Results 8,321-8,340 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers Development (4 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 173 together. Greencastle Harbour is owned by Donegal County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development rests with that Local Authority in the first instance and its parent Department, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government thereafter. My Department owns, operates and maintains six...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Harbours and Piers Development (4 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 174 together. Leenan Pier, Inishowen is owned by Donegal County Council and responsibility for its maintenance, repair and development rests with Donegal County Council in the first instance and its parent Department, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government thereafter. My Department does provide limited funding...

Animal Welfare: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I accept that the puppy farming issue is stain on that, and it is something on which the Department with responsibility for the environment has been in consultation with us, and there is a commitment to looking at the regulations underpinning it because it is an area in particular where we need additional focus. I convey my sincere thanks to Deputy O'Sullivan. More unites us in this debate...

Animal Welfare: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I have listened attentively to all the contributions. I commend Deputy O'Sullivan and her colleagues on tabling the motion. As we gather here on the eve of world animal welfare day, and I consider the debate in all its contexts, there is more that unites us than divides us. It is a positive thing. There are probably...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I concur entirely with the Deputy. Since its inception, CAP has shown itself to be an extremely flexible and adaptable policy not just in terms of its original objectives of delivering food security for Europe after the Second World War but has evolved substantially since then to meet environmental concerns, the sustainability of our production systems and the public good in the area of...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Government is entirely committed to an adequately funded CAP post-2020. There are questions as to whether it will slot in immediately after 2020 because of complications arising out of EU budgetary contributions to CAP. Notwithstanding that, it is clearly our position that Europe faces other challenges but other challenges require new money. It is not to raid the existing CAP, which is...

Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy Negotiations (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I am in regular contact with the Commissioner, Mr. Phil Hogan, and my European counterparts in regard to maintaining a strong CAP budget post-2020 and my position on this issue is well known. I met the Commissioner most recently at the end of August and again re-iterated the need for a well-funded CAP. Regarding the Commissioner, Mr. Günther Oettinger, and the Commission’s final...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: It is fair to say no compensation scheme ever compensates in the order of 100% of all those affected for damage inflicted on them. I visited the area and saw at first hand the damage caused. I walked the land and saw carcases of livestock, particularly sheep, that had been lost in the flood. I saw bales of fodder that had been transported long distances by the flood and fencing that had...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: It is not possible to say definitively that, because of the level of rainfall on 22 October, second-cut, first-cut or third-cut silage was lost. Neither is it possible to say definitively that floods caused 100% of the losses, as the Deputy tried to convey. We are not compensating anybody in the order of 100%, but we are compensating for the loss of livestock, fodder and fencing, as well as...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Because one cannot state definitively-----

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: -----that because of heavy rainfall on the day in question-----

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: -----somebody lost the second cut of silage entirely. That is not simply the case.

Other Questions: Beef Exports (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department is always conscious of the need to gain access to new third country markets for the beef sector and improve and widen the existing levels of access that we enjoy. This was a central component of the Food Wise 2025 strategy and has been a key part of recent trade missions. Ireland gained access to the US market in 2015, making it the first EU member state to gain access and...

Other Questions: Beef Exports (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Notwithstanding Brexit, the United Kingdom will always be an important market. It takes in excess of 250,000 tonnes. It is important to say we are not walking away from that market. My Department and Bord Bia have put a lot of effort into securing the foothold we have in that market. Businesspeople will always seek the market that pays them best. The Deputy is correct that 50% of our...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Control of Horses Act 1996 provides powers to local authorities to deal with stray and abandoned horses. To date, my Department has provided funding of €4.3 million to local authorities for horse seizures for the period from 2014 to 2017. Local authorities are asked to make every effort to recover all costs associated with horse seizures and ensure they are achieving the best...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: On the individual case, the Deputy is aware we have engaged in considerable correspondence with him on that individual matter. Whether in the area of equine matters, puppy farms or conventional farming of cattle, sheep or pigs, the Department has a commitment to the highest levels of animal welfare, and that reflects what society would want. For this reason, in 2013 we considerably updated...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: Nobody wants to see any diminution of our standards. We have the legal framework now. We are prosecuting more people now. We are working with more voluntary bodies now and delivering funding in all of those areas to address this issue. I am satisfied that while there will always be an individual case which will make the headlines, we are doing everything possible and financial resources...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: There is nobody beyond the law in the context of animal welfare issues, be they sulky racers or anybody else.

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I can assure the Deputy there is nobody beyond the law.

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: On the issue of what is the most appropriate way to deal with the issue of sulky racing, I have been on the old Cork to Dublin road going through Limerick-----