Results 6,821-6,840 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is it something Bord Bia could examine?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank Ms Bentley.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There are five certification bodies in the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: They are being paid €150 by the State every time they go out to a farmer. Mr. Zieg's organisation is also being paid by the State for going out to farmers. Surely it is not too complicated to add a few more elements to the work of Bord Bia so that it can certify the farm rather than paying two bodies to do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I do not think they are too happy with it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Bord Bia (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I wish to return to the issue of Bord Bia inspectors. Let us say a farmer has left something out at the back of a book. In such cases, the attitude seems to be that if there is one thing missing, then the whole lot falls. A biro is put through the whole lot and the farmer is out of action for six months. Why do we not introduce a system whereby we work with farmers? This is bread and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sea-Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment: BirdWatch Ireland (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Ireland is like a tadpole in terms of what it fishes. Does BirdWatch Ireland have counterparts in the Netherlands or other countries which are trying to explain to the latter the impact of what they are doing? When the quota was distributed, we got the worst length of the piece of straw. Four ships in Donegal almost caught more in an hour than we would catch in a year with our gear. We...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Applications (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 260. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the number of farmers in hen harrier special protection areas; and the number of these who have entered the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme plus. [42518/15]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Special Protection Areas Designation (1 Dec 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 261. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set down the number of hectares in hen harrier special protection areas that are commonage land and the number under privately-owned agricultural land for which applications have been made in 2015. [42519/15]

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Deer Hunting (26 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 227. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of gun day licences that were given out to a gun club (details supplied) in County Sligo in the 2014 to 2015 season by An Garda Síochána, for deer hunter day licence, and for bird hunter day licence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42127/15]

Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. There are many parts to it that I welcome. There is no doubt but that reoffenders have been getting away time and again. I welcome the moves to curtail this. I advocate the tightening up of the legal aid system in respect of people who reoffend two or three times. The system cannot continue dealing with reoffenders. I listened to an...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second and Subsequent Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What about permits?

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second and Subsequent Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I commend the Minister on reducing motor tax on heavy goods vehicles. As someone who has been involved with haulage over the years, I have been advocating this change for some time. The current levels of motor tax were crippling for Irish hauliers, especially those involved in trade to the Continent. As the Minister will be aware, trucks must pay £10 per day for using the roads in...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2015: Second and Subsequent Stages (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I understand that one cannot win all the time. The issue has caused some confusion, although to be fair to the Minister he has provided clarity on the matter in recent days. I ask the Minister and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Pascal Donohoe, to examine another issue which came to my attention this evening. Under a new tachograph system for tractors being...

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 11. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a formal investigation was conducted into the farm investment scheme and into the farm waste management scheme; the reason a landowner (details supplied) was not notified of such formal investigations, or of their outcomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41239/15]

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a formal investigation was conducted into the farm investment scheme and the farm waste management schemes and the reason a landowner, whose details are supplied, was not notified of a formal investigation or the outcomes. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am not asking the Minister to get into legal jargon. All I am asking is whether a formal investigation concluded, if the person was informed and, if not, why did that not happen at the beginning. I am not trying to back the Minister into a corner and telling him to be judge and jury. All I am looking for is a straight answer.

Other Questions: Legal Matters (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is fair enough and I understand where the Minister is coming from. In fairness to a lot of these people to whom I have spoken in great detail, they have tried to look at every angle. Some of it was before the Minister's time and I do not lay the blame entirely at his door. There are always windows of opportunity to resolve problems, but if doors are locked and the hatches are battened...

Other Questions: Departmental Investigations (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 7. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding Keelderry commonage lands, further to the Seanad motion of 14 February 2012 by a Senator (details supplied), if he will confirm that the formal investigation has concluded; if the findings of any such formal investigation have been provided to all the affected parties; and if he will issue a reply to the issues raised by...

Other Questions: Departmental Investigations (25 Nov 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Regarding the Keelderry commonage lands, further to the Seanad motion of 14 February 2012 by a Senator, whose details were supplied, will the Minister to confirm that the formal investigation has concluded? Have the findings of any such formal investigation been provided to all the affected parties? Will the Minister issue a reply to the issues raised by the Senator? Will the Minister...