Results 8,961-8,980 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: My Department does not set targets for the volume and value of beef exports to the United States or to other markets.  The role of the Department is to secure market access to overseas third country markets, for Irish agri-food exports, including beef. Once access is secured, market forces determine how much is exported, and to where, in any given year. This can vary...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The EU (Identification of Equidae) Regulations 2016 provide for the seizure of horses where an authorised officer has grounds for believing that an offence is being or has been committed under the Regulations. The Regulations also provide an opportunity for the owner/keeper of the animals to reclaim seized animals on production of the required documentation...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Data (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: There are 15 applicants who submitted a 2017 Basic Payment Scheme application to my Department with an address here and who have claimed land in Northern Ireland.  There are 297 herdowners who submitted a 2017 Basic Payment Scheme application with an address in Northern Ireland and who have claimed land here.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named was subject of a field inspection under 2016 GLAS on 13th April 2017. The outcome of this inspection was examined for any impact on payments already issued under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme, as required under the governing EU Regulations. This examination found an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 10%, leading to a penalty. Officials in my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The penalty applied under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme relates to breaches of Cross Compliance requirements. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Basic Payment Scheme and other area-based schemes, an applicant as well as meeting the scheme criteria, must comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance. An inspection was carried out by my Department's...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme and other area-based schemes requires my Department to carry out on-the-spot inspections annually to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements, including land eligibility and compliance with Cross Compliance requirements, as set down in EU legislation, and the standards for Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC), in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Payments (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The person concerned applied for payment of a claim under the Animal Welfare Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme of TAMS II.  The applicant has submitted a manufacturer's certificate for concrete beams which are not on the Department's approved list and steps are being taken by the supplier to rectify this issue.  The claim will be processed when this matter is resolved.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of the 1 October 2015 and has received full entitlements in respect of the 2015 scheme year. During the 2016 prepayment checking process an issue was identified whereby the person named was awaiting finalisation of their AEOS contract.  This issue has now been resolved and the application is now being...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry Development (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector, identifies the opportunities and challenges facing the sector and provides an enabling strategy that will allow the sector to grow and prosper. Food Wise includes more than 400 specific recommendations, spread across the cross-cutting themes of sustainability, innovation, human capital, market development and competitiveness;...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Both GLAS and AEOS provide valuable support to farmers to deliver environmental benefits and public goods which will enhance Ireland's sustainability credentials into the future. They provide support to Irish farmers aimed at enhancing biodiversity, water quality and the mitigation of the future impacts of climate change while allowing Irish farmers to improve their agricultural practices. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The drafting of the Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020 included the production of a Natura Impact Statement and subsequent appropriate assessment, and this process concluded that the programme did not pose a threat to the integrity of the Natura 2000 network. In parallel to this, a Strategic Environmental Assessment was also carried out. As part of this assessment, an environmental report...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: My most recent meeting with Coillte was on 10 April 2017 in Macroom, Co. Cork, at the launch of Coillte Premium Partners’, Coillte’s new private forestry partnership product. I met with both the Chairman of the Coillte Board, Mr. John Moloney, and the company’s CEO, Mr. Fergal Leamy, at the event. This contact is of course in addition to ongoing contact on operational and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Licences (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: I presume the Deputy is referring to recommendation 10 of the Report on Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities of the former Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries published in January 2014.  That recommendation stated: The sub-Committee recommends that the Government examines the feasibility of 'heritage licences‘ to be issued by the Department for rural coastal...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Last month I welcomed the release of preliminary information from the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) regarding the uptake of the Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme. The Scheme, which was developed by my Department in co-operation with SBCI, makes €150 million available to farmers at interest rates of 2.95%. Distributed and administered through AIB, Bank of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Quotas (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Under the Common Fisheries Policy, the landing obligation – which prohibits the wasteful practice of discarding of fish at sea - is being phased in over a 4 year period. The first phase, concerning pelagic stocks, came into effect on 1 January 2015.  The landing obligation was extended to certain demersal stocks (whitefish and prawns) from 1 January 2016 and will be fully phased...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme Eligibility (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a specific disadvantage. In the context of the discussions with the EU Commission in early 2015 regarding the inclusion of the group...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Industry Development (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The strawberry sector has invested significantly over recent years to improve the quality and consistency of output.    Traditionally Irish strawberry production was centered on field based production with harvesting very much concentrated in the traditional June-July period.  At that stage the majority of the crop was destined for low value processing.  While...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: The historic Paris Agreement in December 2015 recognises the need to limit global temperature increases to 2050, to less than 2 degrees and to pursue an objective of limiting increases to less than 1.5 degrees. It also recognises that this must be achieved in a manner that does not threaten food production (Article 2). This reflects the need for a coherent approach to the twin...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Under the Rural Development Regulation each Member State must designate areas eligible for payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.  The ANC scheme replaces the previous Disadvantaged Areas Scheme / Less Favoured Areas Scheme.  The designation of eligible areas under these schemes to date has been based on a range of socio-economic factors. From 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Expenditure (22 Jun 2017)

Michael Creed: Both the GLAS and AEOS agri-environment schemes provide valuable support to farmers to deliver environmental benefits and public goods which will enhance Ireland's sustainability credentials into the future. They provide support to Irish farmers aimed at enhancing biodiversity, water quality and the mitigation of the future impacts of climate change while allowing Irish farmers to improve...