Results 2,841-2,860 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Forests can make an important contribution to climate action through the sequestration and storage of carbon dioxide and by supplying sustainable and renewable materials that support the decarbonisation of our economy. The Government's Climate Action Plan 2019 recognises this key role which afforestation has to play in climate change mitigation particularly through carbon sequestration....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department recognises wetlands as an important carbon pool. Reducing emissions from these areas is a means to contribute to our climate ambitions through mobilising Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) credits over the period 2021 to 2030. This is an important part of Agriculture's contribution to the emission reductions and is set out in the all of Government Climate Action...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Ireland is internationally recognised as having one of the most carbon efficient systems of food production in the EU, and when compared to other EU countries Ireland has a comparative advantage in grass-based carbon efficient livestock production. Innovations unique to Ireland such as the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), refining Economic Breeding Indexes (EBIs) for our dairy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Imports (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Food products placed on the marketplace are covered by a range of legislation designed to ensure that products supplied to consumers are of the highest safety standards. My Department plays a part in the enforcement of this legislation along with other Government departments and State Agencies such as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Health Service Executive. The FSAI is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Ireland does not recognise the United Kingdom’s claim to sovereignty over Rockall. The waters around Rockall, including within 12 nautical miles, are part of sea area 6b, within which Irish vessels, like those of other EU Member States, have a right of access under the Common Fisheries Policy. The Irish Government has consistently said this matter should be dealt with through...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Food Wise 2025, the latest ten year strategy for the agri-food sector published in July 2015, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to develop and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: According to the CSO, Ireland exported almost €3.9 billion worth of meat with a volume of over 1 million tonnes, to approx. 70 countries in 2018. In 2018, Ireland exported dairy products to approximately 140 countries totalling over €4.5 billion worth of produce, an increase of over 5% by volume compared to 2017. Opening new markets and expanding existing ones is a key part...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I have introduced a number of supports to assist the agri-food sector in preparing to address the challenges posed by Brexit. These include: - the €300 million Brexit Loan Scheme for Brexit-impacted SMEs and mid-cap businesses. The funding arrangements ensure that at least 40% of the fund is available to food businesses. Up to 14 June 2019, 585 applications have been approved....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides the framework for the long term conservation and sustainability of fish stocks around our shores and is designed to ensure the long term sustainability of fishing in Ireland and throughout EU waters. The CFP specifically calls for the progressive restoration and maintenance of populations of fish stocks above biomass levels capable of producing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The pursuit and development of new markets for Irish agri-food exports is a constant and central component of the strategic development of the industry, as evidenced by its placement at the centre of Food Wise 2025, the industry’s strategy for development. It has become even more important in recent times given the need to diversify our markets and reduce our reliance on traditional...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Data (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department continually monitors the cost of farm production inputs by using the most recent data available from both national and international sources. Official statistics on farm inputs are compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). These statistics are reported on by the CSO in various publications and are available on their website. Departmental publications such as the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry Data (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The main targets set out in the Food Harvest report published in 2010 were, by 2020, to increase the value of primary output by 33% and agri-food exports by 40% (both from a 2007-09 average baseline); and to increase value added production by 40% (from a 2008 baseline). Progress on those targets is monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis. The latest data available shows that these...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Promotion (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: Deer farming in Ireland is an alternative enterprise which is dependent on the dynamics of supply and demand which affect all agricultural production systems. In 1996, there were approximately 500 deer farms with 20,000 deer in Ireland, but numbers have declined sharply since that time. Today, there are only a small number of farmers in Ireland actively supplying deer for meat production,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The programme referred to by the Deputy contained evidence of practices that are completely unacceptable from an animal welfare perspective. My Department takes any allegations of breaches of animal welfare rules very seriously and will thoroughly investigate and take the necessary enforcement and other action to deal with such offences. In particular, my Department is engaging in a review...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord na gCon (3 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. Bord na gCon has informed me that the report in question, which was commissioned by Bord na gCon's...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Bodies (3 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The Irish National Stud Company is a commercial State Body. I last met the chairperson of the Irish National Stud, on Tuesday 11th April 2017. The items discussed during the meeting were an update on the financial performance of the stud, the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer, the establishment of a tourist orientated visitor centre and the setting up of a subsidiary company. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: The constraints of this particular debate do not allow for a full articulation of all of the issues. However, I do not accept Deputy McConalogue's assertion that this is a done deal. This is a high-level agreement at a political level between the Commission and Mercosur member states. It is a deal that has not been approved by any Government, the Commission, the European Parliament,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I did not interrupt the Deputy. I consider there to be a considerable distance to travel before we have an inked deal that bears the imprimaturof Europe. What we have is a proposed deal. Certainly, we intend to use the time between now and then to influence in whatever way. In the context of this issue, we are not without friends in Europe. For example, we have made common cause with the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Beef Industry (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I thank Deputies McConalogue, Aylward and Cahill for raising this matter. The agreement reached on 28 June on an EU-Mercosur trade deal 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 very disappointed that the agreement includes a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Creed: I established the CAP Consultative Committee to facilitate on-going consultation with key stakeholders in relation to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period post-2020. The Committee is drawn from stakeholders who have extensive and direct experience of CAP issues as well as organisations that submitted responses to the 2018 public consultation on the “Future...