Results 11,401-11,420 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Other Questions: Fodder Crisis (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am sure the Deputy is not suggesting I spend someone else's scheme payment on a fodder scheme.

Other Questions: Fodder Crisis (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: In making her suggestion about the underspend she is suggesting just that; therefore, it is necessary to be careful. She was seeking guidance on what a farmer needed to do to avail of the scheme. Farmers need to complete a fodder budgeting form which is available through their Teagasc adviser who will certify that a farmer has insufficient fodder and will need assistance. The farmer will...

Other Questions: Fodder Crisis (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: As I said to Deputy McConalogue earlier, the scheme I have introduced assists with the transport of fodder over long distances. It may well be the advice available to a farmer is to supplement existing hay or silage fodder he or she may have with stretch rations. That may be the best and most appropriate thing for him or her to do. In the scheme I announced, we are not in the business of...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I thank Deputy Smith for his question. The future of CAP is an issue of enormous importance for the European and Irish agrifood sectors. The CAP has demonstrated its capacity to evolve 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...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I thank Deputy Smith for his insights and analysis. We can have all of the ambition we want in respect of generational renewal and greater sustainability but if we do not have the budget, to which the Deputy referred, that is all wishful thinking. I see securing an adequate budget as the fundamental prerequisite to any of the rest. Commissioner Oettinger's commentary on CAP and the beady...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: Those states Deputy Smith mentioned would equally be adamant that now is their time for a greater or, as they would see it, a fairer share of the CAP budget. There are a lot of moving parts in this. We are certainly vigilant in the area of ensuring there is an adequate budget. The direction of travel is interesting. If we go back to the Treaty of Rome and the early 1970s, the level of the...

Other Questions: Suckler Welfare Scheme Payments (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am aware of the importance of the suckler sector to Ireland's rural economy and the wider agrifood industry. My Department provides a range of income and investment supports to suckler farmers, including direct payments and grant schemes such as the basic payment scheme, the areas of natural conservation, ANC, scheme, GLAS and TAMS, as well as the beef data and genomics programme, BDGP....

Other Questions: Suckler Welfare Scheme Payments (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am also anxious to facilitate Deputy Gallagher, so I will be brief. It is important that we deal with facts. There is no exodus from suckler herd farming. Indeed, it was expected that with the lifting of dairy quotas, there would be a significantly greater exodus. The current figures show a reduction of in or around 6% in the suckler cow herd from just under 1 million to approximately...

Other Questions: Fishing Vessel Licences (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I thank Deputy Gallagher for his question. As he will be aware, the Supreme Court judgments on the European Union (Common Fisheries Policy) (Point System) Regulations 2014 - SI 3 of 2014 - were delivered on 12 December. This statutory instrument established a points system to apply to the licenceholder of a sea-fishing boat when a serious infringement of the rules of the Common Fisheries...

Other Questions: Fishing Vessel Licences (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I appreciate the Deputy's long-standing interest in this matter. I assure him that there has been a long and extensive consultation with the industry on it. Most recently, I engaged with the industry in October. The industry was a party to the Supreme Court ruling, which was issued in December. The findings of the Supreme Court were published during the December Council meeting in...

Other Questions: Fishing Vessel Licences (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: The statutory instrument will fully reflect the Supreme Court ruling.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Quotas (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: After an intensive two days of negotiations, I managed to secure a total package of fish quotas worth €266 million for Irish fisherman for 2018. This included an 8% increase in the value of whitefish quotas leading to a new total of €152 million for the quota. Ireland’s quota for prawns also increased by 15% in 2018, which is the biggest single increase in over a decade...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: Informal discussions on future CAP policy post 2020 have been afoot since mid 2016 at many different fora.  Since then, more formal discussions have taken place at several Agri-Fish Councils in 2017 under the Maltese, Estonian and Bulgarian Presidencies.  Such discussions gave me the opportunity to discuss the future CAP policy with counterparts across member states,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Payments (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am very aware of the importance of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, which issues annual payments in excess of €200 million to over 95,000 farmers.  The ANC Scheme has always been recognised as a very important support for rural society and farmers across the country who farm constrained lands.  In light of the importance of the scheme, the Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: The pursuit and development of new markets for Irish agri-food exports is of course an ongoing and central component of the strategic development of the agri-food sector, as evidenced by its placement right at the centre of Food Wise 2025, the industry’s strategy for development over the coming decade. Indeed, this is all the more relevant after the UK’s decision to leave...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dog Breeding Industry (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am aware that DEFRA have begun a consultation process on proposals to introduce a ban  on commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens in England, the outcome of which is not expected until later in the year. The UK proposals are a matter of consultation so it is too early to speculate as to what their detailed impact on the sector in Ireland might be other than to note that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: The Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government is the lead authority for the Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters Regulations, otherwise known as the Nitrates Regulations, with a major role being played by my Department. Ireland successfully agreed with the European Commission in late 2017 on its fourth Nitrates Action Programme running from 2018 to 2021,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dog Breeding Industry (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: The welfare of animals is regulated by the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.  The Act applies to all animals, whether kept for commercial, domestic, sport, show or other purposes and contains robust measures against the ill-treatment of animals. The Act also provides for the application of fines and imprisonment on conviction of an offence. Trade within the EU of dogs is governed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tuberculosis Eradication Programme (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: I am informed that the outbreak in South Kerry is largely confined to eight electoral divisions. During 2017, 53 herds in these areas were restricted with a total of 302 reactors removed, 32 of the restrictions followed reactor disclosure at a contiguous herd test. The first breakdown in the area took place in Autumn 2016 and since then outbreaks have been investigated and managed by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Identification Schemes (13 Feb 2018)

Michael Creed: My Department provides for the use of EID (electronic) tags in the supply of bovine tags to herd keepers by approved tag vendors.  In this regard herd keepers can voluntarily choose to identify bovine animals using a conventional and electronic tag. If a keeper wishes to use EID on all the animals in the herd, a request should be made to the Regional Veterinary Office whereby one...