Results 3,481-3,500 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Are they direct employees of IHRB?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I would query authorised officers. I would have seen them with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and other State bodies such as Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI. However, the IHRB does not have the same liaison with the State the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has. When the authorised officers go to a place, have they a warrant in their pocket or must they go for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is not correct. There is legislation. I went through this fairly well previously on a different issue in regard to bogs. If they are refused entry, am I correct that they can get a warrant from a judge?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can they, not the Department but the other authorised officers, get a warrant or is it a Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine officer who must get it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: A search warrant, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is actually for entering property because I have seen it previously in regard to bogs. I will move on because my time is limited. Several members spoke about taxpayers' money. We need to get it into our heads that everyone here supports the horse racing industry but we do not want bad news going out about it and it needs to be investigated. Dr. Smyth stated earlier that the IHRB,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Smyth stated earlier on about where we, as Deputies, have concerns about the set-up of these groups or where I have concerns about wages not being discussed or transparent. Bear in mind that if a farmer gets €3,000, €4,000, €10,000 or whatever from the EU, it is there for everyone to look at regardless of data protection. I am asking whether the opportunity is there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but we can change it. It is legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is open to all Deputies to discuss. If they want to change that, is it fair to say they can bring a Bill in or whatever?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I compliment Mr. Sheahan who spoke about the animal identification and movement, AIM, system for cattle. If it takes me 50 years to build something, and if I move it on to something else, doing so is not that complex. With the horse industry, why have we not brought in a chip, DNA and AIM system where there is a card set up for each horse? If a farmer wants to move a calf, a weanling or a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Hillyer, yes. When she and others go out to a site, they do not know for definite how many horses are there. Are the officials telling me that the Department can go out to any farm around the country and have a list of everything they have, in cattle, calves, sheep and whatever else, but it has not got this for the industry that is being questioned at the moment? Should the first...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Sheahan has much work done and I have praised the cattle system. There is a fairly big cloud over this between comments that have been passed in the media and then this programme last night, which I hope we will look at later on. For the sake of an industry that is pretty big in this country, can we not give a commitment to be the leaders in Europe? We were the leaders at stopping...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I cannot fathom this word "census", and I heard Mr. Sheahan say it earlier on. We are going down a road that means we are going to have DNA chipped and a card registered online. You then have your number and you can pop it into your iPad and can do a movement or whatever. That whole system is set up and the officials basically have that put together there. What then are we doing censuses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will Dr. Smyth give us a commitment the Department will drive this on within the next six to eight months? My last question is to Mr. Sheahan on sport horses. I understand the Department is sorting this at the moment, but over recent years, if you had a horse and you brought it to the stallion, seemingly there was a body appointed for this book that you get and they were sending it out to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Was a direction sent to the passport issuing bodies that the Department would have approved in the last six months to make sure to send the passports to the keepers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In fairness, on the cattle side of it the veterinary practice is good and I must compliment the Department. I want to ask Mr. Smyth about what I have said already about the traceability of these horses. Is he prepared to drive this on with the rest of his team to make sure this is delivered rapidly in the next six to eight months? My understanding, and everything I have researched and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Who is responsible? Is it the Minister?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can we write to that assistant secretary?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticultural Industry: Discussion (20 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I will get straight to the point. The working group that was supposed to come back in May has now met. Has that group found a solution for the people milling peat on sites over 30 ha? I spoke to all parties earlier and I outlined the issue of the habitats directive that Michael D. Higgins signed in, whereby people have to have appropriate assessments,...