Results 10,081-10,100 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I cannot tell the Deputy because I do not know what individual farmers have borrowed so whether someone borrowed €5, €25 or €105, until we know the profile and the terms-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: It would have been on the basis of SBCI's engagement with the banks, discussing their profile of agricultural lending and how we could engineer that to be more affordable for farmers and looking at subsidising the interest rate, unsecured credit, which is a cost, as opposed to having security for credit. The €25 million went into ensuring that the scheme was more competitive than...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: On Deputy D'Arcy's question about farm safety generally, the Department does a large amount in this area in terms of the half-day farm safety course for people drawing down their grants, the knowledge transfer groups and a series of initiatives. In truth, we are losing the battle. There is no point in saying otherwise. I had a meeting earlier this year with the Health and Safety Authority...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I do not have the capacity to ban quads. The Deputy appears to think they should be banned. However, we must create an awareness of how to use them appropriately. I sympathise with the Deputy's friend who lost their son. I read about the accident. On reducing the VAT rate on alternatives to zero, that is an issue for the Minister for Finance. My view is that we need a change in attitude...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: Regarding the residue, it is targeted sampling. It is an EU regulation and requires random sampling at various points, so it might be on the farm or at the processor. It is to meet EU regulations on the level of residue sampling.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: To be honest, I am not certain but I am advised that we are obliged to carry out a minimum level of sampling.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I am sure they would be if we were failing to meet the criteria. We publish the residue sampling tests. All of this is part of the criteria that underpin our offering on markets abroad. It is a critical part of our food safety.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: It is an EU requirement.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: On the BDGP, we are examining that at present but no decision has been reached on it yet. The Deputy labours under an illusion that there is an enormous, unspent pot of gold in the Department, but if there was, we would open it immediately. I hope there might be some room for manoeuvre but no decision has been made on it yet. On Deputy Cahill's question, we tendered for the appointment...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: It would stretch us to get a scheme up and running, with applications in, validated and paid, in the time we have left, so payment is in 2018.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I expect it will be before the end of the year.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I am not sure from where the Deputy got the figure of 35,000. I am not aware of any commitment from this Government or the previous one of 35,000 participants in the BDGP. However, in the context of the funding available for 2017, we are exploring the options that might be available to us.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: The commitment was to see what scope there was within the rural development programme to open the scheme to new applicants.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: The extent to which the scheme will be opened will be determined by the present financial scope, which is limited.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's figure of 35,000 is well wide of the mark.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: I will tell the Deputy when I have done the maths on it and we see what discretion we have in terms of the funding-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: If there is scope in the context of the €52 million to open the scheme, we will consider that. That exercise is under way in the Department.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: A figure of 35,000 was never mentioned.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: No, but I know it was not 35,000.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017)

Michael Creed: The €52 million, as the Deputy is aware, is the funding being used to pay the current scheme. It depends on the cost per applicant and what scope remains within the €52 million then to reopen the scheme, if any, and these matters are under consideration. I am satisfied that the €52 million will meet all our existing liabilities. The question is what discretion there...