Results 8,041-8,060 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

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

Michael Creed: I engage with representatives of the farming organisations on a very regular basis and my Department engages closely with them virtually daily, on a range of policy and practical issues. These include the impact of Brexit on the agri food sector, the impact of international trade agreements including Mercosur, the shape of the CAP post 2020, and a wide range of sectorial...

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

Michael Creed: The main targets set out in the Food Harvest report published in 2010 were, by 2020, to increase the value of primary output by 33% and agrifood exports by 40% (both from a 2007-09 average baseline); and to increase value added production by 40% (from a 2008 baseline). In addition to these value increases, a target was set for a 50% increase in milk production by 2020, to be progressed...

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

Michael Creed: The Deputy will be aware that Ireland’s plans for growth in the dairy sector are formally set out in Food Wise 2025, Ireland’s blueprint for the overall agrifood sector, where an all of sector agreed approach is set out including actions, benchmarks and targets for the dairy and other sectors. Notwithstanding challenges on the horizon, amongst which Brexit is paramount,...

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

Michael Creed: The 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy was a useful and progressive reform making the CAP fit for purpose to 2020.  It provided Irish farmers and the agrifood sector with policy certainty for the years to come and with strategic financial support to increase sustainability and enhance competitiveness.  I will continue to work with my EU colleagues to ensure that we...

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

Michael Creed: I am very aware of the needs of the cereal sector and have continued to engage actively with the stakeholders on the needs of the sector, particularly through the Tillage Stakeholders Forum.  As Minister I am most conscious that the maintenance of an efficient and viable cereals sector in Ireland is clearly very important to the well being of the agrifood industry. Indigenous production...

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

Michael Creed: The 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy was a useful and progressive reform making the CAP fit for purpose to 2020.  It provided Irish farmers and the agri-food sector with policy certainty for the years to come and with strategic financial support to increase sustainability and enhance competitiveness.  I will continue to work with my EU colleagues to ensure that we...

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

Michael Creed: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 is the main legal instrument available to my Department to enforce animal welfare standards. The Act puts clear obligations on owners regarding the need to look after animals under their care. Under the Act, authorised officer status has been given to a small number of employees of the ISPCA, DSPCA and the Turf Club to carry...

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

Michael Creed: The UK is a very important market for Irish mushrooms accounting as it does for around 85% of our annual production.  Access arrangements to the UK market post-Brexit will depend on the outcome of the UK’s Brexit negotiations with the EU. However, during this period the Irish Government’s position will continue to be to minimise the impact of Brexit on existing trade for...

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

Michael Creed: Food Wise 2025 recommends actions to support the sector to realise its potential, including festival markets, a pipeline for new entrants to the Artisan Food Market at Bloom, promoting meet the buyer opportunities, delivery of small business specific consumer and market insights, and programmes to assist producers to extend business reach. Supports for the artisan food sector are...

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

Michael Creed: Managing price volatility is a challenge for the agri-food sector, but significant State supports are in place to assist the sector in managing volatility. Food Wise 2025, the latest ten year strategy for the agri-food sector, includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and...

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

Michael Creed: The person named submitted a 2017 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes application on 10 May 2017. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases remote sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department will contact the Deputy directly to provide him with the contact details of the appropriate person within the Pensions section of Human Resources Division who will be able to assist further with this query.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: I and my Department, in cooperation with Government and other Departments and Agencies, are attempting to mitigate the more immediate impacts of the Brexit vote on the agrifood sector through a range of budgetary measures. In Budget 2017 I introduced a number of measures to help minimise farm gate and business costs, including the introduction of a €150 million low cost loan...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: There has been no agreement on a Mercosur deal at this point. However, the commission has made an offer to Mercosur which includes a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) for beef. The TRQ offer is split evenly between fresh and frozen beef. A proportion of the fresh beef would be required to meet the definition of "High Quality Beef", and would therefore have to come from grass fed animals, and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (7 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: EU Meetings (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: In the early part of 2017 I engaged extensively with many of my counterparts in other Member States in an effort to sensitise them to the potential impact of an unfavourable Brexit agreement or no agreement, not only on Ireland but on the EU agri food sector generally. More recently at the Agri-Fish Council meeting in Luxembourg last month, I raised the issue of the impact of Brexit on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harness Racing Industry (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The Indecon Review of the Irish Harness Racing Sector was published on Wednesday 1st November, 2017. This report will provide the sport with a road map for its potential development and I will be supporting the recommendations within my Department’s remit from the outset. The report can be accessed on my Department's website at:...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: Some changes in my Departments afforestation scheme are being considered as part of the Mid-Term Review of the Forestry Programme 2014 -2020. My Department is involved in detailed discussions with stakeholders on it, including on the issues raised by the Deputy. Obviously any proposals must have regard to the available budget and the liability accruing to the State in future years. I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: The persons named were approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and have received all payments in respect of 2015 and the 2016 advance payment. A Farm Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) must be submitted on behalf of each GLAS 1 and 2 participant to the dedicated online system before the 15% balancing payment or any future GLAS payment can issue. As this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Transfer of Entitlements (7 Nov 2017)

Michael Creed: As outlined to the Deputy in my response to Parliamentary Question number 581 in July, this is a complex case involving a number of interested parties. The case has been prioritised by my Department and a number of legal issues are being progressed with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office who have been in correspondence with the solicitors for the persons referred to by the Deputy.