Results 3,561-3,580 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 620. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Minister of State with responsibility for land use and biodiversity supported the decision not to have the forestry industry represented on the CAP Consultative Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37440/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 644. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the Charities Regulator first became aware of the alleged misappropriation of funds relating to an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37798/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Chairman. I disagree with one thing Dr. Hillyer said. When it came to testing cattle, if there was anything untoward anywhere, the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine was able to work on livestock right around the country. I would not buy into Covid-19 for an excuse. International research from experts such as Professor Richard Sams in America suggests that two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The IHRB is doing both anyway. I must cut across Dr. Hillyer because I want to get through the questions as quickly as I can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is Dr. Hillyer aware that there is talk about the administration of an injection that can be given to horses, which basically gives adrenaline before races and could be gone out of them at the end of a race? Is Dr. Hillyer aware of that or has she looked at it? Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the IHRB contribute to international studies on all this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In 2017, the IHRB announced the implementation of a race day cobalt threshold in plasma and urine. Did the IHRB get involved in that drug testing, for instance, by putting money towards it or putting research together for it along with other countries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay. Can Dr. Hillyer paint this picture for me? I was thinking about what she said at the previous session about going out to, for instance, some stud farm where there are horses. Before she goes, does she have a system that will tell her every one of the horses that is on that farm?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I asked a very specific question. Can Dr. Hillyer, before she goes out to a stud farm, say that she has the registrations for 15 horses or 12 horses or that she knows every one of them? It is a "Yes" or "No" answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We have a system in place. I asked the question of whether horses could be moved. When Dr. Hillyer has gone out to a stud farm, I am aware from information received that both the Department and Dr. Hillyer or the authorised officers have been held up before they have got into certain places. I am saying to Dr. Hillyer now that she has admitted there is no system to know. If, for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry for talking over Dr. Hillyer but funnily enough, since last week, we have had whistleblowers, who stated very clearly that the IHRB has been held at yards and the Department has also been held by security at yards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I can come in on that. The animal identification and movement, AIM, system is up and running at the moment for livestock. There is no reason why the IHRB should have been huffing and puffing over the past number of years about bringing in that system because the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in fairness to it, has one of the best systems in Europe for livestock. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Dr. Hillyer stated at the previous meeting that the IHRB follows up any leads regarding alleged wrongdoing in the industry. We all got emails during the week. In fairness, it was before Dr. Hillyer's time, in 2007 a whistleblower went as far as stating the cupboard where the alleged drugs were stored. In 2018 and 2019, when she was there, the whistleblower stated that the same thing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It would help if that whistleblower came forward and named the person that it was sent to. Dr. Hillyer said that no matter who gets it in the group that he or she must make sure it is given to her. If it was sent to some other person in the group, would there be serious consequences as a result?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If it ends up on somebody else's desk, is the person supposed to send it to Dr. Hillyer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay, that is grand. I do not know which of the witnesses deals with passports. I have a situation at the moment where one horse has three registrations and cannot be killed because of the system. Is the passport registered with the animal identification and movement, AIM, system in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or with Horse Sport Ireland, HSI? There are three...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is with Horse Sport Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is fair enough. I will return to my question about the AIM system. Mr. Kavanagh is the leader of the pack and the person who is responsible for guiding a lot of it. When can he give a commitment that the system will be foolproof in terms of making sure that the authorities know exactly what horses I or somebody else have in the yard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Kavanagh must excuse me, but I do not care if a horse moved 12 times. The AIM system is so well done that if one has a clear herd, one can go onto one's laptop and within a matter of seconds one can print one's movement form. The animal is transferred into the new owner's name on the basis of the herd number. I presume there is an equine number in the horse business. It makes no...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I want to let somebody else in. I thank the witnesses for responding to the questions.