Results 1,801-1,820 of 7,985 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Is it the case that Mr. Moloney does not agree with me that the 15,000 tonnes that is hanging around at the moment would cost what is in the kitty?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If the Irish Farm Film Producers Group recycles 40,000 tonnes and last year it took in 20,000 tonnes and has 15,000 tonnes left at the moment, that is approximately 25,000 tonnes of this year's plastic, as well as 15,000 tonnes from last year. Does the Department worry that there is plastic hanging around that, in my opinion, if we were to keep on top of things, should be gone? Where does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is no seasonal nature in recycling.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Sorry but recycling plastic is not seasonal. Plastic can be recycled all year round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Hold on a second. To be clear on this, in fairness there is a time of year when bring centres are open, so the plastic is there from then on. Farmers have nothing to do with this. I am asking if the Department is concerned that of last year's plastic, and this year's plastic that is about to come around the corner, that there is 15,000 tonnes of plastic hanging around the country? In my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department go out to those who are successful in getting licences to check what tonnage they have?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Does the Department with responsibility for climate action do that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Right. With regard to plastic, there is now an extra €2. The witnesses said it was €1.60, which is roughly €4 per roll. That means it will now cost €6 per roll ,which is an increase of 50% for the farmer. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: At the bring centres, the price paid was something like €50 a tonne. Is that accurate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is €70 per tonne again this year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Turning to the witnesses from the Department, I ask them to explain this to me because I cannot get my head around it. If I operate a school bus, I have to tender to Bus Éireann every five years under a procurement process and tick all the boxes, such as having washed it and all that type of craic. How come a Department gives out a contract, going by what I am hearing, under a fancy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is just the figure I am looking at in the context of the single farm payment, as Mr. Moloney may appreciate, is 130,000. Even if they are not farming cattle, the grass is still going to grow and it will be eaten in some way. Regarding the 55,000, if they make bales or silage it will be necessary to use plastic. I cannot fathom how there is a gap of 55,000 in the context of the 75,000 on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: How is it looking this year in respect of imports? Has much been imported so far? Has Mr. Moloney's organisation any inkling of how things stand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In my enthusiasm to get going I forgot to wish the best of luck to my constituency colleague, Deputy Kerrane. Deputy Carthy also worked well with us on the committee and he should be praised for it. I have a question for the Department. The committee, the Department and the dog on the street know that a few independent contractors have been pushed outside the system for one reason or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is not necessarily so. Hold on. There is nothing written on anything telling a farmer where he has to go with it. The farmer paid the levy. If Joe Bloggs down the road has a licence to take plastic, will I go to Joe Bloggs or will I go to a bring centre 20 miles or 25 miles away? The IFFPG said there are four in Ireland in different places and, in fairness, it also comes to marts....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Someone else drew the €160 per tonne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If there are 4,000 tonnes at €160 per tonne, is the Department happy for that to be collected by somebody else and to leave this mess here for the time being? The Department needs to wake up and see where it is going in this plastic scenario. There are a few at the moment that need to be resolved. It is fine if the Department wants to put out new stuff after that, but it should bear...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Department is happy. If a person is outside the scheme, why would someone else get the money for that, when it is being imported? Why would the levy for 3,000 or 4,000 tonnes go to somebody else? The Department is happy to stand over that and to allow a situation where there are a few operators that are not operating but there is a heap of plastic. People are basically in a quagmire...