Results 4,541-4,560 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Fine. That would be approximately 3 tonnes. When does it start doing that? Is it doing that over the lifetime of the tree?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does that not mean we would be good even now if we did it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for attending the meeting. Professor O'Connor said earlier that certification would be coming down the line. What did he mean by that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Professor O'Connor. I am familiar with the LiDAR system because I have used it on bogs previously. It was used for the different layers as well underneath the bogs. Dr. Lanigan seemed to speak about using it on top of the soil. Why does he not refer to using it for what is under soils?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Lanigan said earlier that some of the figures will be adjusted because what was provided up to now appears to be changing and the models that were used or whatever the witnesses were being told were not correct. Is there an awful danger that agriculture has been put into a spot with inaccurate figures on what is being sequestered and basically being beaten over the head because we did...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Lanigan referred to peat soils earlier. I worked on the raised bog, raised bog habitat and so forth. Every area is different. Dr. Lanigan said Teagasc is doing 30 areas in the country. With the best will in the world, I know Teagasc cannot be everywhere to even trace where active raised bog habitat is in some bogs and even in the blanket bogs - and the witness is correct in saying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We call it marly or lochy type of land. There is a very small volume of matter - it is not peat - and the ground under it does not allow water down, to put it very simply. The witnesses have no research yet on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Lanigan spoke earlier about forestry. Can these megatonne figures be put into normal figures? There was mention of 8,000 ha over the next ten years. We might hear the dairy herd is emitting X, Y and Z and transport emits so many tonnes. How many tonnes could we sequester? Am I correct that even if we planted the country with forestry, which will not happen, there is only a certain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is talk of pushing out the trees until after 2030 but tell that to someone who has forestry and is looking for money. We must be realistic. I know the Department has made a fair job of trying to keep them there until 2030. On the question of planting, what is the benefit of the likes of anaerobic digesters? I know a guy who has willow and sold it but he is losing money because of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Could carbon credits be given for forestry or methane in the grid that helps that other sector? Can the agricultural sector be credited with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: For information, Bill Callanan stated earlier that although he is not pre-empting anything and it is not his section, he expects that the OPW will do something in the context of LiDAR for Ireland next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is a completely different tack compared to what we are used to in here regarding the agricultural side of things. Dr. Gilliland spoke about the media. He has a vision that agriculture in Ireland can sequester an awful lot more carbon while keeping the stock we have, and perhaps even having more. He is putting that out there as basically a new way of going forward, compared to all the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Regarding the multispecies sward, and we were lucky enough to have seen that, what is the story in that regard? I always understood that when nitrogen was put on red clover that it killed it. What is the story in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It does not do harm to the red clover in spring.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can pit silage be made from multispecies sward plants? Regarding round bales, it was said that the material had to wilt a good bit. Can pit silage be made from it and will that turn out good?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will the dry matter digestibility be okay?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Agriculture: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: When I talk to farmers some will say, and this is one thing that must be nailed down, that when red clover was being used some time ago there was a bit of swelling in some cattle. Is it the case here that other plant species in the sward are eliminating that problem? The aspect I am concerned with is the length of life of it in this regard. In addition, does it accept lime in the same way...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 194. To ask the Minister for Health the scientific data or evidence that supports restricting indoor dining and entry into pubs, night clubs, gigs and indoor facilities for vaccinated persons or the peer reviewed paper that supports these restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56219/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (17 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 195. To ask the Minister for Health the number of repeat PCR tests that provided a different result when retaken in the months of August, September, October and to date in November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56220/21]