Results 8,341-8,360 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I have come across sulky races and their entourage hogging the main thoroughfare. It is quite a sight to behold and a dangerous one. Local authorities have an issue in terms of by laws and a role to play. Anybody who is found guilty or is suspected of the maltreatment of animals, be they horses in sulky racing, will not find a hiding place in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Other Questions: Animal Welfare (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: They are not.

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy may know, I visited the Inishowen Peninsula with my colleague, the Minster of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, following the exceptional rainfall of 22 August to see at first-hand some of the very significant problems that a number of farmers faced as a result. I committed during my visit to supporting these farmers, and my Department, in conjunction with other State agencies, moved...

Other Questions: Legislative Process (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: As the Deputy is aware, on 27 October 2016, the Supreme Court issued a judgment in a case taken by a number of mussel seed fishermen. In the judgment, the Supreme Court found that fishing by Northern Ireland boats within the zero to six nautical mile zone of the territorial waters of the State under thevoisinage arrangements is not permitted by law.  The voisinagearrangements are...

Other Questions: Legislative Process (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The fisheries sector is probably the most exposed to a hard Brexit. As the Deputy will be aware, over 60% of mackerel, which is our most valuable area of fisheries, is caught in what would be termed "UK territorial waters". Our second most valuable area of fisheries is prawns, and the percentage there is over 40%. In terms of value, over 50% of the entire industry is caught in UK...

Other Questions: Legislative Process (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill is in the Seanad. It has not concluded its Second Stage debate there. It must be said, there is considerable political opposition to it. When the minority Government cannot get sufficient support for the legislation it raises the question of whether the Bill can pass. It should be borne in mind that it is one of the areas that was identified in the Good...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: On the Mercosur trade deal we have been extremely actively engaged with the Commission and other member states. In the past week or ten days we have been very active in building a coalition of 11 member states which share our concerns about a beef proposal in the Mercosur trade deal, particularly because of Brexit but also at a time when the EU market for beef consumption is static, and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: It has been the objective of anybody who has been in my position that these payments operate as efficiently as possible. By international comparison we do quite well in terms of how efficiently we pay people. We had an issue with GLAS. We have substantially worked that through, and 98% of people have now been paid. There is a cohort of 2% which has outstanding issues that are delaying...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Deputy should move away from his script.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I acknowledged that there were difficulties in the Department in respect of GLAS, but there are other issues that hold up payment, and I was making that point in the context of GLAS nutrient management plans.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: If the Deputy did not know that he knows it now.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: There are 6,500 farmers whose payments the Department is ready and willing to issue if nutrient management plans were submitted.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: I beg the Deputy's pardon. It is the only outstanding reason for balancing payments. Not only will the balancing payment be held up but it will also hold up the next round of GLAS payments. We need to acknowledge, as I do, where there are Department failings, but there are other issues which hold up payments as well. My ambition is to pay everybody as quickly as we possibly can.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: There is no doubt that Brexit poses enormous challenges for the agrifood sector by virtue of its reliance on the UK market.  The most immediate challenge has been the impact caused by the significant drop in the value of sterling against the euro, and I fully understand and appreciate the impact this is having on the agrifood sector. The sector is of critical importance to our...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Farm Household Incomes (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Deputy raised a point about the relative position of the primary producer on the supply chain. It is the case, and it is of concern both here and across the European Union, that when there is a squeeze it is the primary producer, or the consumer, who is always most adversely affected, and those in the middle, the distributor and the retailer, seem to be immune. The Commission is seeking...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: As I tried to convey in my opening response, the two elements of the Deputy's question deal with CAP market disturbance funding and the state aid de minimisprocess. We have delivered to the agrifood sector under both headings. For example, the €150 million loan fund was partially under the de minimisprocess at sectors that were not covered under the CAP market disturbance funding....

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: We have availed of the latitude that exists under the de minimisand CAP market disturbance funding processes. We continue to engage with the Commission. We do not want to send a signal that our problems can be resolved simply by pulling out the cheque book.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: We want a structural outcome from negotiations that would resolve Brexit matters in a lasting way rather than a compensatory manner.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's question is specific and I have answered it specifically. We have benefitted under both state aid and market disturbance funding. We have already benefitted that way and it clearly answers the question.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Brexit Issues (3 Oct 2017)

Michael Creed: We continue to engage with the Commission and at next Monday's Council meeting I will raise these matters again. We have already benefitted under both headings.