Results 14,281-14,300 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme Data (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The target for Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 was to attract some 16,000 hectares of new land into organic production and to support 46,000 hectares of converted land over the lifetime of the programme. I am very pleased to report that this target was exceeded within the first year of the opening of the Organic Farming Scheme. Since 2015, a total of 26,000 ha of land has been added...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 to 202, inclusive, together. Access for beef and pigmeat to the US is already in place. Ireland was the first EU Member State to be granted beef market access to the USA in 2015. In July 2016, my Department received approval to send Beef Intended for Grinding (BIFG), also known as manufacturing beef to the US. A total of 10 Irish plants have been approved...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: I launched an action plan on Market Access in April 2017. This plan aims to increase international market access for Irish food and drink exports and focuses on seven particular elements including barriers to trade. My Department actively works and engages with various competent authorities in third countries in order to try and remove various technical barriers to trade and to improve...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: Live exports are a critical part of the infrastructure of our livestock industry. They play a significant role in stimulating price competition and provide an alternative market outlet for farmers. They are however commercial transactions which can be impacted on by various factors. My Department continues to engage with authorities in third countries to seek to agree market access and to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 to 207, inclusive, together. In 2018 Irish agri-food exports reached an estimated €13.6 billion. Within that, overall meat and livestock exports increased by 1% to an estimated €3.97 billion according to the Bord Bia Performance and Prospects 2018/2019 report which I launched last week. Bord Bia estimates the total value of beef exports,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: Irish Agri-food exports and imports are broken down into categories identified and agreed by my Department and the Central Statistics Office. Products and Raw goods are categorised using combined nomenclature codes, a European harmonised system used to classify goods for customs and trade purposes. These categories include items such as Forestry and Animal Hides and Skins, along with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: In January to October 2018, Ireland exported dairy products, including dairy ingredients to 137 countries totalling over €3.7 billion worth of produce in the first 10 months of the year. The following table, based on CSO data, outlines details in respect of values and tonnage by country. It is understood that the first CSO estimates for the full year 2018 will be available in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Bodies Data (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: As regards the twelve State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pesticide Use (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department is acutely aware of the importance of chlorothalonil to the cereal producing sector in Ireland, not only as a primary disease control tool but more critically as a resistance management tool, protecting other chemical families from the development of pathogen resistance. A key issue in the reauthorisation process is a change in the classification for carcinogenicity proposed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The European Union scheme of geographical indications (GI) protects the names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs where a strong link exists between the product’s characteristics and a defined geographical area. In the case of a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) the product must be produced or processed or prepared in the geographical area and a specific quality,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department is evaluating relevant measures to feed into the next iteration of the CAP. Decisions on all aspects will be informed by the final outcome of CAP negotiations at EU level, the available budget, empirical data and extensive stakeholder consultation. The organisation referred to by the Deputy has made a submission as part of my Department's public consultation process. All such...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (17 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The reported comments by George Eustice MP are somewhat speculative in nature, and I would point out by way of counter-argument that, according to the UK National Beef Association, the UK is about 75% self-sufficient in beef. In addition, Bord Bia’s recently published Export Performance and Prospects 2018/2019 report, it states that exports of beef to the UK, continued to increase,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Land Transfers (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department, has been actively engaged in efforts to resolve the complex conveyancing issues concerned in this case which centred on establishing ownership of a piece of land bordering Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre. With further legal oversight my officials have re-engaged with Cork County Council to definitively establish who can deal with the transfer of the property in question....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Issues (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The above named person was accepted into GLAS 2 with a start date of 1 January 2016 and is fully up to date with payments. As the GLAS contract of the person named contains the commonage action, Commonage Management Plans (CMP) were developed, in consultation with shareholders, for each of the five commonages claimed by the appointed Commonage advisor. These plans set out defined stocking...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: While overall targets are set for planting programme as a whole, only Native Woodland, Agroforestry, and Forestry for fibre have specific planting targets and there are no specific targets for the other Grant and Premium Categories (GPC) 1 to 8 inclusive. The relevant data is provided below in tabular form as requested. Planting Programme Scheme 2015 target 2015 Actual % of target planted...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Data (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: I refer the Deputy to his question raised last October, (41679/18 – Dáil Question No 153), in which he requested the same data. The area of land afforested in each county is indicated in the table below, which is taken from the third NFI. The area of forest is estimated to be 770,020 ha or 11% of the total land area of Ireland (NFI 2017). County % Area Carlow 9.4 Cavan 9.3...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The Forestry Act 2014, which was commenced on 24thMay 2017, along with the Forestry Regulations 2017 (SI No 191/2017) are the regulatory provisions in place with regard to forestry operations. In tandem with this, there are a number of guidelines and standards, which detail the technical requirements of forestry plantations. These are readily available on my Department's website. Setback...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Data (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: A specific condition of State Aid approval for the Forestry Programme 2014 -2020 is to aim for annual planting of 30% broadleaves. Following the Mid-term Review of the Forestry Programme I introduced increased grant and premium rates for native woodlands, agro-forestry and forestry for fibre Grant and Premium Categories in early 2018 aiming at increasing the annual broadleaf planting rates....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The pursuit and development of new markets for Irish agri-food exports is an ongoing and central component of the strategic development of the agri-food sector, as evidenced by its placement at the centre of Food Wise 2025, the industry's strategy for development over the coming decade. Food Wise 2025 outlines the huge potential for growth in agri-food exports to new and emerging markets,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Appeals (22 Jan 2019)

Michael Creed: The application in question was in relation to investments under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II. This application was the subject of an on-farm inspection. It is a requirement that the payments claimed be verified as part of such an inspection. In this case an issue arose in relation to non-compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme resulting in the...