Results 6,961-6,980 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Other Questions: Beef Exports (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Yes, I am concerned about the matters the Deputy raises. With the expansion of the dairy herd, one of the critical elements in putting a floor and competitive edge in the market is the live export section. In particular, it is about getting Friesian bull calves out of the country early. The withdrawal of Cork Co-operative Marts from that process is a worry. I confess I have spoken directly...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: There will always be a demand for protein and the Deputy's bias against red meat-----

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: That is not reflected either in the Deputy's introduction to this question or the previous questions he has asked of my Department. The recent figures that the Deputy refers to are provisional greenhouse gas emissions figures for 2015. Although they indicate a 1.5% increase in agriculture emissions, these figures include an additional category of emissions that were not included in...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The logic of the Deputy's position is that we should dismantle what is among the most carbon-efficient producers of food, be it in dairy or beef. He is saying we should dismantle our system in favour of substituting our industry with imports with a far higher carbon footprint per unit of production. As sure as night follows day, if we dismantled our beef or dairy industry, it would not...

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Deputy wants us all eating muesli or tofu. We must reward the people who are the most carbon-efficient producers of food. The Deputy must accept we cannot be prescriptive about people's dietary habits. If people want to eat red meat, they should have it from the most carbon-efficient producers of red meat.

Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: They should have dairy produce from the most carbon-efficient producers of dairy products. As the Deputy points the finger at Irish agriculture, the alternative is that in undermining its credentials from a sustainability perspective - we should remember it is a grass-based production system, which is the most sustainable type - he undermines the commitment to doing more by arguing that...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I announced earlier this month that the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland has invited financial institutions to take part in the agriculture cashflow support loan scheme. A number of applications were submitted by the closing date of 25 November. They will now be the subject of a formal approval process. This scheme will enable farmers to improve the management of their cashflow and...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: On the final point made by the Deputy, this was one of measures the tillage farmers asked for when I met them. They also asked for a targeted agricultural modernisation scheme for the tillage sector and such a scheme will be announced in January 2017. They also sought to be included in the knowledge transfer and this has happened. The Deputy's assertion that this scheme is not what tillage...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: They have. I appreciate that. The beef industry has asked for compensation of €200 million for suckler cows. There is no shortage of people asking for help. We have to be realistic about what the State can afford. I appreciate the difficulties that are being faced in this sector. I do not believe the response to the myriad of issues being faced in the sector has been bad. While...

Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The point I want to make is that, in the context of the negotiations I had at the tillage stakeholders meeting, there was a range of asks, including some relating to the matters the Deputy raised. However, there is a limit to the resources available and it was felt that it was best to do something strategic. At the meeting in question, for example, a figure quoted by one of the participants...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Climate Change Advisory Council has stated in its report that the national mitigation plan should provide a roadmap to achieve the national 2050 mitigation objective, which, for agriculture, is an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production.  I am disappointed that the...

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: We are the most carbon-efficient producers of pork.

Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I do not mean to undermine Deputy Wallace's bona fides in respect of livestock; I think he has done that himself. He is singing the praises of the tillage sector. We need all of the sectors but we need balance in the debate as well. The Deputy should make himself a little better informed about carbon sequestration in the tillage sector. We need balance in the debate. We are committed in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Programme for Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the Rural Development Programme with a budget of €25 million. I have made provision for this in Budget 2017. The inclusion of this provision in the programme for Government reflects a commitment by the Government to ensuring the continued viability of the sheep sector in Ireland. The sheep...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The completion of a carbon navigator is a central requirement of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) in 2016. The carbon navigator is an online farm management package developed by Bord Bia and Teagasc. It quantifies the environmental gains that can be made on each farm by setting targets in key areas such as grassland management. It is a very useful and simple tool which will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Under the Terms and Conditions of the Direct Aid Schemes, which include the Basic Payment Scheme(BPS), farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their annual applications, and are to exclude ineligible features such as roads, buildings, farmyards, dense scrub, etc. These claims are then recorded on the Department’s Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). Given...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Ireland is a small open economy which exports the vast bulk of its main agricultural commodities. Therefore producer prices in Ireland are largely determined by commodity prices on world markets, rather than by production levels within Ireland itself. We have seen significant commodity price volatility on world markets over the last few years. However, there are measures in place to help...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The objective of the Commonage Management Plan (CMP) is to ensure that farming activity on commonages is carried out at environmentally sustainable levels to prevent both under grazing and over grazing and if necessary to set out collective actions such as controlled burning. My Department provided specific training for approved Commonage Advisors assigned to prepare these plans....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I note that the Deputy refers to a report published by the former Joint Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Fisheries in January 2014 which put forward 29 recommendations on a wide range of issues concerning the functions of a number of Government departments and state agencies. The Deputy has drawn specific attention to the recommendation concerning heritage licences for traditional fishing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Wise 2025 Strategy (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Food Wise 2025, the ten year strategy for the agrifood sector, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness; as...