Results 10,201-10,220 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Animal Welfare: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I accept that the puppy farming issue is stain on that, and it is something on which the Department with responsibility for the environment has been in consultation with us, and there is a commitment to looking at the regulations underpinning it because it is an area in particular where we need additional focus. I convey my sincere thanks to Deputy O'Sullivan. More unites us in this debate...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: There are now firm indications that the question of a Tariff Rate Quota for beef  is under discussion with Mercosur.  My information is that a Tariff Rate Quota of 70,000 tonnes is under discussion. A coalition of Member states, led by Ireland and France, signed a paper opposing such a move, and opposed such a proposal at last week's Trade Policy Committee.  It should be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: One of my key priorities is to further increase the market opportunities for Irish food and drink internationally. We are an exporting nation, with 90% of our food produce leaving the island. Only through further increasing our footprint internationally will we help to mitigate the effects of Brexit and develop our agri-food sector to realise its full potential. As outlined in Foodwise...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Funding (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Under the TAMS II scheme, support is provided under a suite of seven measures: - Young Farmers Capital  Investment Scheme; - Dairy Equipment Scheme; - Organic Capital Investment Scheme; - Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme; - Low Emission Slurry Spreading;  - Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme; - Tillage Capital Investment Scheme. A wide range of investment...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Milk Prices (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: As previously stated to the Deputy (PQ35321 of 2016), as Minister for Agriculture, I have no role in setting the price of any market commodity. Income support is provided at EU level through the Basic Payment Scheme and the EU's Common Market Organisation Regulation provides a legal basis for market supports such as intervention for Butter and  Skimmed Milk Powder, and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Young Farmers Scheme (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme were introduced under the reform of Direct Payments in 2015. These schemes were designed to provide financial support to young farmers and new entrants to farming during the crucial early years immediately following the setting up of a farming enterprise. Under the EU Regulations governing these schemes,  a young farmer is defined as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: In the context of the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 my Department has delivered over twenty new schemes that were supported by IT capability. In the first two years of the current RDP programme my Department has already implemented substantially more RDP schemes than were implemented over the entire ten year lifetime of the previous RDP programme.  This rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Gorse Burning (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I am not aware of any proposal to establish an inter-agency gorse fire group. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has responsibility in relation to fire prevention measures, fire response and emergency planning. As the Deputy will be aware, the Fire and Emergency Services in Ireland are managed at local authority level, with the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Review (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The future of the CAP is an issue of enormous importance for the European and indeed Ireland’s agri-food sector.  The CAP has demonstrated its capacity to evolve very effectively in response to changing market, consumer and environmental demands in recent years, to the point where it now plays a central role in delivering the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth sought under...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I am very conscious of the importance of both the suckler and tillage sectors to Ireland's rural economy and the challenges currently facing both sectors. My Department is providing a number of supports to the suckler herd. The Beef Data and Genomics Programme is the main support for the suckler sector and provides farmers with some €300 million of funding over Rural Development...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Ireland is a small open economy and Irish Government policy is generally supportive of trade liberalisation. Sensitive products must be protected however, and in the case of any prospective deal with Mercosur countries, our position has been that the EU beef sector must be protected. With this in mind our focus in recent weeks has been to build alliances with member states who...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I can confirm that my officials received the report titled "A Preliminary Report into the Pay, Terms Conditions and Representation for Stable and Stud Staff in the Horseracing Industry in Ireland" as commissioned by "Independents4Change"  on the 26th September. Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body responsible for the overall...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Farm Assist is a means-tested payment to low income farmers and is the responsibility of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It is administered by her Department and I am informed that in order to qualify for Farm Assist, an applicant must be a farmer, be aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test. Those in receipt of Farm Assist receive a weekly payment, which...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: As I have stated before, fisheries is, and will remain, a high priority for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations.  I am determined to ensure that fisheries remain high on the Brexit agenda in the EU and that the interests of Ireland's fishing communities are fully protected. I fully agree with the Deputy on the importance of ensuring that fisheries does not become isolated from the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Brexit will have an impact on the outlook for Irish agriculture including in Wexford.  Farming is an essential part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of Ireland. It is also part of a wider EU dispensation that values a Common Agriculture Policy built on family farming, food security, high standards of food safety and environmental sustainability.  These are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Knowledge Transfer Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Knowledge Transfer Programme was launched in summer 2016 as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020. The Programme builds on the success of the previous discussion group model, and seeks to provide farmers with high quality training and advice on a wide range of issues which will equip them to deal more effectively with the challenges and opportunities in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Fires (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The forest fire on Coillte lands at Cloosh Valley started on Saturday, 6th of May and was brought under control on Wednesday, 10th of May 2017. The fire spread across three separate fronts: a bog fire, a thicket fire and a tree crown fire. I understand that the fire was tackled by thirty five Coillte staff and contractors, three helicopters, two fire service tenders and thirty...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Data (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: In excess of 50,000 farmers have been approved into GLAS over three tranches. There are currently almost 37,000 active participants between GLAS 1 and 2. In addition, almost 13,500 have been approved this year into GLAS 3. This level of participation exceeds the target set in Ireland's Rural Development Programme. The average GLAS basic contract payment is €4,250 per...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I should emphasise that the National Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Eradication Programme is an industry led programme delivered by Animal Health Ireland (AHI).  A BVD Implementation Group (BVD IG) was formed in 2011 to take forward the planning and delivery of this programme. This group is comprised of Animal Health Ireland personnel, Veterinary Ireland nominees, farmer representatives...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TB Eradication Scheme (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I can inform the Deputy that the study in question has been completed and the findings were published in January 2017.  The findings can be found at: The objective of the trial was primarily to provide information as to the efficacy of an individually delivered oral vaccine in reducing the level of TB infection in the wild badger population. The results  demonstrate that oral BCG...