Results 2,661-2,680 of 7,978 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Our masters.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We are Irish. We are not European.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (7 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: To move on from the last debate, food and energy security is the most important matter for any country. Yesterday evening, as the Minister is probably aware given he is the Minister over it, the EU diktat voted that gas and nuclear are basically going to be classed as green resources, which I do not have a problem with. The Minister is probably also aware of some of things going on in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Under competition law, is there anything to protect the------

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The witnesses are welcome. With regard to the new body that is being set up and the CCPC, is there any change at present? Our understanding, from talking to the Minister last week, is that the body is not allowed to talk about price. It can compare with other places in Europe, for example, what cattle are making in the beef sector. It is basically nearly trying to embarrass someone,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. If the committee decided, as Deputy Carthy pointed out, to recommend amendments because it believed the Bill should stop below-cost selling which, unfortunately, happens in many of the supermarkets, what would be the reaction of Retail Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: No, Mr. Dillon did not listen to me. The committee, as has been pointed out by Deputy Carthy, has the right to propose amendments. If these amendments were accepted, what would be the views of Retail Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I presume Mr. Dillon would agree that nobody should have to produce something below the cost of production.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Hold on now. Retail Ireland represents these retailers and the specifications have been here for three, four and five years, and in the last year. Nothing has changed. I am asking the question. Did the housewife or the person who buys the food decide? How come it changed all of a sudden when the numbers got tight? Is it the processor or is it the retailer? Who is it that decided that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would it surprise Mr. Dillon that an animal for eating had to be under 30 months old, with less than four movements, and be Bord Bia quality assured, and then Retail Ireland members decided that the animals could be more than 30 months old, with five movements and did not have to be Bord Bia assured? Would that surprise Mr. Dillon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The beef task force is gone. The beef task force has been gone for a long time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The competition authority was in here earlier and there was more stuff we could have done with asking them. In any event, does Mr. Dillon find a lot of overlap between the CCPC and this new body?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With regard to retail at the moment, under the circumstances of inflation and so on how is it performing in relation to the food sector? We hear that in parts of Europe certain things are not as much in demand. What is the situation here in Ireland?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With regard to unfair trading practices, is Mr. Dillon concerned that, if an analysis of credit offered to the retail sector by the agricultural sector is carried out, some retail outfits might be shown up as requiring long periods of credit in respect of the produce they buy from those who grow it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry but unfair trading practices could mean knocking a long distance out of someone who is supplying stuff that might not survive. I cannot understand why Retail Ireland does not engage with many of the issues I have asked about. You would imagine there would be unanimous agreement among retailers that they need the producers of their products.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: This new body will be monitoring European prices and monitoring a lot of other different things. Does Mr. Dillon think it would raise an eyebrow that up to one year ago, retailers and factories had a lot of different specifications around the 30-month rule, the movements and all of the other stuff around Bord Bia quality assured specs? I assume it is the same people eating the same food in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services (5 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 152. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the performance indicators that have been agreed with an airline (details supplied) on the regional development of routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36187/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Air Services (5 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 153. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the role his Department plays in the issuing of moneys from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to an airline (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36189/22]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Strategic Infrastructure (5 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 162. To ask the Minister for Finance the measures put in place by his Department to guarantee that the monies lent by the Irish Strategic Investment Fund will be used only for aviation development within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36184/22]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Strategic Infrastructure (5 Jul 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 163. To ask the Minister for Finance the details of the measures in place to monitor the way in which, and the location, of the moneys lent by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund are spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36185/22]