Results 1,221-1,240 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: The Department has already looked at the 73% and given them the go-ahead. They now have to go back for some bit of twisting or whatever has to be done.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay. Mr. Delany spoke to the committee earlier in the year about €1.3 billion. The announcement - as we got a bit baffled - is €304 million of aid from Brussels and the rest will be grants over 15 to 20 years. It was thrown out in the media that it would be thrown out in the next five years. The public needs to know that. On planting, if I want to apply for a licence...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I will. If my application is refused, will I be paid?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I would be out of pocket by €2,500. I talked to foresters this morning who told me that if I apply in an area and my application is refused I will be out of pocket if I do not get the go-ahead. It costs €2,500 to get the reports that are required in many areas.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Chances do not work for farmers.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but if it is not approved, the farmer does not get anything, although they have had the reports done. Is that right?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but they still have to go through the environmental parts of it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: All right. I remember sitting around the audiovisual room while Mr. Delany talked about how many licences of the old licences that could come in under the de minimisaid scheme were approved. Why has there been such a lack of pick-up when Mr. Delany told us that day that there would be 7,000 ha?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: In the audiovisual room, we were told that 7,000 ha were available going back a few years and that there would be a great pick-up of it because they could come in under the new scheme. What is the problem?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: How many were planted this year?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: It was about 1,300 ha.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: We had 7,000 ha and the Department expected them to come under this new great scheme.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: What are the targets per year?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: We had bad years and this year we will not even hit the number we hit in the past.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department reckon a boom is coming?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Let us call a spade a spade. The industry tells us at the moment that it expects about 15% of it. If it has not applied in three or four years, it will not all of a sudden get wings and start to.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: The industry should know.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: All right, but I would imagine they would have started by now. If I have approval, I apply for financial approval or the grant and it is rejected, can I plant the trees if I feel like it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: There is no environmental rule. If I am a big company, I can head off and plant wherever I want. I do not have to worry.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Forestry Programme and Strategy: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: No tree can be planted without a licence, even if the landowner is not applying for the money.