Results 13,081-13,100 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I was there recently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: To take up Deputy O'Keeffe's comments, we look at it from different perspectives. Sometimes I pick up the media commentary on this and I have a different reaction in this regard to that of Deputy O'Keeffe. That is not motivated by having a thin skin towards commentary on the efforts we have been making but rather the fact that all of this is played out in a transparent context with our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: We had a situation where the banks did not make profit and it was a more problematic issue for us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: There are two sides to that debate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: No. The Department approves applications to be an importer. As I said earlier, we have approximately 17 approved importers at the moment, between co-ops and others. Normally people will have a track record in previous import regimes. I think it is approximately 17 at the moment that have been approved. They are the best-placed people. They are in the marketplace and they have contacts...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I sincerely thank the members for their contributions and will deal with the points raised by Deputies Murphy O'Mahony, Fitzmaurice and the Chairman. Deputy Murphy O'Mahony raised the issue of access to finance. She instanced the case of paying €700 to an accountant to make a loan application to a bank. People can judge for themselves the wisdom of doing that. I certainly was not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The Deputy also made commentary about the store lamb trade. My understanding based on the advice available to me is that on the contrary the store lamb trade is quite strong at the moment. He referred to the decimation of the suckler herd. I do not know what his definition of decimation is. I acknowledge there has been a reduction in the suckler herd. The greatest reductions came in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I am sorry. In regard to the importers, we have an open mind about approving applications provided the applicant can assure us that he or she can meet the de minimisrequirements and administrative procedures necessary in respect of the scheme, which are the same for everybody. It is not just the dairy co-operatives; other non-co-operative structures have also received approval to import....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I am not sure what the Deputy has in mind regarding what I should do with the factories or beef operators. I am clear in respect of the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The point I am making about my function is that I cannot tell the beef factories to pay a certain amount next week. There is a difference in the ownership structure. The co-operatives are owned by the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: We track the prices here relative to the prices across the European Union to allow us to compare like with like. We are obliged to make weekly or monthly reports on that to the Commission. Our prices often stand up in respect of comparability, by which I mean the price paid to farmers here relative to prices paid elsewhere. Bear in mind that a processor here exports 90% of what it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortages and Drought Issues: Discussion (4 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I apologise for not responding on that point, which the Chairman raised in his contribution. We are one of the few EU member states that does not have an insurance-based model for dealing with circumstances such as fodder shortages and drought as part of its toolbox under the Common Agricultural Policy. Given the frequency with which events like this are occurring, that option should be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Household Incomes (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: Examination of appropriate measures to support all agrifood sectors, including the suckler and sheep sectors, is under way in my Department in preparation for the next iteration of the CAP. The measures adopted will be informed by stakeholder consultation on the needs of the sector to develop in an economically and environmentally sustainable way, as well as the available budget and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014–2020 (RDP) represents a substantial investment, by both the EU and the National Exchequer, in the agrifood sector and in Irish farmers. The RDP is co-funded by the EU’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to a sum of €2.19 billion over the programme lifespan. This EU funding is supplemented by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Invasive Plant Species (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is responsible for implementing the Wildlife Acts, the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477/2011), and the 2014 EU Regulation on invasive alien species (No. 1143/2014) which together provide the legislative framework on invasive alien species issues. In law, control of invasive species such...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Voluntary Homeowners Relocation Scheme (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, last year announced the introduction of a once-off targeted Voluntary Homeowner Relocation Scheme. As part of the announcement the Minister outlined that a feasibility study would be undertaken in relation to a potential once-off targeted scheme for Voluntary Farm Building Relocation. The study to determine the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: I can confirm that I have received representations from the group referred to in your question. The protection of animals during transport and related operations is legislated for by Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 and S.I. No. 675 of 2006 European Communities (Animal Transport and Control Post) Regulations 2006. The protection of animals during transport on dedicated livestock vessels...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: A full review has been carried out by the Regional Inspector, based on the outcome of the Agriculture Appeals Office decision. The person named will be informed in writing of the outcome of this review and any outstanding payments due as a result will issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The recent reduction applied on the parcel in question arose as a result of standard eligibility checks carried out by my Department. As a follow up to this process, a field visit is to be carried out in order to establish the most up to date position. This process should be completed shortly, and the results will be communicated directly to the person named.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Dogs (7 Sep 2018)

Michael Creed: The available evidence about numbers of dogs chipped indicates a very high level of compliance. The focus of enforcement by authorised officers operating under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 has mainly been on the wholesale sector and dogs being exported. Legal cases have mainly been taken against owners of unchipped dogs where this has occurred in conjunction with other issues, in...