Results 4,561-4,580 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: 196. To ask the Minister for Health the number of PCR tests that have been taken in August, September, October and to date in November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56221/21]

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: 197. To ask the Minister for Health the number of PCR tests that have been reported in August, September, October and to date in November 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56222/21]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Legislative Programme (24 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising this matter with me. I also thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This has been going on since 2016. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, was in the Chamber earlier. Forestry is being help up around the country at the moment because this legislation has not passed. A civil servant has probably written a long speech for the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Legislative Programme (24 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In fairness to the Minister of State, I do not think he said there were any meetings. I just spoke to him in a corridor, but there was no meeting about this with his staff. Would it be helpful, if it was workable for everyone here in the Dáil, that we would reintroduce the Bill? Would the Minister of State accept it? I know he wants to introduce Government Bills and I understand all...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in. The Minister referred to some €7 million for forestry. Last week, at this committee, Teagasc officials gave a fairly sobering assessment that in the first five years after trees are planted, there is damn all in terms of sequestration. We are in bother between now and 2030 because, basically, from 2016, although it is not the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is five years.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On GLAS, the beef genomics scheme, TAMS and the BEAM scheme, what moneys are left over in total? Where will those moneys go? If there are fewer farmers in GLAS, the beef genomics scheme, the afforestation scheme, TAMS and the BEAM scheme, where will all the moneys go?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the money go back to the Exchequer or is it held in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I saw in a report by Agriland or another such organisation that Macra na Feirme had indicated a scheme for young farmers had been agreed at EU level. I did not see details of it; I have looked. Is there a scheme coming out that will make it easier for young farmers to gain access to money to buy land or for another purpose? Macra na Feirme wrote something about it.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I will ask another question while Ms Chapman is looking for the information. With regard to moneys left over, why do we not consider ideas such as starting a solar grant scheme for farmers under TAMS? I fully understand the hold-up owing to Covid and the lack of builders in places. Is the Department actively considering systems to reduce methane emissions from tanks, for example?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have two shorter questions. On the veterinary medicine regulation, we hear that vets are telling farmers at meetings around the country that if they are getting dosing materials for the cattle, it will involve a dung sample. Members of this committee understood that, at a herd test, a farmer would acquire the doses for fluke and do out a plan with the vet. That does not seem to add up...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (23 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On the eco-scheme, we need more choices. I would be the first to say that. I know the Minister is looking at that and I would welcome it being made workable for all farmers. It is needed.

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: What are the proposals on the rewetting of this 80,000 ha? Is it a voluntary scheme that will come in?

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: Say Deputies Cahill, Carthy, Paul Daly or I as farmers have 50 acres of land and 50 cows or 200 ewes or whatever. Will there come a day and, in Mr. Callanan's opinion, when will it come that a farmer will be looked at individually and told the cows are allegedly putting up 100 tonnes or whatever of carbon and he or she has to have X, Y or Z to mitigate that? Will that come or will we stay...

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: If Dr. Lanigan is talking about that, I will throw in something else. We looked at mixed species grasses. Is there a benefit to them in the opinion of the witnesses?

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is that done with lime?

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

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Kennedy is saying LiDAR can be used on trees but the other method is being done manually on soil sampling right around the country.

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2021: Motion (30 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I also welcome the Ceann Comhairle back. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue, because when people talk about public opinion, there are more places than those around Dublin. Public opinion comes from all around the country. What should be known far and wide is that there are people who might be farming sheep, cattle or whatever and who also breed a horse that might turn out to...

Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2021: Motion (30 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have seen people near me and the same people are shouting about exports of cattle and all this. To be honest about it if I had as much room as an animal that goes out of this country on a boat, I would nearly be able to sleep on the broad of my back. That is the amount of room they get. We have to be constantly trying to go against other types of society. It is not a big number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2016: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (24 Nov 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Chair and I welcome the Minister and his officials. The most successful system probably ever brought in in this country was the animal identification and movement, AIM, system, by the Department of Agriculture. There is low-hanging fruit in the report that we did, which could be moved on pretty rapidly, that would give confidence in the whole sector in terms of traceability. I...