Results 17,141-17,160 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: We will continue to work in the EU with colleagues to try to deliver the best possible deal. As to whether that might be a BEAM 2, we are seeking exceptional aid measures for the livestock sector generally because we foresee difficult challenges ahead for it. We have moved from a situation where the response to countries was to relax state aid rules and tell them to go off and fix it...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: I am glad to see the Deputy is not.

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: If the Deputy has evidence of the latter, he should bring it to the appropriate authorities. Evidence from my chief veterinary officer and staff in the Department is that at these individual plants, everything is being done by management, in conjunction with my Department and the HSE, to deal with these issues. On the issue of bringing forward payments, we have had discussions with the...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: The Deputy is calling for an Irish market for Irish beef. I would love for that to be the case while, at the same time, selling our beef everywhere else without any consequences. We need to be the most vigilant about renationalisation because we are very dependent on exports. This issue is not something that I welcome but I am certainly not going to jump on a populist bandwagon because...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: As it was not raised in any great detail by other Members, I will reply to the fishing points. I have had a lot of engagement, including as late as yesterday, with representatives of the fishing industry. The Deputy is correct in his analysis that there is a challenge whether one is an inshore or offshore fisherman. We have been granted a freedom to reallocate European Maritime and...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: We recognise that we have some room to manoeuvre in terms of EMFF funding that may have been earmarked for expenditure in other areas but due to Covid-19 it will not now be necessary. We are looking at how we might reallocate the funding. There is a view that up to €30 million is available in the context of uncommitted EMFF funding but there is not the smell of that kind of money....

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: That point is applicable to every sector in the economy. I appreciate that in the context of tonight's debate the issue is what other supports might be available. However, whatever other supports are available, we need to make sure that we get the maximum bang for our buck in terms of how we target the funding. In consideration of that, I am following two direct levels of engagement on...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: On the latter point, bar one exception where Bord Bia acknowledged there was a difficulty, if one sees a Bord Bia quality assurance stamp on it, it is an Irish product and there should be no mystery about that. In terms of the issue of imports to which Deputy McNamara alluded, does it not send a shiver down his spine when he sees the National Farmers Union in the United Kingdom giving out...

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: On the Beef Market Taskforce, I am amused at Deputy McNamara's inference that this was a vehicle - if that was the Deputy's view, it certainly did not work - to secure Fine Gael through the election. Far from it, the taskforce is a serious piece of work. It is in the difficulty that all of us are in in terms of meetings but there is ongoing engagement with all of the constituent members....

Covid-19 (Agriculture, Food and the Marine): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Michael Creed: Perhaps I might make a final point on the areas of natural constraint, ANC, issue. As I alluded to earlier, I am not really in favour of flexibility on the ANC stocking rate. The Deputy alluded to the price of cattle. Removing the obligation on buyers of cattle to meet that stocking density requirement will completely remove the floor from the price of cattle. What looks like a good idea...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (13 May 2020)

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. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon and therefore the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: My Department purchases newspapers and periodicals in compliance with procurement guidelines and it avails of Office of Government Procurement framework agreements. Digital format is always encouraged and, when feasible and cost effective, access is authenticated via IP recognition. All expenditure is monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved. The total...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: My Department uses web filtering technologies to control access to websites. For operational reasons. the information is kept on the filtering infrastructure for a limited time and is available only from 27thMay 2019. The list below is based on number of requests made to the websites but it is not possible to distinguish between automated and user generated requests as the opening of a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Felling Licences (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 901 and 907 together. I am aware that there are currently delays to issuing forestry licences and I acknowledge that this is causing difficulties for some in the sector. The current licensing difficulties are as a result of the changes made to internal Appropriate Assessment Procedures (AAP). These were introduced in response to important Court of Justice of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The person named is a participant in both the Green, Low Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS). Farmers are permitted to participate in both schemes but certain actions on land parcels in GLAS do not permit a payment on the same land parcel in OFS. The land parcel mentioned above formed part of the GLAS contract for the person named and the applicant has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are law enforcement matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning law enforcement of sea fisheries law are, as a matter of Statute law, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (13 May 2020)

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. The question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for Bord na gCon and therefore the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The applicant in question was approved under the TAMS II Dairy Equipment Scheme for the purchase of a robotic milking machine. Upon examination of the claim for payment, it was noted that the receipt was in the name of a leasing company. As per the terms and conditions of the scheme, third party financing of an investment by lease or hire purchase is not allowed, the claim was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Inspections and approval certificates for vessels for the transport of live exports from Ireland are processed in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on Animal Transport, Carriage of Livestock by Sea Regulations 2016, (S.I. 356 of 2016) and the European Communities (Animal Transport and Control Post) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 675 of 2006). My Department receives regular...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (13 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department. I have been advised by the Agriculture Appeals Office that a comprehensive review of the case was undertaken by the Director of Agriculture Appeals. The review has been finalised and a letter has issued to the person named advising of the outcome.