Results 2,741-2,760 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Fodder beet and other crops such as maize and sugar beet are excluded from the eligible crops list for the purposes of the Tillage Scheme of TAMS II. These crops are sown primarily as a forage crop for animal feed.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The person named applied for a grant under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme of TAMS II.This application was rejected as the applicant had insufficient hectares of eligible crops as per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme which states: The Scheme is open to farmers who (i) prior to submitting the online TAMS II application have a minimum of 15 hectares of eligible crops which have...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The political agreement between EU and Mercosur includes a detailed chapter on Sustainable Development goals. The agreement recognises the need to address the urgent threat of climate change and the role trade has in this regard. It also underscores the importance of both Parties implementing the provisions of the Paris Agreement.  It is fundamental that these provisions...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (9 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: In line with the Government Decision on the 4th of January of this year, my Department has ceased the use of single use plastics in all of its canteen facilities. All stocks of plastic beverage containers, cutlery, straws etc. were used up by the end of March and they have now been replaced with either compostable or metal alternatives. This was done in conjunction with an awareness...

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

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. Carbon sequestration by forests is influenced by a range of factors including species, soil type, site conditions and management practices. Irish forests are currently estimated to sequester 3.8Mt of Co2 per year. On average, a productive hectare of spruce forest may sequester 10 tonnes of CO2 per year over a 35 year period. This...

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

Michael Creed: General information on wood energy is available through the website and advisory service which is funded by my Department. This website provides a broad range of information to forest owners and industry regarding the production of wood fuels in Ireland. The calorific values of specific wood fuels have been examined in a number of projects funded by my Department and are available online as...

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

Michael Creed: Designated bike parking spaces are made available in my Department offices subject to the location, layout and access to the building. Bike parking spaces are available at the offices of my Department shown in the table. Agriculture House, Dublin Backweston, Celbridge, Co Kildare Government Offices, Portlaoise Farnham Street, Cavan Johnstown Castle, Wexford Dublin Port Dublin...

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

Michael Creed: The car used by me in the performance of my official duties is a Skoda Superb 2.0 diesel.

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 (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The announcement on Friday last of an EU-Mercosur trade agreement marks the end of 20 years of negotiations between the two blocs. While I acknowledge the importance of balanced international trade deals for Ireland's economy, including its agricultural sector, I am disappointed that the agreement includes a significant tariff rate quota, TRQ, that would allow the importation of beef from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: At the outset, and the Deputy has alluded to this, I should point out that in discussing the CAP funding, we must bear in mind that this funding forms part of a broader European Union budget which is agreed by Heads of State and Government and ministers for finance. The European Commission has proposed, as part of the MFF for 2021 to 2027, that funding for the Common Agricultural Policy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I do not underestimate the scale of this challenge at all because of the unanimity requirement. As the Deputy alluded to, the critique of some member states to the Commission's proposals of June 2018 has been that the published proposals for financial cuts do not go far enough. That is a particularly challenging starting point. Those countries, namely, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and...