Results 7,821-7,840 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (16 Feb 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 is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Regarding the employment of the new CEO, Bord na gCon has informed me that the Board...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: As per the reply to the Parliamentary Question of 1 February, processing of the application under the 2016  Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme had been finalised. Payment under the scheme is expected to issue in the coming week.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon has statutory responsibility for the development of the greyhound racing industry. In that context, it runs commercial operations in a number or greyhound stadia, including Harold's Cross. In 2014, against the background of reducing income for the organisation through the recession, and a significant debt burden, my Department commissioned an independent report into certain...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Cereal Sector (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The Deputy is aware from my previous reply to him of the position with regard to this issue. I hosted a Tillage Stakeholders Forum last October which consisted of representatives from all sides of this Sector. Following a very productive meeting I subsequently initiated a number of responses to address key issues raised by stakeholders. As I set out then, one of my priorities has been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The information as requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. GLAS 1 GLAS 1 GLAS 1 GLAS 1 GLAS 2 GLAS 2 GLAS 2 GLAS 2 County Number of Number Number Number Number of Number Number Number Acrtive Applicants Paid PPV Pass Unpaid Active Applicants Paid PPV Pass Unpaid Carlow 283 214 2 67 131 109 1 21 Cavan 916 763 11 142 448 380 0 68 Clare 1,631 1,389 8 234 703 597 6 100 Cork...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: 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 under the scheme,  re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Poultry Industry (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: There are EU Regulations that lay down detailed rules regarding marketing standards for eggs and poultrymeat. These Regulations set down minimum requirements that must be met in order to use the term “Free Range”, including rules around access to the range. The EU Regulations also provide for situations where veterinary restrictions are imposed to protect public and animal...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Reform (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The matter of crop diversification and the implementation of equivalence is an issue that my Department and I have raised concerns about with the Commission on a number of occasions in the context of simplification of the current CAP. In fact, it was one of the areas we identified to the Commission that could be simplified as part of our initial submission on simplification of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Review (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Ireland has taken a broadly favourable view of the recent evolution of the CAP, which has supported a greater market orientation of the agriculture sector and a move away from older, largely ineffective market control measures. The decoupling of payments from production has helped to stabilise and protect a share of farmers’ income while leaving farmers free to respond to the demands...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: A budget of €100 million has been allocated to the Knowledge Transfer Programme for the duration of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. There has been no expenditure to date under the programme as no payments are due until after the completion of year 1. There was no funding allocated for 2016 and €25m has been allocated for 2017.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Knowledge Transfer Programme (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The Knowledge Transfer Programme is included in Ireland's Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020. While the RDP envisages the training of 27,000 farmers over the period to 2020, no specific target was set in relation to the number of groups to be formed. 20,252 farmer applications have now been registered for the scheme. These are broken down between the sectors in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The matter of a revision of state aid rules, and more particularly that of a possible increase to the current state aid thresholds, was raised at several Council of EU Agriculture Ministers meetings in 2016, in the context of the ongoing difficulties being experienced on EU agricultural markets. Some Member States, including Ireland, raised the possibility of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (16 Feb 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 scheme year prepayment checks an issue was identified in relation to cross-checks with the 2016 BPS application of the person named. When this issue is resolved the GLAS application will be further processed for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Transfer of Entitlements (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Where a herd number is being transferred from a father to a son, and the son is undertaking the role of both herd owner and keeper, then form ER1 should be completed. Form ER1 is available online on my Department’s website www.agriculture.gov.ieor directly from the relevant Regional Veterinary Office. The applicant must be an individual over 18 years of age. Where a herd number is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Legal Costs (16 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the expenditure on legal services during  2016, for this Department, is outlined in the following table. In relation to the State Bodies, under the aegis of this Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves and they have been requested to forward the relevant information directly...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Fund (21 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Financial support from the State is provided to the Horse and Greyhound industries through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. The level of financial support is approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas. In accordance with the 2001 Act, 80% and 20% of the monies paid into the Fund each year are distributed between...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Investigations (21 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department received correspondence in 2012 in which allegations were made against the named organisation. The Investigations Unit of my Department examined the situation and met with the person who submitted the correspondence. Following that meeting, the investigating officers concluded that there was no evidence available to warrant an investigation under my Department’s...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Eligibility (21 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: In the case where an applicant is applying for sheep fencing investments the online application system for TAMS II requires that the applicant indicates the linear meters of the fencing that is proposed and the proposed cost of completing this work.  It is not necessary to upload a quote to the system at application stage. Own labour/machinery  is permitted for sheep...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon’s income is derived from two sources, namely turnover from racing facilities and financial support provided by the Department from the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001. State funding provided from the Fund is pivotal to the survival and continued development of the horse and greyhound racing industries. In...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (21 Feb 2017)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon has statutory responsibility for the development of the greyhound racing industry.  In 2014 my Department commissioned Indecon Consultants to produce an independent report into certain matters relating to Bord na gCon, including its financial performance and prospects. That report recommended a number of asset disposals, including Harold’s Cross, in...