Results 11,961-11,980 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: To be fair, the Department did succeed in addressing the entitlement to treatment from the national reserve for the group referred to as "old young farmers". This is a less clearly defined group. They are the forgotten farmers. They are not a homogenous group; their circumstances vary. Some of them may not even have the fundamental prerequisite of the green certification. It is a...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: The UK remains by far Ireland's most important trading partner as far as the agrifood sector is concerned, with a trade surplus of €1.3 billion last year. There are also significant levels of trade in agri-sector products between North and South. In 2015, we exported almost €750 million of agrifood sector products to the North, of which beef represented €133 million;...

Other Questions: Brexit Issues (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: Very briefly, reassurances are difficult to find because there are so many moving parts to the Brexit scenario, and until the UK puts its cards on the table in terms of what its ask will be, one would be wise to take with a grain of salt any reassurances given. However, in respect of my meetings at the North-South Ministerial Council and other meetings I have had with my Northern Ireland...

Other Questions: Harness Racing Industry (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: I have received quite a lot of representation on this matter. We have discussed it previously also. I acknowledge there is significant interest and that the industry is part of the overall horse racing industry that we discussed previously. The Deputy seems to be able to cherry-pick the elements of the horse racing sector that he likes and dislikes. Harness racing is part of the horse...

Other Questions: Harness Racing Industry (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: I do not want to prejudge the report. Based on the premise of the picture the Deputy painted, it should give us a roadmap as to how best to assist the industry to develop. I await the report and I will have no difficulty publishing it in due course.

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: In accordance with the EU regulations governing the national reserve and the young farmer scheme, a "young farmer" is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years in the year when she or he first submits an application under the basic payment scheme and who commenced farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. The regulation also provides that priority...

Other Questions: Agriculture Scheme Payments (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: This is an issue that requires European Commission approval. That is not easily available based on my conversations with the Commission. There is a mid-term review of the CAP coming up, however, and we will continue to explore the possibility of resolving the matter for the farmers affected. Even if we were permitted to do as proposed, it would then be a question of what is in the...

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: Deputy McConalogue is persisting with misinformation.

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: His own pre-budget submission made no provision whatever for re-opening GLAS.

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: Anybody who joins the scheme gets a five-year cut at it. The Deputy is suggesting I should have a cut-off point in 2020 whereas those who get their payments in 2017 will have five years. The State is paying the AEOS and REPS grants because these payments roll over. They are not so cleanly defined, cut and packaged as to be for exactly five years. Every penny provided under the rural...

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: The Deputy's budget proposal did not have a penny for GLAS.

Other Questions: Sheepmeat Sector (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: A Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the introduction of a scheme for sheep farmers under the rural development programme with a budget of some €25 million to be provided in budget 2017. The commitment is a clear acknowledgement of the contribution the sheepmeat sector makes to the Irish agri-food sector, generating an output value of €320 million in 2015...

Other Questions: Sheepmeat Sector (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: To clarify, there are over 35,000 farm families involved in sheep production. Interestingly, they are predominantly but not exclusively concentrated on the western seaboard, with Donegal, Galway and Mayo having the highest concentration of sheep farmers. It is a welcome investment in the western seaboard counties in particular. There will be a different menu of options reflecting the...

Other Questions: Sheepmeat Sector (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: I had previously answered on the latter issue. There is no proposed variation of payments and it will be a flat rate payment for all sheep farmers. In my reply, I listed the menu of options, which will include activities in areas such as lameness control, flystrike control, scanning of pregnant ewes, meal feeding of lambs post-weaning, mineral supplementation for lambs and ewes and...

Other Questions: Harness Racing Industry (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: The Irish Harness Racing Association, IHRA, is a beneficiary, for the first time, of an equine infrastructure grant scheme operated by my Department. The IHRA has been approved for grants totalling €21,704 under this scheme, with a view to supporting this sector in a targeted way. The tender for an independent evaluator to complete an economic evaluation of the potential of the...

Other Questions: Horse Racing Ireland (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: In respect of all of the accusations the Deputy raises, it is interesting to note that the members of the board represent the various interest groups in the industry, including owners, breeders and staff. The full range of sectoral interests in the industry is reflected in the board. In theory, this should give rise to an appropriate consideration of all of the competing interests for...

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: GLAS is an agri-environment climate measure under the Rural Development Programme 2014 to 2020.  Its aim is to deliver environmental benefits which will protect and enhance our biodiversity and water quality and 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 is...

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: I want to nail this issue because the assertion that we will not deliver on the rural development programme and GLAS commitments is false. This year the Department is paying €40 million under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, a rural development programme that ran from 2007 until 2013. People joined this five-year programme in 2006 and 2007. The Deputy will recall that a...

Other Questions: GLAS Expenditure (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: It was to be allocated by the end of the rural development programme.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Environmental Regulations (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: It is a question of finding a balance. I do not dismiss the points made by the Deputy, but it is important to say that, for it to be worthwhile, both economically and agronomically, for him or her to plant a protein crop, a farmer has to have the possibility that he or she will harvest a decent yield from the crop. Without access to herbicide and pesticide control, that may not be possible....