Results 8,021-8,040 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Crisis (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department has been closely monitoring the situation. Weather conditions over the past number of weeks were challenging for farmers and this has created difficulties for farmers in the Western and North Western regions. It would appear that there was abundant grass growth through the autumn time. Data from Pasturebase Ireland indicates that production is running...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Expenditure (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The TAMS II Scheme has been very successful to date in terms of uptake with the number of approvals that have issued to date exceeding 11,500.  All of these approvals represent committed expenditure under the TAMS II measure of the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020. Until such time as these approvals are acted upon or expire the budget for TAMS must include provision for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The European Court of Auditors’ (ECA) mission is to contribute to improving EU financial management, promote accountability and transparency, and act as the independent guardian of the financial interests of the citizens of the Union. The ECA’s role as the EU’s independent external auditor is to check that EU funds are correctly accounted for, are raised and  spent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Management (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: Agroforestry is included under its own grant and premium category as part of  my Department’s afforestation scheme. Applications for agroforestry are considered for silvopastoral systems for example, pasture/grazing/silage/hay. However, other systems may be considered on a site to site basis as long as the tree stocking rate is between 400-1000 trees per hectare, it is at...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Regimes Harmonisation (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) Laboratories are an integral part of the Department, providing critical scientific evidence and expertise (in animal health, food safety and plant sciences) which allows the Department to function effectively as a regulator, to deal with new and emerging risks and to rapidly respond to disease outbreaks and food safety incidents. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: Ever since the UK Referendum on Brexit, I and my Department have been actively engaged in assessing the impact of the vote on the Irish agrifood sector, consulting with appropriate stakeholders and engaging with the relevant politicians and institutions.  This work is being done in conjunction with the overall Government response led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The 2016 Programme for Government undertook to propose a lowering of the cap on basic payments from €150,000 to €100,000 during a mid term review of the CAP. Due to the ongoing simplification and modernisation programme of the existing CAP, it is unlikely that a mid term review of the existing CAP will now take place. Since the 16th October 2015, the maximum amount...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Funding (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme is a very important source of financial support for farmers across the country, paying over €200 million each year to over 95,000 farmers.  In view of this, the Programme for a Partnership Government included a commitment for a €25 million increase in funding for the Scheme in 2018.  I am happy to confirm that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Administration (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The target set out in the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 to approve 50,000 GLAS participants before the end of 2018 has already been achieved.  The fact that the RDP target has been achieved almost two years ahead of schedule is a significant achievement on the part of both farmers and my Department and is evidence of the commitment of Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: I was deeply disappointed that the Commission decided to offer a significant tariff rate quota for beef of 70,000 tonnes during the last round of negotiations. I believe that this could not be coming at a worse time for the EU beef sector. I and my officials have been very active in highlighting the potentially very damaging impact of a Mercosur deal on the European agriculture sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named submitted two applications to my Department for 2017 Transfer of Entitlements.  One application has been finalised and the other will be finalised shortly. The persons named will be notified as soon as the transfer applications are finalised and any payment due will issue shortly thereafter.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Fisheries Fund (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The information requested by the deputy, in relation to the seafood sector as a whole, is set out in the tables below. The Seafood Development Programme, co-funded by the Exchequer and  European Fisheries Fund, operated from 2008 to 2015, while the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme has provided grant aid since 2014. Figures for 2017 will not be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Vessel Licences (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173, 174 and 176 together. The European Union (Common Fisheries Policy) (Point System) Regulations 2016 (S.I. No. 125 of 2016) establishes a point system, which will apply to the Licence Holder of a sea-fishing boat when a serious infringement of the Common Fisheries Policy is detected.  It is intended that the new Statutory instrument which I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Crisis (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department has been closely monitoring weather conditions, grass growth and feed supplies. It is clear that the weather conditions over the past number of weeks has been challenging and this has created difficulties for farmers in parts of the country, particularly in the Western and North Western regions. Grass growth rates through September and October were ahead of recent years....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department administers a wide range of schemes which provide vital support to underpin the continued sustainability and growth of the agrifood sector. I am very aware of the importance of these supports for farmers, and accordingly the issuing of payments under these schemes is a matter of priority for my Department. The main schemes are delivered under the framework of the EU Common...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Imports (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: Ireland has a small open economy and relies to a significant extent on international trade for its economic well-being. This is particularly true in the agrifood sector, given its overwhelming dependence on export trade. Against this background, Ireland is broadly supportive of balanced trade liberalisation, provided our most vulnerable sectors, including beef, are protected. Where...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: Food products placed on the marketplace are covered by a range of legislation designed to ensure that products supplied to consumers are of the highest safety standards.  My Department plays a part in the enforcement of this legislation along with other Government Departments and State Agencies such as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), the Health Service Executive, and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: As I have stated before, fisheries is, and will remain, a high priority for Ireland in the Brexit negotiations.  I am determined to ensure that fisheries remain high on the Brexit agenda in the EU and that the interests of Ireland's fishing communities are fully protected. A key element in protecting the interests of our fishing industry will be ensuring that fisheries does not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: In 2016, there were 156 seafood processing enterprises providing close to 4,000 jobs in peripheral coastal communities. Some 24 of these enterprises (16%) had revenues over €10 million, 52 (33%) had revenues between €1 million and €10 million and 80 (51%) had revenues of less than €1 million. The growth and increasing scale of the processing sector can be seen...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Safety Standards (8 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 and 184 together. Food products placed on the European marketplace are covered by a range of legislation designed to ensure that products supplied to consumers are of the highest safety standards. My Department plays a part in the enforcement of this legislation along with Competent Authorities in other Member States, other Irish Government...