Results 12,281-12,300 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme Projects (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The Programme for 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. Any such scheme must meet criteria laid down by Rural Development Regulation. This scheme, in addition to the existing supports for sheep farmers under the BPS, GLAS, ANC and TAMS, will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data Programme (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) is a part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme and provides Irish suckler farmers with some €300 million of funding over the next 6 years. The BDGP builds on the large investment in data recording and genomics which have been made in recent years and will continue to drive further developments and improvements in this area. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: An application under the 2016 Basic Payments/Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme was received from the second person named on 26 April 2016. Processing of the ANC application identified that the holding in question has not as yet met the stocking requirements as per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. On completion of this requirement, the application will be further reviewed with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Special Areas of Conservation Designation (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The designation of lands as either Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Areas (SPA) is the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) under the Heritage Division of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.  Any changes in designation of such lands or boundary amendments are a matter for NPWS. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Aid (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The final decisions on how Ireland will utilise its allocation of €11.09m under the EU package for dairy and other livestock sectors, and whether matching national funding will be provided, must be made by end of November under the recent EU regulation.  I envisage decisions will be made well in advance of that date. I am fully aware of the pressures on farmers right now and I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (28 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The extensive range of data requested by the Deputy is not readily available.  Officials in my Department will compile the data requested and forward it directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: I am very pleased to accept the Chairman's invitation to meet the committee today. This is a valuable opportunity to examine the 2016 Estimate for my Department and consider the mid-year expenditure and programme indicator outturns, where they are available. I am also happy to outline my priority areas for expenditure in the three year period 2017 to 2019 and would welcome the committee's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: In response to Deputy McConalogue's question on the profiling of expenditure, it is important to remember that the figures presented to the committee are the six month figures for the outturns to the end of June. There is no reason for alarm at this stage in respect of the profiled expenditure to the end of the year. It is a difficult Department to manage in that many of the payments are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: This is on the supply reduction measure. The €150 million scheme for Europe was not ring-fenced for an individual producer. It appears there may be difficulty in having a second and third tranche, as envisaged by the Commission. With the level of interest in the first tranche, it may utilise the full space and there may not be a second tranche. That remains a Commission decision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: I am not sure. We might be better informed when considering that by the outcome of the appeal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The Deputy, with his legal hat on, will agree that it would be imprudent to rush down the road of introducing legislation based on a decision that might be overturned when challenged in the courts. We need certainty regarding the findings in the case before we can build any legal case to change the current appeals procedure. We hope that our appeal brings certainty. The Deputy might be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The matter arose out of a €500 million package. Some €150 million in supply control measures has been applied for by 4,000 farmers. It is an optional element for them. The balance - the €11 million that has been allocated to Ireland - is a fund that is not specifically targeted at the dairy sector. Rather, it is available to the wider agricultural community. Unlike...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: Yes, the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: I would appreciate the Deputy's advice though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: There are currently 38,000 farmers in GLAS. There is a provision over the lifetime of the rural development programme for €1.4 billion up to 2020. When I attended the committee in June, I stated it was our ambition to re-open the scheme and it remains so. However, that is contingent on the budgetary process. Deputy Jackie Cahill and Senator Michelle Mulherin raised the issue of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: We have 100 applications in the system. There is no delay in those where they are properly received with farm safety course certificates or tax clearance certificates where the payment is over €10,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: They are turned around very quickly. There is no undue delay at all. We have provision made for these payments and the systems are up and running. We want to get the money out because it suits us. However, only 100 applications have come in. Some people have been approved. While I acknowledge there have been difficulties in all sectors, many farmers, rightly and understandably, have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: I appreciate that and we are very conscious of the increased challenges associated with Brexit. Deputy Cahill mentioned the UK having the capacity to conduct its own trade deals when the negotiations on its exit are concluded, and that is true. The truth is that the UK could decide at that stage to conclude the Mercosur trade deal and that would be damaging to us. This is why that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: To date, we have paid €140 million to 65,000 farmers. Entitlements will continue to flow under the ANC up to the end of the year as eligibility is met in terms of stocking density, etc. The provision for an additional €25 million is a commitment in the budget for 2018. It is not a commitment for 2017.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: Approximately 28,000 farmers are participating in the knowledge transfer scheme. The scheme is enormously beneficial in terms, literally, of the knowledge it transfers, but it has an equivalent value in respect of the socialisation opportunity it brings to a profession that is largely carried on in isolation. I have heard the concerns around the edges of the scheme. Obviously, there is a...