Results 1,341-1,360 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 761. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total hectares of high nature value grassland now excluded from the forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39996/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 762. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who was the qualified authority who decided the definition and area of high nature value grasslands to be removed form afforestation activity in the forestry programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39997/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and Mr. Massey and Mr. Callanan for coming before the committee. A few things need to be put on record. There has been a lot of commentary over the past week. Being honest, if the Minister had gone out to Europe and on the beer with Commissioner Sinkeviius for a week, it was not going to change the decision; that is being straight up. The simple reason is that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Minister might just give me something at the end of the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On Friday week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The big problem here is the small family farm that is getting hammered. We have to try to protect the small family farm. How are the officials looking at classing calves? I think a year old, or between a year and two years is at 55 kg N/ha.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is a woefully high figure. If a calf is 24 kg N/ha, it is a woefully high figure for what we call the yearling or the year-and-a-half-old. Is that going to be looked at in the line of nitrates? There is an awful need to look at it. It is very high. A suckler cow is 65 kg N/ha, is that not correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: A 13-month-old or 14-month-old heifer weanling is 55 kg N/ha. That is what they go down as. I ask the officials to look at that. There is an opportunity and the guys who came out to Brussels with us, namely, the Cathaoirleach and Senators Paul Daly and Lombard, think there is an opportunity under animal welfare to make a case to be able to work with the Commission on that, though I might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is one other thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There was mention of force majeureand the Commissioner. There may be an avenue under animal welfare. We cannot in six months get rid of cattle. I apologise to Deputy Kerrane.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is one derogation farm in Leitrim.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Callanan might answer this question. A family farm of 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 cows - a small farm - will be under pressure to get land, and there is no point in us codding ourselves, whereas a bigger conglomerate would have more flexibility as to where it will go. Particularly where there are small family farms with a lot of them doing the same thing, the land would not be available. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am trying to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If land is designated as a special area of conservation, one of the 36 things farmers are supposed to do is to get the go-ahead to put out slurry. It is the damnedest ever with what is involved. It is not the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that is involved, it is the National Parks and Wildlife Service. There is fear in certain areas because of the pressure coming on land....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department not agree that small family farms are the biggest losers in all of this? They do not have the numbers or the capacity to do what someone else may be able to do. Does Mr. Callanan understand what I mean? The small family farms that supply milk in many parts of the country are the ones that will really take the hit on this. They do not have the same flexibility as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is not a political question; it is a straight question. Mr. Callanan knows better than I do that someone rearing a family on a farm with 60, 70 or 80 cows does not have flexibility or acreage. If everyone around them is doing this, the land is not available. They do not have the flexibility to go 70, 80 or 100 miles for land compared to someone who has 1,000 acres.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am talking about small farms. They do not have flexibility and the hit is worse for them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can I ask one question about cattle?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have only one question. We touched on it earlier and said we would leave it until the end. Is the new register for movement of cattle cross-border?