Results 11,581-11,600 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Other Questions: Beef Exports (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Yes, I am concerned about the matters the Deputy raises. With the expansion of the dairy herd, one of the critical elements in putting a floor and competitive edge in the market is the live export section. In particular, it is about getting Friesian bull calves out of the country early. The withdrawal of Cork Co-operative Marts from that process is a worry. I confess I have spoken directly...

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: As I mentioned in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 41 on 27 October, it is my Department's intention to deploy a full badger vaccination strategy as soon as robust scientific evidence becomes available that demonstrates such a programme is practicable and will deliver an outcome equivalent to the existing wildlife programme. In this context, my Department is involved in a range of...

Other Questions: Bovine Disease Controls (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: There is another side to this debate to which Deputy Daly is blind-sided. It relates to the extraordinary hardship that a TB outbreak brings to the farming community. I know this because I represent the people affected in my constituency. When a dairy, beef or suckler herd is wiped out by TB, farmers, in conjunction with the Department, are most keen to find out whether it was an issue...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I appreciate this is an issue for which all sides of the House are anxious to find a legislative fix as quickly as possible. That is also the objective within my Department. I have had considerable contact with my Northern Ireland equivalent, Michelle McIlveen, and obviously this is causing some concern to fishermen in Northern Ireland. It is my ambition to get us to a situation as quickly...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I am not sure if I have the numbers the Deputy requires but I will ask my Department to inquire into the matter of the number of fishing vessels involved. My intention is to get to a situation where the status quo anteprevails.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: On the length of the vessels. If that was the situation previously, it will be the situation that will be provided for.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agrifood Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's argument seems to be predicated on the fact that the UK decision to leave the EU means we will lose a market for 43% of our exports. It will undoubtedly be challenged and this is why, for example, I have visited the UK twice to meet major multiples that buy substantial volumes of our exports. I will meet Andrea Leadsom, my UK counterpart, tomorrow to indicate that we are open...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agrifood Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: We have taken a number of initiatives, one of which was to establish a stakeholders forum. Farming organisations, those involved in the processing sector and the fisheries community are all inside the tent informing our deliberations on this matter. This is an unprecedented challenge. We are not all knowing and that is why we need to engage in the consultation process to give every one of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Legislative Measures (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The recent Supreme Court judgment, to which the Deputy refers, relates to fishing activities by Northern Ireland vessels within the territorial waters of the State.  The judgment arose from an appeal taken by a number of Irish mussel seed fishermen against the findings of the High Court.  The Supreme Court issued its judgment on 27 October, finding that fishing by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: GLAS Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The first two tranches of GLAS resulted in almost 38,000 farmers being approved into the scheme in its first year of implementation. This represents an unprecedented level of participation in the first year of an agri-environment scheme in Ireland. This scheme is providing support to Irish farmers to deliver environmental benefits and public goods which will enhance Ireland's agriculture...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: GLAS Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I have already indicated ad nauseamin the Chamber that the record of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on previous rural development programmes and on this one is to spend every penny that has been allocated. As I said in reply to the Deputy's first parliamentary question, the schemes do not lend themselves to 1 January to 31 December absolutist deadlines. That is why we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: GLAS Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I ask the Deputy, in the context of his question, to reflect on why it is that we are paying REPS and AEOS payments now.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: GLAS Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's suggestion, with which I totally disagree, is that new entrants to the GLAS now would only get three years payment.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: GLAS Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: We are committed to paying them for five years. The Deputy has to accept that once the RDP funding was secured, we had to submit a rural development plan to Brussels and it had to approve it. Once we got approval, we had to invite applications and payments GLAS payments began in late 2015. Then it was opened up to new applicants. The number that will ultimately benefit from this is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agrifood Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Ireland is a small, open economy that exports the vast bulk of its main agricultural commodities. Therefore, producer prices here are largely determined by commodity prices on world markets rather than by production levels within Ireland. We have seen significant commodity price volatility on world markets over recent years. However, there are measures in place to help Irish farmers...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I assure the Deputy that the Department has no interest in withholding payment to any farmer, but there are issues regarding eligibility. Under areas of natural constraint, ANC, payments, for example, it may be the case that farmers might meet the eligibility requirements in the latter days of December, and they have the latitude to do that in respect of matters such as stocking density....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The national reserve measure of the basic payment scheme provides for an allocation of entitlements to eligible applicants. EU regulations governing the national reserve provide that the two mandatory categories of "young farmer" and "new entrant to farming" must receive priority access to the reserve. A young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I have dealt with the returning emigrants and the group known as old young farmers. The specific group where we have a difficulty and on which we are trying to progress is the forgotten farmer. The Department estimates there are approximately 3,800 or 3,900 such farmers. The issue here, and the Deputy hit the nail on the head, is that there is no reserve at present. Entitlements flow into...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I will give a quick summation of the mathematics involved. The Deputy has offered a suggestion for €5 million. The cost of dealing with the 3,900 farmers, as estimated by the Department, is €12 million, so there is €7 million to find. We are still not making enough from the Deputy's proposal, which is targeting some but not all.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: To be fair, I cannot proceed on the basis of the back of an envelope, nor can I proceed in breach of EU regulations. The first hurdle I have to clear, and I do not want to underestimate the challenge we face, is to get EU approval to include this category. If we secure them as an approved category, eligible to draw from the reserve, we have to consider how we would create a reserve that...