Results 6,421-6,440 of 7,793 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is one other thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There was mention of force majeureand the Commissioner. There may be an avenue under animal welfare. We cannot in six months get rid of cattle. I apologise to Deputy Kerrane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is one derogation farm in Leitrim.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Callanan might answer this question. A family farm of 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 cows - a small farm - will be under pressure to get land, and there is no point in us codding ourselves, whereas a bigger conglomerate would have more flexibility as to where it will go. Particularly where there are small family farms with a lot of them doing the same thing, the land would not be available. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am trying to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If land is designated as a special area of conservation, one of the 36 things farmers are supposed to do is to get the go-ahead to put out slurry. It is the damnedest ever with what is involved. It is not the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that is involved, it is the National Parks and Wildlife Service. There is fear in certain areas because of the pressure coming on land....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department not agree that small family farms are the biggest losers in all of this? They do not have the numbers or the capacity to do what someone else may be able to do. Does Mr. Callanan understand what I mean? The small family farms that supply milk in many parts of the country are the ones that will really take the hit on this. They do not have the same flexibility as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is not a political question; it is a straight question. Mr. Callanan knows better than I do that someone rearing a family on a farm with 60, 70 or 80 cows does not have flexibility or acreage. If everyone around them is doing this, the land is not available. They do not have the flexibility to go 70, 80 or 100 miles for land compared to someone who has 1,000 acres.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am talking about small farms. They do not have flexibility and the hit is worse for them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can I ask one question about cattle?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have only one question. We touched on it earlier and said we would leave it until the end. Is the new register for movement of cattle cross-border?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the representatives for coming in. From what I can gather from them, they need representation on the main board of Horse Sport Ireland. What dialogue is going on at the moment? Mr. Corrigan said there is a freeze. Is there communication? Is there stalemate? Funding goes from Government to the organisation, so I am sure there could be influence used. He might elaborate on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is there a board now with the organisation or what is the set-up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can this not be obtained under targeted agriculture modernisation schemes, TAMS, for sheds, the structures and some fences? New things have come in. Is there a list of things one can get, which were not available before under TAMS?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: When we were being lobbied before, we were being lobbied by the people with horses or by those breeding horses. They were looking for what they now have. It is a good thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Fagan is saying that the budget Horse Sport Ireland gets should be no less than the racing side of it, so that a certain amount would be given to the different race tracks and that it would have a budget to allocate in order to help the equestrian centres.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: To be clear, something must change drastically. I do not see how it would in the light of the sports capital grant. There is no point in leading people up a garden path. I cannot see that happening. The way Mr. Fagan is talking is in terms of funding being available to Horse Sport Ireland for the betterment of the industry, no more than for the betterment of the racing industry. That may...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Money generally buys people. It is as simple as that. Is there any fear of wealthy countries or wealthy people? Do we keep a stock of semen or whatever to keep the resource? There is no point in selling the golden trophy if there is nothing coming after it, to put it simply. Have we a backup plan so that in years to come we will not be looking across the water and saying, "They are our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Army buy into horses here?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges facing the Horse Sport Industry: Discussion (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Was there legal action threatened or something? Is this why the board was decimated or what has gone wrong?