Results 8,221-8,240 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Farming (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department has noted media reports of salmon being found in some rivers which may be from farmed stock. My Department has advised Inland Fisheries Ireland that where anglers or officers of Inland Fisheries Ireland suspect that they have collected salmon from farmed stock that the fish should be sent to the Marine Institute for analysis, with a view to determining whether they are actually...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The specific information requested by the Deputy will require a detailed examination of my Department’s records and is therefore not readily available. The information sought will be forwarded to the Deputy within 2 weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Farming (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department always responds to requests for information in as transparent a manner as possible consistent with the legislative restrictions applicable to information sought in individual cases including, but not limited to, environmental legislation, the Freedom of Information Act and legislation governing data protection.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Farming (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department has been advised by the Marine Institute that the reported mortalities are in respect of the actual stock held.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licences (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 and 432 together. As the Deputy has been advised, the extreme weather conditions prevalent at the time delayed the immediate investigation of the damage and whether escapes or mortalities had in fact occurred. At all times, site surveys must be conducted in a manner which takes due account of the health and safety of the personnel involved.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licence Applications (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department’s records indicate that two applications have been received for Aquaculture Licences from the person referred to by the Deputy. The first application was received in November 2016 but it was subsequently returned to the applicant as it was incomplete. The completed application form and the necessary supporting documentation were returned to my Department in June 2017...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 434 and 435 together. The introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provided for increased levels of penalties for animal welfare offences committed. For major cases taken on indictment, the maximum penalty was increased from €100,000 to €250,000, with a maximum custodial sentence of five years imprisonment. These penalties are in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The CSO published four Quarterly National Household Surveys (QNHS) for 2016, the fourth of which was released in February 2017. These showed that employment in the agri-food sector overall, including all its component parts, averaged 173,400 throughout the year. The agri-food sector represented circa 8.6% of national employment as measured by the QNHS. The average figures for the years...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Research and Development Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The funding provided for my Department's competitive research programme in 2017 amounts to €18.2 million. This funding covers the Food Institutional Research Measures (FIRM) €5.4m, Research Stimulus Funds (RSF) €11m and Competitive Forest Research for Development funds (CoFoRD) €1.8m. The funding is provided, on a competitive basis, to public institutes in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Most productive marginal land is already eligible for planting and many farmers avail of the generous grants and premiums on offer to plant their productive marginal land. There are some restrictions on planting land in designated areas and other environmentally sensitive areas. There is also a restriction on the proportion of unenclosed land, Grant Premium Category 1(GPC1) planted, capped...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The current forestry programme does not differentiate between a “farmer” and “non-farmer” but targets funding at all landowners who wish to convert lands to forestry. It is important to note that the non-farmer category also includes recently retired farmers and the family members of existing farmers and on that basis I am satisfied that the vast bulk of forestry...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I understand that this question relates to land set aside as part of a forestry application. I believe the existing provisions to pay landowners for areas left unplanted for environmental reasons are proportionate and adequate. Under the current Environmental Requirements for Afforestation, between 10-15% of the afforestation site must be treated with particular regard to biodiversity,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Roads Scheme (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Forest Road Scheme is offered to farmers to facilitate harvesting of their crop of trees. The scheme which grant aids farmers to build private forest roads on their holding is important to enable the sector to fully mobilise the volume of timber in private hands. Currently consent is required from my Department to build a forest road and in addition if the forest road requires a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Forestry Programme 2014-2020 includes a specific measure to fund the establishment of new producer groups for private forest owners. Applicants would need to submit a detailed business plan providing a description of the project, including objectives, timelines and projected expenditure. So far the Department has received no applications under this measure; however my Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Arterial Drainage Acts of 1945 and 1995 provide the Office of Public Works with powers for drainage and improvement of agricultural land and the undertaking of localised flood defence schemes to reduce flood risk in urban areas. The Arterial Drainage Acts and SI 122 of 2010 Regulations also introduced OPW consent requirements for the creation and modification of watercourses,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff Recruitment (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Public Appointments Service (PAS) initiated a Technical Agricultural Officer (TAO) recruitment campaign on behalf of my Department in May 2016. To date, 36 new Technical Agricultural Officers have been recruited to my Department nationally. Business needs in my Department’s offices in Co. Donegal are filled in the first instance through an internal transfer system, whereby...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Shared Services (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Payroll Shared Services Centre (PSSC), which was established in 2013, is part of the Government's National Shared Services Office with overall responsibility for payroll processing functions, including the issuing of P45s to former staff of my Department. I understand from the PSSC that the delay in issuing the P45 to the individual in question is due to a backlog with the issuing of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II) a suite of seven measures are available. Support is available under the following measures: - Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme; - Dairy Equipment Scheme; - Organic Capital Investment Scheme; - Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme; - Low Emission Slurry Spreading; - Pig and Poultry Capital Investment...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (17 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: In Ireland, up to 80% of animal feed for ruminants is provided by grass, hay and silage, complemented where appropriate, by compound feeds. In the case of pigs and poultry, virtually all their nutrition is derived from compound feeds. Ireland imports approx 2.8 million tonnes (2016 figures) of animal feed materials per annum and the total annual usage of feed materials is approx. 4.9...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commonage Framework Plans (12 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 to 141, inclusive, together. Where commonage is included in a GLAS application, a Commonage Management Plan or a Commonage Farm Plan as appropriate, must be submitted before GLAS payment for the 2017 scheme year can be processed. Payments cannot issue if commonage framework plans are not completed and submitted. Over 9,000 shareholders across over 3,800...