Results 7,461-7,480 of 7,796 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes. There will be designations twice the size of our landmass in this country by 2030. Is that correct? It is proposed that it will be 30% of all marine waters by 2030. My understanding is that two sites will be designated, of 3 billion ha. What effect will this have on fishermen or fisherwomen or fisherpeople?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I know that but, with all due respect, I heard the witnesses' earlier submission. I presume, in all of these things, that the submissions put in by the witnesses' Department will include the consequences of some of these actions that are coming in the next few years, between now and 2050, including consequences for the fishing industry and the effects of offshore wind generation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would it be concerning to the Department if one of those proposed designated areas, which I am sure it is well aware of, was off the north-west coast, up near where Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is based, and another one down off the south-east coast, where there is a proposal relating to an area equivalent to 3 billion ha? Would it be alarmed if 30% of our area was going to be protected?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does Ms. O'Sullivan have that figure for us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With all the different countries coming into our waters, what is the percentage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am not going to say I am an expert on fishing but, when you talk to fishermen, no more than on all sides of it, with farmers and such, the amount of paperwork involved is one thing you will hear about. There is a scheme some people were offered under which they could cut up their boat. Why are we going down that road? When you look at the statistics on the number of people or the number...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department get many new members each year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Thank you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What about the paperwork?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What I am hearing from people out catching is that when they land at the dock or harbour, the amount of paperwork they are required to have is getting on top of some of them, no more than in farming. It is the same thing. Where does all this come from? The EU has addressed this issue for smaller farmers, even though the size that has been chosen means it will not make any difference in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry about earlier on. There were votes and a Bill on agricultural appeals under way. I apologise that not all of us could be here when the witnesses were talking. I have known Dr. Farrell for a long time. She is a good Mountbellew woman. She has spent a lifetime trying to bring forward ideas for rural Ireland, for sustainability and to keep rural communities alive. A long time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On the likes of agricultural science courses, I presume the colleges are analysing the number of students who are doing these courses as against the numbers ten or 15 years ago. Has there been an uptick in the number of women in agricultural science?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I would be the first to say, as I have many a time, that in light of the age profile of farmers, we badly need a retirement scheme to encourage people to move the land on to the next generation. I will mention one thing. The witnesses probably have this in their analysis. For males and females, lifestyle now has changed compared with years ago. In some cases farmers will say they have got...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I was at a social farming event this morning down near Elfin. It is great to see that how that has worked with the small bit of funding that it gets. The thing for farmers at the moment is that they might not see a person from one end of the week to the other especially if they are living on their own and we need to try to sort that out. I have been talking to MEPs, etc. and I know that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry for interrupting Dr. Murtagh. What does she mean by organisations. Are they state bodies?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We need to face the reality that over the past 12 to 15 years, the loss of farmers throughout Europe has been phenomenal. While people may live in fantasy, they still need food to stay alive. Whether people believe that are not, some obviously do not at the moment. People need to realise that. It would be useful if the witnesses could forward to the committee details of that French...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made in respect of an application for additional school accommodation devolved project submitted by a school (details supplied) in April 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39955/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a decision will be made in respect of an application for additional school accommodation submitted by a school (details supplied) in April 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39956/24]

Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister knows that the agriculture committee is sitting at the moment and that some of its members will try to be over and back between the House and the committee. To be fair to the Minister and his staff, we went through the Bill in detail. The committee had no problem with it. We welcome that people can be over 70 years of age and still able to sit on the board. The committee...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Issues Impacting the Fisheries Sector and Aquaculture: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (9 Oct 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What would that be as a percentage of all fish caught around Europe?