Results 3,741-3,760 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Data (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme is a key financial support for Irish farmers, with a total budget of €250 million in 2019. In total, over 95,000 farmers receive a payment under the Scheme each year. In estimating the administrative cost related to the administration of the scheme and the current appeals process, a total staff cost has been calculated taking into...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme Appeals (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department. I have been advised that the records of the Agriculture Appeals Office indicate that an appeal was received on 23 May 2018 from the person named. Following a full assessment of the case, a decision letter was issued by an Appeals Officer to the appellant on 14 September 2018. The Agriculture Appeals Act provides that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports to China (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland enjoys an excellent trading relationship with China and it has become our fourth largest trading partner in the agrifood sector. In addition, my Department also engages with Chinese officials at multiple levels. Political visits in both directions at the very highest level, technical engagement between officials providing assurance on food safety...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Missions (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Trade Missions play an important role in market development, and I have been very active on this front in recent years as we strive to gain, and then develop, a presence in as many global markets as possible. As part of my 2019 Trade Mission schedule, I plan to lead a Government agri-food trade mission to Japan and South Korea in June. Given that Free Trade Agreements between the EU and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Live exports are a critical part of the infrastructure of our livestock industry. They play a significant role in stimulating price competition and provide an alternative market outlet for farmers. My Department facilitates this trade, recognising its critical importance to the agri sector, while ensuring that live animal exports meet the highest welfare standards. I continue to prioritise...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy is aware, I recently carried out a review of trawling activity in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone. Following an extensive public consultation process, I announced in December that vessels over 18m will be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. Trawling for sprat by vessels over 18m...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The Central Statistics Office (CSO) publishes a monthly Wholesale Price Index including an industrial producer price index which details monthly percentage changes over an array of products including food products, which are further differentiated into meat and meat products. Following discussions about price transparency at the initial meeting of the Beef Roundtable, a commitment was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Carcase classification and carcase presentation controls in slaughter plants are carried out by a dedicated team of specialist staff in the Beef Carcase Classification Section within my Department. As committed to in the Beef Forum, additional monitoring of carcase presentation by my Department’s veterinary public health inspection staff (VPHIS) in the factories has been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Labelling (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The labelling of food in the European Union is governed by a number of EU regulations which lay down strict requirements including in relation to mandatory country of origin labelling for certain meats. Under these EU rules, labels on meat from cattle born and reared in Ireland and exported live to Northern Ireland, and subsequently slaughtered there, must include the Member State of birth...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1184 of 20 April 2017 governs the monitoring of carcase classification, carcase presentation and weighing. The question of the price paid for particular grades is a matter for the producers and processors. Regarding sanctions, under legislation (SI 363/2010), non-compliance with the legislation attracts a maximum on the spot fine of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The Beef Roundtable was established in April 2014 in order to bring all the relevant stakeholders together and to facilitate open discussion between industry, farming organisations and others on the strategic path forward for the beef sector. The forum has been held on twelve occasions. The last meeting was held on 03 October 2018. No date has been scheduled yet for the next meeting....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Preparations (13 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department is participating very actively in the Whole-of-Government approach to preparedness and contingency planning for Brexit. The Government has already sanctioned in the region of €4m for the commencement of a phased process for the recruitment of additional staff across a range of skill sets to carry out increased volumes of import controls and export certification arising...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: In submitting an application to participate in the Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP), applicants gave an undertaking to adhere to the terms and conditions that govern the Programme. Payments under BDGP are based on the full completion of specified actions over the course of six years which were designed to improve the genetic merit of a beef farmer’s herd. Participants are required...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 475 and 481 together. Bord na gCon is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. In relation to the comments made in the article on betting, any patterns of irregular betting that are brought to the attention of Bord na gCon are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: School Milk Scheme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: The number of schools and the number of children participating in the School Milk Scheme for the last five academic years, is as follows. - *2017/18 2016/17 2015/16 2014/15 2013/14 No. of Schools * 531 691 782 899 1,061 Approx. No. of Children * 69,514 38,536 42,544 47,791 51,160It should be noted that not every child in every school is participating in the school milk scheme....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: School Milk Scheme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: My Department commissioned UCD, in April 2018, to carry out research to identify the barriers to the uptake of the School Milk Scheme. The background to this decision is that the EU School Milk Scheme merged with the EU School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme on 1 August 2017 to form a Single School Scheme under a joint EU legal and financial framework. Under this new Regulatory framework,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: In accordance with the six-year Statement of Strategy for the implementation of the School Scheme in Ireland (1 August 2017 – 31 July 2023) my Department projects that 700 schools and 120,000 children will participate in the School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme in the current school year (2018/19). 692 schools participated in the school year 2017/2018. Subject to available funding, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Under the current Rural Development Regulation (and subsequent amendments under the Omnibus Regulation), Member States are required to change the approach to the designation of land under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. Before this year, my Department had been identifying eligible areas using a range of socio economic indicators such as family farm income, population density,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: Further to the completion of the review of eligible lands under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme, which was required by EU regulation, my Department wrote to all impacted farmers advising of the status of their lands under the 2019 ANC scheme. These letters included a form to instigate an appeal. The appeals form is also available on www.agriculture.gov.ie. For any farmer who...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Plant Protection Products (12 Mar 2019)

Michael Creed: In January of this year, the French authorities responded to a ruling of a French administrative tribunal in Lyon by removing the product “Roundup Pro 360” from its register of authorised plant protection products. The tribunal ruled that ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety) should have given more weight to potential safety risks when...