Results 14,061-14,080 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: The Minister has not met the organisation in question to discuss this issue. Matters of this nature should be reported to An Garda Siochana and to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: One of my priorities is to improve access to finance for the agri-food sector. Food Wise 2025 identifies competiveness as a key theme and includes a recommendation that stakeholders work to “improve access to finance for agriculture, forestry and seafood producers and agri-food companies”. The Future Growth Loan Scheme is being developed by my Department and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with competition law, neither I nor my Department have any role in determining market prices for any commodity, nor can I intervene in this process. I am conscious that this has been a difficult year for the sector in terms of weather and the range of challenges associated with it. We have to acknowledge that input costs at farm level will be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: I am very aware of the significance to farmers and the wider rural economy of the payments that issue to farmers from my Department under a range of schemes. With this in mind, my Department continues to issue payments under these schemes as a matter of priority. Payments under the 2018 Areas of Natural Constraint scheme commenced, on schedule, during the week commencing 17th September...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing Regulation (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: First, I would like to recall the major improvements in animal welfare that have taken place in recent years. You will recall that my colleague Simon Coveney brought forward major legislative reform in the form of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2103, replacing legislation going back over a hundred years. This legislation enshrined the Five Freedoms concept and introduced mandatory...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Missions (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: In 2018 my Department continued to open new markets and deepen trade within existing markets for Irish agri-food exporters, the highlight of which was probably the decision of the Chinese authorities to open their market to Irish beef imports by listing a number of approved Irish beef establishments. Other notable achievements were agreements with Qatar and Kuwait which allowed for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: My Department is actively engaged as part of the whole of Government approach to transitioning to a low-carbon, competitive, sustainable and climate resilient economy and society. A key part of this cross-government approach has been the development of the National Mitigation Plan (NMP) to which my Department contributed a series of mitigation actions and measures for the agriculture and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: The agri-food sector is of critical importance to the Irish economy, and its regional spread means it underpins the socio-economic development of rural Ireland in particular. As such, Brexit has the potential to have a very significant impact on farmers and on the agri-food sector throughout Ireland, including farmers in the border counties. The Government has, from the outset, been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheep Census (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: There is currently a facility on the Agfood.ie site for farmers to submit their annual sheep and goat census figures to the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database and to view their historical sheep and goat census data. Furthermore there is a facility on the website for farmers to order books of personalised sheep dispatch/movement document books and to view their order history...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harness Racing Industry (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: In March 2018, my Department agreed to fund the preparation and development of a Five Year Strategic Plan for the Irish Harness Racing Association and the sector. The report was recently received and Department officials are currently examining its contents. My Department had previously funded the Indecon Report of the Irish Harness Racing Sector, which was published on 1st November 2017....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: Under the current Rural Development Regulation (and subsequent amendments under the Omnibus Regulation) Member States are required to change the approach to the designation of land under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. To date my Department had been identifying eligible areas using a range of socio economic indicators such as family farm income, population density, percentage of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pesticide Use (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: The EU regulatory process used in Ireland for authorising plant protection products is widely acknowledged to be one of the most robust chemical regulatory systems in the world. Pesticide active substances to be used in plant protection products (PPPs) can only be approved in the EU if a rigorous scientific assessment clearly shows that their use would not be expected to have any harmful...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: My Department’s Brexit planning, guided by recent Government decisions, is well advanced and from an agrifood perspective, I welcome the endorsement by the European Council of the Withdrawal Agreement, and approval of the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship. My officials are working closely with their counterparts in other Departments, with a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: Live exports play a vital role in stimulating price competition and provide an alternative market outlet for farmers. The on-going search for new markets is a priority for my Department, particularly in the context of Brexit. In 2018, up to 10 November over 227,000 head of cattle were exported. This is a 30% increase on the period last year. Exports to other EU countries significantly...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishery Harbour Centres (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: Howth Fishery Harbour Centre is one of the six designated Fishery Harbour Centres which are owned, managed and maintained by my Department under Statute. Siltation at Howth FHC is recognised as an issue that will require attention and preparation work for a possible dredging project has been underway for some time. A report from site investigation works, which was commissioned in 2015, was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: Overall, Ireland’s and the EU27’s basic position has always been and remains to be to protect our fishing communities. While all parties would like higher quota shares, the way to achieve that is to grow the fish stocks through sustainable management for the benefit of all. Managing fisheries sustainably and fairly must be an integral and inseparable part of the overall future...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulation of Hunting (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: During the summer officials of my Department met with the Hunting Association of Ireland to discuss the incident in Macroom. The need to strengthen the existing Code of Practice in order to avoid such incidents where hounds entered housing estates was discussed. This matter is being further pursued with them. In the meantime, the Association has committed to avoiding any re-occurrence of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: I am very aware of the significance to farmers, agri-business, and the wider rural economy, of the payments that issue to farmers from my Department under schemes such as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), GLAS, TAMS, the Sheep Welfare Scheme, and the Knowledge Transfer (KT) programme. Payments under the 2018 ANC scheme commenced, on schedule, during the week commencing 17th September 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheep Welfare Scheme Data (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: I am very conscious of the important role that the sheep sector plays in relation to the continued growth and development of our agri-food sector. For example, in 2017 some 63,000 tonnes of Irish sheep meat worth €311 million was exported, with diversification evident from our traditional primary markets of France and the UK. I have therefore ensured that my Department has put in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (6 Dec 2018)

Michael Creed: The Deputy has raised an issue in relation to a commercial decision by an individual company. I as Minister cannot have a role in dictating the commercial decisions made by any business. However, I would like to see that the best interests of the Irish dairy sector as a whole are at the core of any decisions made by Irish dairy companies. I would hope that both parties in this instance will...