Results 7,341-7,360 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named commenced their AEOS 2 contract on 1 September 2011. Payments issued for the 2011- 2015 Scheme years. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System must take place. As all AEOS 2 participants will be receiving their final payments...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Laboratory Facilities (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The Department tasked a working group, led by Prof. Alan Reilly, and comprising senior officials with undertaking a review of its laboratory services, including both its Central Laboratory complex in Backweston, Co. Kildare and its network of Regional Laboratories in Athlone, Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo. The ultimate objective of this review is to assist the Department in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Recruitment (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The competition to recruit Technical Agricultural Officers was administered by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Department. The post was advertised on 15thApril 2016 with a closing date of 5thMay. All applicants were invited to participate in online psychometric testing and the top 150 candidates were invited to attend for retest. Candidates who successfully passed the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together. The outcome of the UK Brexit referendum last year is obviously foremost in our minds and in Government it is very much a priority. It poses enormous challenges for the Irish agri-food sector as a whole including the fisheries sector. However, potentially, depending on what the UK seeks to do once they trigger Article 50 later this year,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: An independent group was appointed to carry out a review of the aquaculture licensing process on the 20thof December last. The Independent Review Group is currently holding a public consultation inviting submissions on matters relevant to review, which will close on the 10thFebruary next. This Public Consultation was advertised in the Irish Independent on Tuesday, January 10thlast and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Investigations (18 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: I wish to advise the Deputy that there are no on-going investigations or inquiries within my Department.

Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: We recently opened GLAS and now more than 50,000 farmers are eligible for payments under the scheme. Currently, fewer than 9,000 applications await payment. As such, a very substantial number of farmers have already been paid. We are working through this as quickly as possible, which I appreciate is cold comfort if one is among those awaiting payment. However, the Department is approving...

Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: As I indicated in our amendment to Deputy McConalogue's Private Members' motion, I intend to convene a meeting of the tillage stakeholders' forum at the earliest possible opportunity. I expect to meet them in the next two weeks with a view to progressing issues they raised at a previous meeting, including the issues referred to by the Deputy.

Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: I assure Deputy Martin Kenny that every effort is being made to clear payments as quickly as possible. The Department has no interest in delaying payments to individual members. As I stated to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, the number of outstanding applications is somewhat less than 9,000 and the scheme is now open to more than 50,000 farmers. I appreciate that is not the message those who are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and has received full entitlements in respect of the 2015 scheme year.  During the 2016 prepayment checking process issues were identified with the Commonage action.  Department officials are examining these issues with a view to resolving and further processing the application...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Expenditure (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The TAMS II Schemes provide grants for the construction of a variety of farm structures. The full range of investment measures are detailed on the Department's website. Applications for the TAMS II Schemes can be made online and funding will be made available over the course of 2017 for approved applications. TAMS II Schemes are funded under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (19 Jan 2017)

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 recognises that the welfare of the greyhounds is paramount and it adopts the best identified practices to ensure that the highest welfare standards are achieved. During 2016 circa...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Disease Controls (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The H5N8 strain of avian influenza has been responsible for over 500 of outbreaks of disease in poultry and 430 mortality events in wild birds in Europe since the end of October 2016. There is a risk that H5N8 could spread to poultry or other birds here in Ireland mainly as a result of the movement of wild migratory birds. On the 23 December last, my Department announced regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named submitted an application under the 2016 Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. His name was added to the herd number shown for the 2016 scheme year. However, the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme Application was submitted under the herd number shown while it was still held in the sole name of the previous herd owner. As a result my Department is working to align the applications...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: An application under the 2016  Areas of Natural Constraints Schemes was received from the person named on 30 April 2016. Processing of the application has recently been finalised and payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The Burren Programme is a locally-led agri-environment measure introduced by my Department under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. It follows on from two highly successful initiatives, namely the Burren LIFE Project 2005-2010 and the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme, 2010-2015. However, the new Burren Programme differs from its predecessors in two ways: it will be much...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The construction of underpasses is not currently available under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme suite of measures. The introduction of such a measure would require a formal amendment to Ireland’s Rural Development Programme for 2014 – 2020 and approval by the EU Commission. I have no plans to introduce this measure at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Data (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: Some 25,800 farmers are active in the GLAS 1 of which 22,150 were eligible for a part year payment in respect of 2015. Over 21,500 have received 85% of their 2015 payment. At end of December 2016 there were 37,500 active participants in the GLAS scheme of which 27,400 received 85% of their 2016 payment. Payment can only issue where all the required validation checks have...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheep Census (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The Sheep Welfare Scheme was introduced under the Rural Development Program to contribute to the continued development of animal and health welfare in the sheep sector. The scheme requires farmers to go beyond the relevant mandatory measures to enhance the standards of animal welfare in the Irish Sheep flock.  This new scheme is designed in keeping with Article 33 of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (19 Jan 2017)

Michael Creed: The number of applications received under the TAMS II Schemes is 10,583. Of these, 1,636 applications were received in the last tranche which closed on 13 January 2017.  6,061 farmers have received approval to commence works to the value of approx. €90m. 313 applicants had received payments totalling €4m by the 31 December 2016. All applications...