Results 3,041-3,060 of 8,023 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: To summarise, one has a double win. It is a win for sensitive areas and water quality and savings on fertiliser of 15%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Mr. Kennedy for the submission and, as usual, for helping us. I was out at the Devenish place and learned a lot. There are a few things that need to be grasped in this. A lot of people think that they are carbon neutral within the city and that the only people who can solve a lot of this are the farmers. This is the first thing that people need to realise, that from the minute...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the witnesses. I want to hear about a few elements of the trials Dolan Industries has done. They are talking about water quality all the time. Am I correct in saying the machine can be programmed on the USB once the soil sampling is done? Is the soil sampling just done once or is it every few years? My understanding is it can be programmed through the USB stick so that where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Explain UTV.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is like doing a map or nutrient management plan for the farm.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is done once and you have it done forever.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It would not be necessary to do the mapping of the fields because you have them already.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Say that again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Most farmers just bang out two or three bags to the acre and whether it grows or not is whatever happens. How much of a saving have the witnesses looked at in this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: So a farmer putting out ten tonnes will save 1.5 tonnes-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: -----which on today's figures is about €1,500 to €1,700.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Dolan is saying there is a strong possibility buying costs can be reduced by 15% and watercourses or sensitive areas are protected. There is an additional cost, obviously. Do the witnesses tie in with the new system the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has, whereby it brought out a scheme for soil sampling last back-end?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Some of it was a disaster because it was not done until a month ago. Contractors on busy farms are putting out fertiliser for many a year. Would that be fair to say?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is especially on dairy farms because they do not have time. The GPS is generally on the new fertiliser spreaders now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: You have to get whatever additional antenna to have the work done on the field to make sure you have all the information and that information lasts. Mr. Dolan is saying the soil is sampled every four years and there is a saving on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I want to go on to the anaerobic digesters. There is a problem around the country where anaerobic digesting is done and the sludge is brought from cities or large towns, from water or wastewater. If a person in Bord Bia, that body does not let him or her spread it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have rung and talked to a person in Bord Bia. I have asked for a meeting with the technical people in Bord Bia. My understanding is there is no scientific evidence to say there is anything wrong with the gear once it is brought to a temperature in an anaerobic digester. No more than if a person is told he or she cannot drink the water because there is E. coli in it, if the water is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am told there is no scientific evidence that it would be harmful but mentally we are saying we do not want the bullock, heifer or cow in that because it came from where sludge comes out, be it Irish Water or whatever. People in cities need to know of the knock-on effect of this. There will soon be no place to go with what comes out of the sewage treatment plants.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is at a time when fertiliser prices are high. I would be a full believer, because you have to watch it, say with pharmaceutical stuff and all of that, for iron and all the different things that are in things coming out of places. We have to do an in-depth analysis. My understanding is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is happy with it and does not have a problem.