Results 1,741-1,760 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 206. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number and the profiles of Ukrainian and IPP arrivals to County Roscommon, in tabular form, for the years 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6224/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 207. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number and the profiles of Ukrainian and IPP arrivals to the Ballaghaderreen area of County Roscommon, in tabular form, for the years 2022 and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6225/23]

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and his officials for attending. I have a couple of questions on the TB budget that was laid out. My understanding is there is not yet an agreement with the farmer organisations regarding the new testing regimes. Will that budget change?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I will address the beef and sheep part of it. In light of the sheep sector having had what was probably one of its toughest winters, and it appears that since many hoggets will stay on before they are out of the system spring lamb may not be as attractive, is there a possibility that some extra sectoral budget for sheep will be brought in? There was a scheme previously for the slaughter of...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, grant rising to €90,000? Is that the limit?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If a person is putting up a shed, are the solar panels separate? If a young farmer is putting up a shed and drawing 40% or 60% of the €90,000 and then decides to go solar, is that a different thing? Is it included in that €90,000?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is what I wondered.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is good. On the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, which the Minister outlined, is there a budget left for the 46,000 or 48,000 people? Am I correct in saying we had 46,000, 48,000 or 50,000 people at one stage in the previous scheme and they are all out of the scheme now? It is not that we are not used to having the guts of at least 50,000 people on the scheme. I welcome...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, I know that.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With regard to the figure of 46,000 people, we used to always be roughly around 50,000, give or take a few thousand, in schemes such as the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, energy efficiency obligation scheme, EEOS, or whatever. Where the Minister was looking for 30,000 or 60,000 more people, will he be allowing 20,000 in the next round? What way will that be done? If...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I presume the Minister agrees we are going to spend damn all money this year on forestry. By the time we get the go ahead, first of all, an application has to be put in. There is a headline figure of €1.3 billion. We have to make an application for state aid, which will not be for another month and then it could take between two and eight months. Let us say it takes four or five...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: People cannot apply today.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: No.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Yes, but not for a new person who wants to apply. When does the Minister envisage the lime coming and at how much per tonne will it be put out? Access to finance is very important. My understanding, and the Minister might be able to explain this to me, is that generally these access to finance schemes are for six years. If a farmer wants to buy a bit of land, I believe he or she is not...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Can it be used at the moment?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: With regard to the budget for Teagasc, I presume the Minister will put an emphasis on making sure plenty of research is done. In fairness to the agency, I believe some of the initial figures it is doing on cows are way less than what the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has loved shouting about down through the years. Does the Minister make sure that whatever research budgets are...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Teagasc.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I wish to raise one last point. This is a bit away from this but it is ferociously important to it. Is it correct that at Cabinet yesterday, part 1 of the land use, land-use change and forestry, LULUCF, review was brought in to Cabinet? When will we get our eyes on what is in that?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Was it brought to Cabinet yesterday?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is the dashboard coming?