Results 3,541-3,560 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Council Meetings (28 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together. The Council held a public exchange of views on the CAP reform package on the basis of the Romanian Presidency’s progress report, and revised drafting suggestions to the three Regulations i.e. the CAP Strategic Plan Regulation, the Horizontal Regulation and the Common Market Organisation Regulation. Agriculture Ministers were...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (28 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 149 together. I have held a series of meetings with Commissioner Hogan, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development where we discussed the potential impact a ‘no deal’ Brexit could have on the agri-food sector and the Commission’s readiness to deploy support measures to help mitigate the potential impacts on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (28 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I met with Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella in Brussels last month to discuss the potential negative impact of a disorderly Brexit on the Irish fishing industry. We discussed a number of issues including potential loss of access for Irish and other EU vessels to the UK fishing zone, the need to ensure ongoing protection of fish stocks in the waters around Ireland from a subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Marine Safety (28 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: This project is currently under review by my Department in the wider context of the provision of existing professional sea survival training facilities within the State and the cost, both construction and operational, of such a facility. The professional sea survival training facilities based at the National Maritime College of Ireland, Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, are unique in Ireland and designed...

Beef Sector: Motion (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I would like to make some general observations before dealing with some of the specific issues raised in the motion and the debate. I fully acknowledge that while the Irish beef sector has a global reputation for excellence and is considered a world leader in terms of quality, food safety, traceability, welfare, genomics and sustainability, there are serious challenges. We must...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Under the Basic Payment scheme, any portion of a land parcel which is covered in dense non-grazable woody shrubs, with no interspersed grazing is described as scrub. The species included in deciding if an area is to be described as scrub are shrubs such as blackthorns, whitethorns, briars, gorse and other non- grazable woody shrubs, which have invaded the area. Such areas are considered...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The application of a 2% reduction between hot and cold weights is enshrined in EU legislation. Article 7 (1) of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1182 states that classification and weighing shall be carried out in the slaughterhouse at the time of determining the warm weight of the carcass. Article 14 states that the carcass weight to be taken into account for reporting the market...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The rules on trimming of carcases at meat plants are well established, and their execution is monitored by classification and control experts in my department. In addition, the department has worked closely with meat plants to provide training in the standards required and has provided a photographic template illustrating acceptable and unacceptable trimming practices. The controls...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department has been in correspondence with the representatives of the deceased person named on a number of occasions, with a view to processing this transfer. The Department is currently waiting on some information requested from the representatives on the 14th of March to facilitate further processing of this case.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licence Applications (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Applications for aquaculture licences are considered by my Department in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act and (in the case of marine aquaculture) the 1933 Foreshore Act. The assessment process takes full account of all National and EU legislative requirements and reflects the full scientific, environmental, legal, public policy and engineering aspects of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Applications (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: An application in respect of this herd number was approved into GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2017 and has received the 2017 advance payment including GLAS plus. A request to transfer the name in which the GLAS contract is held was received by the Department on the 31 January 2019 and the transfer was approved 4 February 2019. The GLAS contract includes commonage as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The herdowner concerned is scheduled to have a further TB test on his herd on 7th April. The herd will be trade restricted at that date until the test is completed. Subject to the outcome of this test, the herd will then be free to trade again.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (27 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Irish beef exports increased from €2,405 million in 2017 to €2,439 million in 2018 and Ireland exported beef to around 70 countries all over the world according to the CSO trade statistics. My officials continue to work towards opening and enhancing access to as many markets as possible. This is a key part of our response to the challenges and uncertainty posed by Brexit, and in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Beef Industry (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I appreciate the Deputy's points. We have been extremely vigilant in our engagements with the Commission and the Commissioner on Mercosur in particular. The flip side of that, however, is that as a small economy that exports to over 180 countries, we benefit from those trade deals in reverse because we would not be in those markets were it not for our membership of the European Union and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I do not think so. The three schemes are all somewhat different. The first €150 million was a working capital scheme. It has stimulated competition in the marketplace to such an extent that the product that we introduced at 2.95% is close to what is currently available in the marketplace. That initiative has triggered greater competition for working capital. Details will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The role played by deer in the spread of bovine TB is the subject of a detailed scientific investigation being carried out by officials from my Department in collaboration with UCD, focusing on the genetic relationship between strains of bovine TB isolated from cattle, deer and badgers in County Wicklow. Previous work carried out by my officials in this area had demonstrated that the same...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: In his opening remarks, the Deputy alluded to the cost of the TB eradication scheme since its introduction in the 1950s. It is a staggering amount. My own figure is in the region of €5.5 billion in today's money to take out approximately 2.5 million reactors in that period. It is a devastation that visits farmers if their herds go down with it. If we continue to do the same thing...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I listened with interest to the professor's contribution at the committee. It was interesting, challenging and thought-provoking. I have deliberately refrained from public commentary on what has been in public media about the deliberations of the TB committee. It was tasked with a job and I would like to see it present its report. The Deputy is right that if we continue to do the same...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Beef Industry (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: There is no doubt that the beef sector faces considerable challenges in the form of Brexit and the potential outcome from the EU-Mercosur trade negotiations. However, the Government is doing everything it can to ameliorate the potential impacts, including raising the cumulative effect of these developments in its ongoing engagement with member states and the European Commission. On...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Preparations (26 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The Government and I are fully aware that the agrifood sector is the most exposed sector in the context of Brexit. The premise of the Deputy's question appears to be that if we were adequately prepared, the world would continue unchanged in the event of Brexit either through the withdrawal agreement with a transition period or in the context of a crash out, but that is simply not the case....