Results 7,101-7,120 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

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 assure the Deputy that it is 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: When I received submissions from farm organisations in advance of the budget, they asked for an affordable finance product. To be fair, all of them have raised with me the specific issue in the tillage sector. Unfortunately, I am constrained on two fronts. First, I do not have an endless amount of resources because I used what scope I had to invest in the loan fund. Second, I am legally...

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 try again to explain this. As a general rule, there is a prohibition in Europe on a state bailing out any particular sector or giving it an advantage relative to its other competitors across the EU. Whether it is dairy, beef or tillage, we could not, even if we had the resources, give a specific capital injection or assistance because it would be deemed illegal under current EU...

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: We cannot provide it twice.

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 took my decision based on the engagement I had at the stakeholders' forum after the harvest and what the ask was. In terms of the limited resources we have, we have put some €14 million into the loan fund. I based it on the basis that this was one of the asks. I appreciate that there were a whole host of things, but I do not have an endless supply of funds, so I availed of what...

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 the Deputy is aware, however, we have prepared our budget for 2017 and brought forward that commitment which allows us to do other things. For example, one of the new initiatives of budget 2017 is a €25 million sheep scheme.

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: We had indications that we would have underspend in certain areas. We did not know the scale of it. Where we had underspend, we tried to meet some of the demand for 2017 by bringing forward payments.

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 McConalogue is ignoring the constraints I am under legally in terms of state aid rules.

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 Deputy is.

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 appreciate that the Deputy consistently raises the issue but I am constrained by state aid rules and have exploited the de minimusprovisions to the maximum extent possible to facilitate the tillage sector. I appreciate that the sector has faced a difficult harvest, not only this year but for a number of years. Not only have we done this, but we will launch the TAMS programme for tillage...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy is aware, Revenue is independent in terms of its interpretation of the tax laws which in the context of this specific issue have not changed. Revenue officials are due to appear before the Oireachtas finance committee this afternoon to discuss the topic.

Topical Issue Debate: Farmers' Markets (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Any of us who has had the privilege and opportunity to travel abroad has seen, particularly in continental Europe, the potential of farmers' markets. The Deputy referred to the colour and vibrancy they bring to local towns. We are blessed to have a network of old market towns. Unfortunately, many of them have fallen victim to recent...

Topical Issue Debate: Farmers' Markets (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: I will reflect on the points the Deputy has made in the context of the budget that is available for 2017. It is possible to assist in ways other than those in which we have assisted to date. They include measures to provide the hardware necessary to support farmers' markets and those to which the Deputy referred. They include the provision of street furniture, awnings to provide shelter...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Under the new CAP reform which came into effect on 1 January 2015, the Single Payment Scheme was replaced by the Basic Payment Scheme.  All existing Single Payment entitlements expired on 31 December 2014. The EU Regulations governing the Scheme provide that an automatic right to receive an allocation of entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme was confined to farmers who were in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Eligibility (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: The commonage eligibility requirements for GLAS 3 applications have been updated from those which applied in GLAS 1 and GLAS 2.  For GLAS 3 commonage land declared for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015 whether declared in previous years or not is eligible for the Scheme. This update was notified to all GLAS advisors and also published the circular on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Eligibility (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: The commonage eligibility requirements for GLAS 3 applications have been updated from those which applied in GLAS 1 and GLAS 2.  For GLAS 3 commonage land declared for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015 whether declared in previous years or not is eligible for the Scheme. This update was notified to all GLAS advisors and this information was also made available on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Administration (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: My Department revised commonage eligibility requirements for GLAS 3 applications from those which applied for GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 and issued a circular to all advisors and also published the circular on the Department’s website.  This update states that for GLAS 3 commonage land declared for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015 whether declared in previous years or not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon is a commercial State body, established in 1958, under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon has informed me that the 2015 annual report was passed by the Board on 6 December 2016 and anticipates that same will be forwarded to my office within the coming week.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Investments (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: My Department does not have any investments, either directly or indirectly through pension or other investment funds, in tobacco companies. As regards future policy I have no plans for any investments, directly or indirectly, in tobacco companies. In relation to the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, as the information requested is an operational matter for the Bodies...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pension Levy Data (7 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: Information relating to the private pension levy in respect of the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department is considered to be an operational matter for the State Bodies concerned.