Results 21-40 of 8,268 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: In fairness to some of them, they are trying to get a connection to the grid in the areas where they are located. I agree they need to be regulated. I have looked at many anaerobic digestion, AD, plants in the North and here. The fact is that if an AD plant is run correctly, there is no smell. If it is not, there is a smell. That is the bottom line. I do not agree that they cannot be...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I have seen plants that can be closed down by the council if there is any problem.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: If they stop a plant taking stuff in, it is closed down.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Can I ask one question? The EIAs and screening outs have to be done when people are putting in planning applications. Governments do not do that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Governments will never do that. That is under the habitats directive.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: However, an EIA and appropriate assessment has to be done on any site within 15 km of a designated area. Is that not correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: All right.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: In fairness, either something screens out-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: -----or it does not.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Can I have that figure again now?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: There are 3,000 loads per year or in 365 days. Would that be fair to say?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for coming in. Concerns would be raised about regulation in the area of planning. You could get a planning decision for you in one place and against you in another. Are there specifics for proximity to roads or set-back distances from houses, no more than there are for wind turbines? Is the Department looking at anything in that regard? The witnesses can answer that...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Are those guidelines there for us to look at?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I mean the guidelines the Department is developing.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Can the committee see them?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: In its submission, the Department referred to grasslands moving to alternative uses. I have followed that idea for a good while. I understand that slurry and chicken litter are pretty good options. The committee was out with An Bord Bia, which stated it could not afford to pay for grass coming into it. I would not be an admirer of too much grass cutting because we need it for cattle. If...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I do not buy that with the Department. In studying AD, you need grass at a certain height. We are not going to go into every 5 acre field for 40 miles around and pull 5 acres. You have to have 500 or 600 acres that you cut in one go, in a second go and a third go. At a certain height, a contractor is appointed. That is taking grass out of production, to be quite frank about it, no matter...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: How much? That is what I am asking.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: How much of a purse is there?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)
Michael Fitzmaurice: That would mean eight per year. Is that correct?