Results 5,021-5,040 of 7,985 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does Mr. Morrin envisage that will be sorted out under the new CAP?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Some of these guys who, unfortunately, got a herd number when they were young are now 38, 39 or 40, and do not fit into any category. Would it not be wise of us, if we are talking about keeping young farmers farming, to make sure that we give an opening to the forgotten farmers to farm rather than them having to pack up because of the payments they get?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department promote locally led projects? In fairness to the Department, for all the people who give out about it, the administration is fairly good. Moving to locally led projects involves bringing in consultants, and because of the cost of that, the farmer is the loser.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In the designated areas there are a lot of restrictions on farmers, be it some of the mountains and even callows in the lowlands, where there is a designation under the so-called special areas of conservation, SACs, natural heritage areas, NHAs, special protection areas, SPAs, or whatever. Mr. Savage talked about the hen harriers. At the moment those farmers have to get approximately 36...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but there is no money in it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: They have been going on about two years.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is anything being looked at in terms of Europe helping designated areas?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That would be a bit extra, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is much talk about the definition of a farmer. Is there any danger, through no fault of their own, that the 50, 60 or 70-acre farmer who spends every day farming, including all weekend and four or five hours every evening, would lose out in terms of the definition of a farmer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can a farmer who has entitlements and leases them on still get entitlements under the new CAP if he or she is not farming his or her land?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is there any danger that they could be pushed out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is there anything being considered in terms of someone on an off-farm income of, say, €250,000 a year still getting single farm payments? Will that continue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can somebody on an off-farm income of, say, €250,000 or €500,000 a year still draw single farm payments whereas someone on an off-farm income of €20,000 or €30,000 and who might have only a few thousand euro of a single farm payment is struggling? Is anything being looked at in the overall context?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The taxation systems would not work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In terms of what the Department is looking at, can it come down to €50,000 or €60,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2 Jul 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Am I right in saying that it would be 2027 before it would be back to €60,000. Is it fair to say that?

Climate Action Plan to Tackle Climate Breakdown: Statements (Resumed) (27 Jun 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: To receive cash-backs or apply for a grant, one must earn less than a certain threshold. The reality, which we see day in and day out, is that people in middle Ireland, earning €35,000 or €40,000 and paying a big mortgage, do not get money back. Some of those people are driving large distances to work. Some are driving from Roscommon to Dublin, some to Sligo and Galway. We...

Climate Action Plan to Tackle Climate Breakdown: Statements (Resumed) (27 Jun 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak about this matter. Everyone agrees with the climate action plan when it comes to the better insulation of houses. The more insulation one can use, the better. However, the problem emerges when one looks at the price of insulation which ranges between €30,000 and €50,000 which many in this country cannot afford. They are the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Eligibility (27 Jun 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has the authority to overrule decisions made by Bus Éireann on the routes buses take under the school transport scheme; if exceptions can be made for routes to be extended short distances to accommodate children who wish to attend a certain school that is not deemed to be their nearest post-primary centre for academic reasons; and if...

Carers: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion, which I support. Care work is a vocation. Carers put in hours and hours to help their loved ones and close relatives, be they young children, middle aged or elderly. Sometimes, in desperate situations, carers are looking for respite help and it is not out there. Take, for example, a child with autism whose parent is his or her carer. That...