Results 7,081-7,100 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I am glad to report that there is again this year a higher number of sustainably fished stocks – 28 compared with 26 last year – and a higher percentage – 38% in 2016 compared with 36% in 2015. I should note, however, that while the percentage and number of stocks overfished has declined in 2016, the number and percentage of stocks with unknown status are similar to last...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Deputy McConalogue's question about whether I can mitigate this and come home with a good news story shades into the other question. In truth, I do not know. This is my first voyage. The advice of officials in the Department and engagement with colleagues paints a grim picture. Looking at previous impact assessments I do not think anything was quite as severe as this in terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: On Deputy McConalogue's other point about Area 6A haddock, this species is the subject of a bilateral agreement between the EU and Norway. I am not at the table for those negotiations, although Ireland is represented. It is a fait accompliat this stage. We have raised maximum sustainable yield, MSY, with the Commission. Where we feel the consequences of moving to MSY too early would have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I will speak about some of the other issues. Hake preferences and prawns are not applicable because when the hake preferences were negotiated in the 1980s prawns were not considered an important enough fishery to be covered by it and it would be impossible at this stage to have the scope of hake preferences extended to other species. There is huge resistance, even though it is one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Since last year we have had a level playing pitch because the science indicates that the stocks are just not there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: It is nonetheless a significant angling resource. The Deputy and I both see people fishing for it. There is a catch restriction of two per day. That angling product has been protected in the context of what is otherwise a closed fishery.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: No.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: The figures I have outlined are not inclusive of that. However, in respect of the various species we are doing some calculations as to what we would consider an appropriate uplift.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I thank the members for their engagement on the issues. They will appreciate that it is a very technical area. I welcome the input from members and all the stakeholders. Last Friday in Clonakilty, I had a very useful engagement with all the producer organisations, POs, and the environmental pillar. That was an important voice also. Ultimately all stakeholders have a fundamental interest...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I am grateful for the opportunity to present this request for a technical Supplementary Estimate for 2016 in which I am seeking the committee's approval to use savings on the Department's Vote to fund other desired expenditure. As these proposed transfers and expenditure involve significant changes to the original 2016 voted allocations, I believe it is important to seek the committee's...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I thank the Deputies for their questions. With regard to Deputy Cahill's question about the TB compensation scheme, the savings will be €1.5 million, not €2.5 million. Those savings are as a consequence of the fact that we made provision on the basis of trends and expectations and, fortunately, the incidence of the disease reduced from 3.25% of herds to 3.18%. Though the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I will respond to a few of the points raised by Deputy McConalogue first. Regarding his persistent line of prosecution that we are underspending on the rural development programme, the reality is that we are behind profile on it. As a result of the fact that GLAS payments are made in December, we will have our spending under GLAS on target by the end of the month. All those awaiting GLAS...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: My understanding is that it is something we anticipate will be spent in 2017. The drawdown just has not materialised in that area.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: No. We have made allocations for research funding available to various institutions. We have appointed successful tenders for the funding but the drawdown has not commenced yet. We are not holding back. The funding is triggered by the approved beneficiaries.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I thank the Deputies for their questions and I shall first respond to Deputy Cahill. We are not talking about savings in the Teagasc budget in terms of the Supplementary Estimate. The savings on the research side do not have anything to do with Teagasc. They are calls that the Department makes for funding it has available for various research projects. Once it makes an allocation or...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: The point I am making is that I am constrained in what I can do by state aid rules. I have exploited the latitude I have under them by providing for this loan scheme. The €14 million provided under it has not gone exclusively to the tillage sector. It is available to the tillage, mushroom and livestock sectors.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I have heard this. There are no proposals from the French authorities or the Commission that we have not supported, but we have not seen any prospect of a Commission rescue package for the tillage sector emerging at European Council level. I ask the Deputy to believe me what I say we would be in the vanguard if such a package were to be made available. It has been suggested we are not...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: As I said, €11.1 million is available to the livestock sector, while €4 million has been ringfenced for the non-livestock sector. Approximately €25 million, comprising the €11.1 million I have mentioned and the €13 million-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Some €4 million has been ringfenced for the non-livestock sector. Approximately €10 million is flexible, depending on the take-up.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (6 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked about the overall picture within the Department. What we are reallocating is current expenditure in 2016. As we have flagged previously, there will be an underspend in other areas of capital budgets such as TAMS. We issued TAMS approvals and farmers applied in good faith. This has been a particularly difficult year for those involved in some of the...