Results 2,981-3,000 of 8,023 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am correct, so we are back again to the same nucleus of people, including a CEO and all the milk suppliers that put that pot together. We are shafting our own, even with the same nucleus of people. I cannot understand it. One has to be a betting person to be involved in this. It is like "The Gambler"; you win some and lose some. This set-up is unprecedented. In any contract, there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Do we have a right to get the end customers that the witnesses all deal with that are in with these contracts before the committee? We should bring them in here and ask them what their game is if they are not prepared to turn around and put on the Irish shirt during a time of war.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is in the interests of a farmer who could go bust.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am not talking about them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Flanagan did not listen to what I said. I am saying that ICOS's biggest buyer which has X amount locked in should be looking at the situation. It would be happy days if there was no war and it would probably be buying milk at 40 cent per litre but as the goalposts move every week you have to go according to plan. It is like cattle, sheep or anything; you have to move up if they are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If we could do so we should find out who these people are and bring them in here to talk to them. Would the Vice Chairman agree to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: They can be changed collectively with agreement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I want to make a point that will help Deputy Carthy in his question. Can Mr. O'Gorman give Deputy Carthy the breakdown in the line of customers? Is there one customer that takes 90% and one that takes 10% or what?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We do not want to know their names; I am just asking about the percentage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is all I wanted to know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fixed-Price Milk Contracts: Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (13 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: First, I agree with Mr. Flanagan on the rainy day fund. There should be some sort of a tax system to work with that that could help the farmer. To put it simply, you will go through hills and hollows in order to get to a level playing field. I agree with that 100%. I do not agree with has been said about the banks for one simple reason. Above all men, I am no fan of them, given some of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will the Minister of State clarify whether farmers should apply now for the ANC or BPS schemes?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister of State. For clarity, it would be good to know because applications will have to have been received by 16 May.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On a point of order, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle suspended it on the previous occasion.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Go raibh maith agat.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: First, to give the Minister of State a bit of background, this is an area of what one would call marginal land. Obviously, if there is a slide from bog, as the Minister of State knows because I know where he comes from and met him up in his own country, where there is bog, the land around it is marginal. These people are rearing families on small portions of land and in my opinion, they...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Agriculture Schemes (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister of State talked about 18 basic payment scheme applications. When one divides the number of hectares multiplied by 2.5 into the 18 applications, it shows how small the farms are and one sees how many people were affected by it. These people are trying to eke out a living, rear a family and do what people do in every other part of the country. I know the Minister is going to...

Carbon Budget: Motion (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is a wonder that the EPA does not know that with new vehicles it bought.

Carbon Budget: Motion (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What is a committee? It is carrying out the orders of the Government, for God's sake.

Carbon Budget: Motion (6 Apr 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister will see with planning. He knows this country. We cannot take a drop of water in Roscommon two miles not to mind putting a wind turbine out on the sea. We are letting people drown in Roscommon and we are talking about building 200 m masts abroad in the sea. For God's sake.