Results 1,161-1,180 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Education and Upskilling in the Agriculture Sector (8 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Staying on education, I looked at the numbers going back over the years and there were some years when there were low numbers. I think there were 1,700 or 1,800 doing the likes of the green certificate. What does that equate to down the road in farming? Are we holding our own? Dr. Butler mentioned the 50 years of EU membership. The numbers of farmers have gone backwards since we joined....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Investigations (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us this time. Cattle do not go from 200 kg to 400 kg overnight. There is some reason for this. The cattle were pining away and then after a certain length of time they started thriving because a place was closed, to put it simply. You do not have to be a scientist or a vet to know that; it is weights on scales that will tell, and it is obvious when a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Investigations (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In fairness UCD was not able to search for some stuff. The Minister should have a look at that and read it. It is there in black and white.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Investigations (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Look at the terms and conditions for what each one looked at.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Investigations (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Cadmium is the problem. If it cannot be investigated then there is a problem.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Environmental Investigations (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is not every day that someone from Monaghan and someone from Galway, which, in fairness to the Deputies here, are not near Dan Brennan's farm, come together. When Dan Brennan came in, I did not know him from Adam. The words of the song "Willie McBride", "torn, battered and stained", came to my head. He has gone through hell and back with his family. When you listen to his story, it is...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (7 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 728. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on the review requested on behalf of a person (details supplied) who is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) and,, as a result of an error, has had their qualified adult allowance stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47744/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (26 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 240. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost to his Department of outsourced ecology services for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47140/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (26 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the projected cost of outsourced ecology services to his Department for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47141/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 242. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the weekly average number of forestry licence issued across all sections by his Department to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47142/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for appearing before the committee; we are fairly familiar with them. This is a long saga and the witnesses have ploughed the furrow for many a day. On the previous RUS scheme, am I right in saying 230 or 240 farmers went into it? How many farmers in total are involved in the ash dieback issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Then, the number in the RUS is basically peanuts.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I concur. An important point needs to be added to these findings. Someone is going to be killed on some public road very shortly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Ministers will be responsible for not moving on this. Be it via county councils, the single farm payment or some other system, funding should be provided for any ash trees along a road to be cut down. This should have happened already because someone, somewhere is going to be injured or killed. We see what happens during storms. The other day I saw a branch of an ash tree snap...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If the bike starts freewheeling on a good scheme and 6,000 people get involved in it, the people with the machinery will react to the business. Getting it going is about the quality of the scheme.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Sorry, but dealing with people getting killed on the roads unnecessarily is every Department's business.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Agreed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: But it can be administered-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Between €400 million and €1 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That figure sounds like a lot. When we were told there would be about €1.3 billion for forestry between 2023 and 2027 we said that was great money. Senator Paul Daly was with us when we went to the European Commission. We quizzed officials there and €1 billion of that figure is spread over 20 years. It is giving a bit every year. The bark is worse than the bite.