/ha/year limit? Does the Department deal with that?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (20 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 107. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the percentage of planning applications which have been screened for appropriate assessments in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51402/21]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Oct 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 291. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the afforestation scheme is classed as an environmental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51397/21]