Results 15,841-15,860 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grocery Industry Regulation (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My Department takes any allegations of breaches of animal welfare rules very seriously and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Laboratory Facilities (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 to 378, inclusive, and 380 together. As part of the strategic re-development of the Department's Laboratories, the Dublin RVL is now primarily focused on providing diagnostic and investigative services to the pig and poultry sectors, including post-mortem examination. The staff resources available for this work is a Senior Research Officer with an annual...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Laboratory Facilities (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Amelioration works have been completed on the Department's High Containment Laboratory at Backweston Campus so that this facility now complies with the highest international standards (the Australia/New Zealand standard for level 4 laboratories). This new facility will provide my Department with a suitable space within which any exotic virus of farmed animals can be safely and effectively...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. My Department takes any allegations of breaches of animal welfare rules very seriously and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Data (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a specific disadvantage. In the context of the discussions with the EU Commission in early 2015 regarding the inclusion of the group...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department supervised the recent modification trial that was carried out in Slaney Meats, Bunclody to establish compliance with EU legislation, in terms of the new mechanical beef carcase classification technology being trialled. A classification expert from the Netherlands independently monitored the two year trial and produced a detailed report. The Report will include accuracy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 and 385 together. While as a small, open economy, Ireland is supportive of international trade deals, I am very concerned at the potential impact of elements of the EU-Mercosur political agreement on the Irish beef sector. Throughout the negotiation process, Ireland has consistently opposed any agreement that would have negative consequences for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: We are yet to see full texts of the agreement, but the main points that have been identified at this stage from an agriculture perspective are as follows: For the Mercosur countries, the agreement will liberalise 91% of trade overall - 72% will be liberalised in 10 years or less. On agri-food trade, duties will be gradually eliminated on 93% of tariff lines concerning EU exports,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (4 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The 2016 cumulative impact assessment, carried out by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, was something that Ireland, supported by France and other Member States, had called for in the context of the significant threat presented to the European agriculture sector, and particularly the beef sector, by Mercosur and other free trade negotiations. The study outlined the potentially...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I would like to be associated with the good wishes that have been extended to Deputy Troy. It is important that we do not fall into the trap of talking about this as if it is a done deal. As I have said previously, the heads of an agreement have been negotiated by the outgoing Trade Commissioner and agreed by the outgoing Commission, but have not been approved by the Council of Ministers,...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I will. The Deputy is presenting this as a done deal, whereas I see it as a job of work to be addressed. As the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has said, we have been deeply engaged on all of these matters with our counterparts in the Council of Ministers. I have engaged directly with Commissioner Hogan on several occasions. The Deputy has asked a specific question about quota segmentation....

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: In my view, carcass weight equivalent is a carcass. It is not all steak cuts. As I see it, the only segmentation that is envisaged in the context of carcass weight equivalent is the 55:45 split between fresh beef and frozen beef. I believe a carcass is all of the carcass. We must ensure the detailed legal expression of carcass weight equivalent-----

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: -----is structured in a way that enables us to ensure it is not all accounted for by steak cuts but is the equivalent steak cut of any individual carcass. Otherwise, the detail will be to our significant disadvantage. That challenge is there for all of us. The Deputy has access to his colleagues at European level. Commissioner Malmström is a member of ALDE, to which Fianna Fáil...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's first question related specifically to segmentation and steak cuts. I believe that in the context of carcass weight equivalent, we will have an opportunity to influence the legal text. This is not a done deal. There is a job of work to be done. In that context, I imagine we will work with the Food and Veterinary Office, the European Food Safety Authority and like-minded...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Hilton quota, as envisaged, sees-----

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The agreement is subject to ratification. No agreement comes in until the ratification process has been completed.

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The ratification process is a complex system. As I understand it, in the first instance it involves approval by the Council of Ministers in qualified majority. Depending on what the Commission presents thereafter, and on whether there is a provisional application of this agreement, it may require approval by the European Parliament and there may be subsequent involvement on the part of...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The text of what has been put in front of the member states talks about carcass weight equivalent. The opportunity presents itself in the context of giving legal effect to that headline agreement to influence in respect of terms of carcass weight equivalent. I consider carcass weight equivalent to be the carcass, not just all prime cuts. The only segmentation alluded to is the 45%:55% split...

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I share the Deputy’s concerns about the lack of an apparent level playing pitch. Most Irish farmers with whom I engage say they will take on competition from anywhere, as long as the playing pitch is level and we are comparing like with like. In that context, we need only recall the 2017 Brazilian meat scandal, the carne fraca scandal, with which I am sure the Deputy is familiar....

EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Commission, particularly in the agriculture area, has conducted assessments of our engagement on this issue. The cumulative impact assessment was based on a set of conditions, which are not the conditions that are proposed now. I will not be hidebound by any analysis done by the Commission. The Government has clearly stated that the Government will conduct an impact assessment of the...