Results 281-300 of 7,250 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (6 Mar 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 173. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided by either Horse Sport Ireland and Sport Ireland to equestrian related bodies in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; under what programmes and for what purposes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11090/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (6 Mar 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 174. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding provided by Horse Sport Ireland to equestrian related bodies in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; under what programmes and for what purposes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11091/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Mar 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 442. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when maintenance payments to carers will be disregarded as means for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10237/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for attending. Mr. McNamara has taken the helm, and I wish him the best of luck. I also wish good luck to Mr. Feeney in leading the ACA. Senators Lombard and Daly, Deputy Cahill and I went out to Europe. To say that we got a frosty reception was an understatement. With every Commissioner we met, all we heard about was the environment. It was not about cattle or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The one thing we found when we went out to Europe was that there was a major pushback against agriculture, against people producing food. We sent over the perfect bullet to shoot us with. That is the totality of what the EPA went over with. As Mr. Canning stated, no one talks about the glass being half full, though, and more than 50% of our water is of a very high or good standard. In the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: afdafd

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I will ask the ACA about a few matters. It deals with more than 50% of farmers. Mr. Canning mentioned an approximate figure of 30,000. How do we get them into the mix? Does Teagasc give the ACA the rights or is the ACA charged? We all need to come together on this. Whatever bit of information he, I or someone else has, we need to collaborate. Is that possible at the moment? Is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The taxpayer pays for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Thank God I do not do it.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (27 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 398. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when his Department will issue an ECO payment due to a person (details supplied); the reason this payment is being withheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9245/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I will address Ms Connolly on the land use question. The big problem is that land use pressure is going to get worse because of the nature restoration law. In forestry, we are aiming at 8,000 ha per year, even though we are not near that. Under the changes in the derogation, dairy farmers will be down from 250 kg N/ha to 220 kg N/ha and will be looking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does Ms Connolly agree that 50% is at good or high status? That is the report we got.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, we just want to try to balance it as much as possible. My next question is for the witnesses from An Taisce, who might educate me on this. I am going through the chart on the effectiveness of agricultural measures. If I have read it wrongly, they might correct me. It is saying, and I think it is agreed, that less nitrogen on land is better. Is that fair to say? Why are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is Dr. McGoff saying that mixed-species grasses are not a good thing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In regard to liming, everyone would believe that you would actually reduce fertiliser if you have the pH right. Why is that not a good thing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Right. How would soil testing be better than liming? Soil tests only tell you how your soil's pH health is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I was looking at the table and I was afraid I was reading it wrong. I was taken aback because all governments throughout Europe are promoting mixed-species grasses and everyone, even scientists, are saying it is a good thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: This contradicts it in terms of lime and nitrogen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Deputy Flaherty asked earlier what the solution would be. I did not hear the representatives of An Taisce saying that the likes of anaerobic digestion would be a solution. Would they agree with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What would Professor Sweeney’s thoughts be on the slurry part of anaerobic digestion? A statement was made earlier that if one gives people a derogation or a grant, this would intensify this activity to a greater extent. If one is down to 220 kg N/ha in one's nitrates, one cannot intensify because everything is gone and one cannot go above a certain threshold. The issue, however, is...