Results 7,701-7,720 of 7,789 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Special Protection Areas Designation (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is scandalous. Families are being driven out of rural Ireland.

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Special Protection Areas Designation (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: They are not getting priority. Farmers can spread slurry with a trailing shoe and get the same priority.

Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Special Protection Areas Designation (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: What is being said here is scandalous.

Water Services Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I know the Minister does not intend to privatise Irish Water in this Government’s term. However, down through the years Governments have made mistakes. Who knows what a Government could do 20 years from now? No Government can bind its successors. While a plebiscite might be a step in the right direction, it will not stand up if scrutinised properly and a new Government decides to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 88. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will appoint a regulator to oversee and control the virtual monopoly position that meat factories currently have here; if he will ensure that Irish livestock farmers receive a fair price for the excellent product they produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48635/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Dairy Sector (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 89. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is actively seeking to develop new markets outside of the EU for Ireland's dairy exports on behalf of dairy farmers who are facing the prospect of a very challenging year ahead; if he will list the actions he has taken in this regard; the new markets he is targeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48636/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme Applications (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 95. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the cost neutral proposals presented to him by the organic farmers representative body to front-load payments towards the first ten hectares, thereby securing the future viability of small-scale organic farming here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48654/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sugar Industry (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 100. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide significant funding to assist the revival of Ireland's sugar beet industry in 2015; his 2015 plan for the restarting of what has previously been a very important Industry here; the actions he has already taken to facilitate the return of sugar production to Ireland in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (17 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 101. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the rules governing the vaccination and transportation of pet puppies to the UK are to be changed on 1 January 2015, in view of the fact that both islands are rabies free; the reason it will be necessary to wait until a pup is 12 weeks old for rabies vaccination and then wait a further 21 days before transportation to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hen Harrier Special Protection Areas (16 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for the presentation. One might say that farmers did not know where to go for four years. I have seen parts of Ireland in which farmers did not know where to go for the past 17 years because of designations. We know that down through the years farmers and nature lived hand-in-hand. Fundamental environmentalism and ridiculous legislation now mean that...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Some 500,000 houses across the country are on group water schemes. They did not need a forum; they just rolled up their sleeves and got together. There was no huffing or puffing when they quietly put such water structures together in rural areas with the help of an organisation called the Water Federation. Water is a pretty simple commodity to handle, but we have made the task laborious...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: When one talks about forums, I recall the turf cutting issue several years ago when someone had the bright idea of a peatlands council in which stakeholders were invited to partake. It was the greatest quango and talking shop, as well as the most useless thing ever set up to resolve a problem. People drew expenses for travelling to council meetings. It has now even gone so far as people...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Come on in, Deputy O’Dowd, all is forgiven. Tell us all.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: While I have not been a Member for a long time, for the people who may be looking at us, the one thing I would say is that there is no shame in not knowing something. Every Deputy needs clarification. I ask the House to agree to postpone the debate for the time being until we get the facts and figures for the benefit of everyone here and for the benefit of the country. Let us not be over...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: No matter how it is dressed up, there are 1.3 million primary residences, but on top of that, from the figures, there are something like 530,000 or 540,000 more which are rented. They are entitled to the grant as well. I think there are something like 1.85 million to 1.9 million homes under discussion, and there are something like 40,000 or 50,000 houses around the country which are second...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister has no one to support him in the Dáil. There is no one in the Government benches.

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is disingenuous to charge for wastewater removal in many parts of Ireland. I refer to a so-called SAC, about which environmentalists are great at talking and on which the EPA has done two reports. It is near Glenamaddy in County Galway and 200 tonnes of raw sewage is being pumped into it. People are being asked to pay for something, even though there is no treatment facility. The same...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I concur with everything Deputy Naughten said. He and I attended a meeting on this matter in Roscommon and, to be frank, I would be far more likely to believe the figures and dates supplied to us by Roscommon County Council than I would to believe the information provided by Irish Water. Deputy Naughten is 100% correct in what he said regarding temporary treatment plants. A boil water...

Water Services Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I heard the Minister talk about a plebiscite. I got some legal advice on this as well. No Government can bind its successor. Nobody is accusing the Minister or this Government of privatising water tomorrow, next week or during its term but we must look to the future in five, ten or 15 years time. The only way we can guarantee this will not happen is through a referendum. A plebiscite...

Homelessness: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Like everybody else, I believe the moves the Minister made last week must be welcomed. It is a step in the right direction. There was a lot of focus on homelessness last week. For some people, having ten or 20 houses would not solve the underlying problem. Having experienced somebody belonging to me coming through a situation like this, I know that the underlying problems that must be...