Results 11,621-11,640 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Cereal Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I fully acknowledge that there are ongoing difficulties being experienced by the farming community, not least by our tillage farmers. This sector is a very important area of the agricultural economy but it has been a challenging year both in terms of market returns and variable weather conditions experienced during the harvest. The Deputy already raised a similar matter in the Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. I can confirm that the recent appointments to the HRI Board were made in accordance with the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards and that they were advertised on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: My Department does not have a role in the enforcement of employment or immigration law and therefore did not participate in the recent multi-agency inspections led by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) with the assistance of An Garda Síochána. Accordingly, I have not received, nor would I expect to receive, a report on the inspections. The report of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Household Incomes (30 Nov 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Agricultural Markets Task Force was established in January 2016 to consider the functioning of the supply chain and the position of farmers within it. Its report was published in November and its contents and recommendations deserve careful consideration. The relatively weak position of farmers across the European Union in the supply chain is generally acknowledged.The issue is an...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Wise 2025 Strategy (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Food Wise 2025, the new ten year strategy for the agri-food sector, was published in July last year. It 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,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Live Exports (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: We are all well aware of the extraordinary challenge facing Ireland’s agri-food sector in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, given the vital importance of the UK market for the sector. The potential impacts are being given the highest priority by my Department and its agencies, and by the Government as a whole. My Department has been engaged for quite some...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: GLAS is an agri-environment climate measure under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. Its aim is to deliver environmental benefits which will protect and enhance our biodiversity and water quality and which will raise awareness of and encourage actions which mitigate the effects of climate change. The scheme contains actions which will deliver the expected environmental dividends and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: A high level inter-departmental Task Force was set up by Government in November 2015 following reports of alleged abuses of migrant workers on board Irish fishing vessels. The Task Force received presentations and submissions from a number of relevant stakeholders including the Fisheries Producer Organisations. The key outcome of the work of the Task Force is the establishment of a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Court of Justice Rulings (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The matter raised by the Deputy refers to legal proceedings taken by a number of vessel owners against decisions taken by the EU Commission to refuse applications for safety tonnage under Article 4(2) of Council Decision 413/97 of 26 June 1997. The Commission has sole responsibility in regard to these decisions and the State had no involvement in the adjudication process. Between 1...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: On 27 October 2016 the Supreme Court issued a judgment in a case taken by a number of mussel seed fishermen in which it determined that fishing by Northern Ireland vessels within the 0 to 6 nautical mile zone of the territorial waters of the State is not permitted by law. The background to this issue is arrangements which have long been in existence to provide access for fishing. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing Regulation (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: Under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon (BnG). The ICC has assured my Department that it has extensive systems and practices in place to underpin the welfare of hares and greyhounds involved in coursing and that it goes to great...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing Regulation (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: As I stated in my reply to PQ 37400/16 under the provisions of the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958, the regulation of coursing is chiefly a matter for the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) subject to the general control and direction of Bord na gCon (BnG). Tthe ICC has assured my Department that it has extensive systems and practices in place to underpin the welfare of hares and greyhounds involved...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Cereal Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The Teagasc Final Harvest report for 2016 which my Department has just received estimates that the overall production of cereals for 2016 was a little over 2.2 million tonnes combined,down from a record 2.6 million tonnes in 2015. The report also estimates that the total cereal area sown fell by 4.9% in 2016, compared to 2015. The table sets out on a county basis, the number of tillage...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TAMS Applications (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: It is anticipated that the Tillage Measure under TAMS II will be launched shortly and that the measure will be open for on-line applications from tillage farmers once launched.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The person named submitted a 2016 Transfer of Entitlements application to my Department seeking the transfer of entitlements by merger of two or more holdings to a Partnership.  The person named subsequently formed a partnership with another herd owner in August 2016. As this Partnership was formed after the 16th May 2016 this is deemed to be a 2017 Partnership for payment...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Environment Options Scheme Eligibility (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I recently launched the third tranche of GLAS with a view to bringing participation in the Scheme to at least 50,000 farmers and to utilise the full budget allocated to GLAS.  The level of interest in the third tranche coupled with the level of participation in the Scheme from the first two tranches indicates that when the third tranche is finalised the available budget for the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The percentage of total forest cover in Cavan stands at 8.7%. This equates to 16,830 hectares, not all of which was planted under State planting programmes. Since 2000, the Government has grant-aided the afforestation of 4,887 hectares of forestry in Cavan. In Monaghan the forest cover percentage is 4.3% or 5,600 hectares. Since 2000, 1,216 hectares in Monaghan have been...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: An application under the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 10 May 2016. He declared nine forestry parcels on this application. The application has now been fully processed with respect to the non-forestry parcels and any payments due will issue as soon as possible to the nominated bank account. The eligibility of five...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: There is a strong demand for meat globally and the role of the Department is to facilitate market access and to enable Irish exporters to take advantage of any opportunities that arise. 2015 was a very successful year for meat exports. According to Bord Bia, overall meat exports increased by €140 million to €3.5 billion. Although exports to the UK and EU account for the...