Results 17,261-17,280 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: A national Outbreak Control team has been established by the HSE to deal with all issues relating to Covid 19 in meat plants. My Department is represented on this committee and it is expected that recommendations, including any in relation to testing, will issue from this group in due course. Any clusters of cases in individual meat plants, in common with clusters in other...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: My Department supplies PPE to its own staff and contractors in Food Business premises.  It does not supply PPE to Food Business personnel.  Food business have put in place a range of protective practices and equipment to protect employee safety and these include measures such as the reduction of throughput rates at the plant, temperature checks on entry into the plant, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: A National Outbreak Control Team has been established, chaired by the HSE, to co-ordinate the response to COVID 19 outbreaks in meat plants in Ireland. My Department is represented on that Committee. I expect that policy in relation to all aspects of dealing with Covid 19 outbreaks in meat factories will be guided by the output from this Committee. I am not aware at this time of any plans for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Under Ireland's current Rural Development Plan (2014 -2020) the amount of land under organic production has seen an increase of nearly 50% to nearly 74,000 hectares.  A budget of €56m was allocated to fund the Organic Farming Schemes opened during the period 2014 to 2020 which was the largest allocation ever to an Organics support scheme.  This allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tuberculosis Eradication Programme (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Under the Bovine TB Eradication Programme, every herd in the country must undergo at least one herd test annually.  All eligible cattle on the holding, regardless of ownership, must be presented for testing. Primary responsibility for arranging and paying for this annual test rests with the farmer. Where TB is found in a herd, a suite of supplementary testing is initiated...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The change to the stocking density rules relating to donkeys under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme was introduced following consultation with the farming bodies and other relevant stakeholders.  Applicants can now only use donkeys to fulfil 50% of their stocking requirements under the scheme.  This change was introduced on foot of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers Funding (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl under statute. In addition, my Department also has responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of North Harbour at Cape Clear, as well as the maintenance of a small number of specific piers, lights and beacons...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) is operationally independent of my Department.  The FAC schedule their own cases for hearing and will be in touch directly with the person named regarding the scheduling of this hearing.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Issues (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 893 and 894 together. In relation to the continuation of existing schemes under the Rural Development Programmes, as there is no certainty at EU level on the budget or on the timeframe of the transitional measures, it is not therefore possible to make decisions on the continuation of RDP schemes such as GLAS, until clarification is available. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Felling Licences (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Firstly, 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). The Habitats Directive (Article 6.3) requires that where a plan or project is likely to have a significant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (20 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 welfare of greyhounds remains a priority for Bord...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: I announced on 8 May a Covid-19 Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme for fishing vessels in the Polyvalent, Beam Trawl and Specific segments of the fleet, to be implemented under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme 2014-20, co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. The purpose of the scheme is to address the supply of  fish...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The export of live animals is a matter for private operators. In the case of the export in question, as with all other exports, the function of my Department was to ensure that all of the conditions of certification are met prior to export. These conditions relate to the health and welfare of the animals, and are generally set by the country of import. In this case, my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The information with regard to the numbers of workers tested or positive in meat plants is a matter for the personnel, the Food Businesses and the Health Service Executive. My Department supplies PPE to its own staff and contractors in Food Businesses. It does not supply PPE to Food Business Personnel.  Food business have put in place a range of protective practices and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Reports (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Data on agri-food sector trade in my Department's Annual Report is broken down into 26 categories identified and agreed by my Department and the Central Statistics Office. Products and Raw Goods are categorised using combined nomenclature (CN) codes, a European harmonised system used to classify goods for customs and trade. These categories include non-edible agri-food items such as Forestry...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The changes to the stocking density rules relating to donkeys under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme were brought in following consultation with the farming bodies and other relevant stakeholders.  Applicants can now only use donkeys to fulfil 50% of their stocking requirements under the scheme.   Following the agreement of this change with the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: I wish to advise the Deputy that all issues relating to the Bord Bia Sustainable Quality Assurance Programmes are an operational matter for that organisation.   However, I have been advised by Bord Bia that the primary objective of the proposed platform is to enable the Irish agri-sector to quantify and co-ordinate the totality of sustainability activity on Irish farms, and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The majority of the potatoes grown in Ireland are produced for supply to the fresh retail market. I am fully aware of the challenges posed by the closure of the food services sector, however it is well established that there has been particularly strong demand for potatoes at retail level in recent months. It is hoped that, in line with the Government’s Roadmap for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: Legislation relating to the welfare of horses, like that pertaining to the welfare of all species, is grounded in the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. The legislation is applied by authorised officers based in my Department’s network of regional veterinary offices, officers of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Irish Society for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (20 May 2020)

Michael Creed: The export of live animals is a matter for private operators. In the case of the export in question, as with all other exports, the function of my Department was to ensure that all of the conditions of certification are met prior to export. These conditions relate to the health and welfare of the animals, and are generally set by the country of import. In this case, my Department has...