Results 141-160 of 173 for 5 million speaker:Michael Creed

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (16 Dec 2016)

Michael Creed: ...agrifood sector. As part of Budget 2017 I have secured an additional €700,000 in funding for capital investments in the Commercial Horticulture sector.  This will increase the budget for this scheme to €5 million in 2017. In addition, the Horticulture sector will have access to the €150 million low interest cash flow support loan fund announced in Budget 2017,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme Administration (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: I will give a quick summation of the mathematics involved. The Deputy has offered a suggestion for €5 million. The cost of dealing with the 3,900 farmers, as estimated by the Department, is €12 million, so there is €7 million to find. We are still not making enough from the Deputy's proposal, which is targeting some but not all.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: ...programme, RDP, schemes is governed by EU regulation and while the norm is that payments issue between 1 December and 30 June of the following year for area based schemes, an advance of up to 75% can be made before 1 December with the balance issuing after all inspections have been initiated. For 2015 and 2016, the Commission moved from a 75% advance and allowed member states to pay up to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The National Forest inventory of 2012 estimated forest cover at 731,650ha or 10.5% of the total land surface of the country. In terms of total forest cover the target is 18% by 2050. The inventory is repeated every 5 years and the 2017 inventory is currently underway. The current Forestry Programme, covering the period 2015-2020, ensures continued State support for the two key objectives...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Exports (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The export performance of the Irish seafood sector remained very strong in 2015, recording a value increase of 6% to reach over €570 million. Total seafood exports have increased in value terms by 53% since 2010.  Whilst our main EU markets (France, Spain, UK, Italy and Germany) continue to dominate our seafood exports (56% of total), our exports to international markets reached...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Artisan Food Sector (30 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: The artisan and speciality food sector was valued at c €632 million across the island of Ireland in 2014 including €462 million in this jurisdiction, with over 350 producers employing more than 3,000 people. Growth prospects for the sector are positive overall, driven by increased consumer interest in the provenance of food, environmental concerns, health and a desire to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fish Quotas (16 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: ...of those EU Member States that do have quota and for whom bluefin is an important commercial fishery . Ireland does have a substantial and valuable quota for albacore tuna. In 2016, Ireland’s quota was 2,510 tonnes which is nearly 10% of the total EU Total Allowable Catch and is worth over €5 million directly to our catching sector. TAC’s for both bluefin and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Basic Payment Scheme Payments (8 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: ...and who have no outstanding errors.  This is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. The level of advance payment was set at 70% for 2016 rather than the 50% provided for in the EU legislation. To date payments in excess of €768m have issued to over 116,500 applicants.  Regular payment runs are being made in respect...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Nov 2016)

Michael Creed: ...customer engagement and extending market reach, all of which are aimed at helping companies maintain their competitiveness. Similar support is being provided by Enterprise Ireland through their 5-point plan for exporters to the UK and through engagement on a one-to-one basis with affected companies. In addition, I announced a comprehensive set of measures in Budget 2017...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agrifood Sector (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: ...groups with which I have met bilaterally to discuss their concerns is quite lengthy. Brexit is a standing item on the agenda of the high level implementation group, HLIG, on Food Wise 2025. It is an issue that consumes every waking moment. Every policy is Brexit-proofed in terms of how we can assist a sector. The €150 million loan fund was not driven by Europe. We got...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Agrifood Sector (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: ...They include the establishment of a dedicated Brexit unit, the convening of a consultative committee of stakeholders and the establishment of a contact group under the auspices of the Food Wise 2025 high level implementation committee. The Department is also participating fully in the new sectoral work groups established by the Department of the Taoiseach under the auspices of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation Programme (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: The National Forest inventory of 2012 estimated forest cover at 731,650ha or 10.5% of the total land surface of the country. In terms of total forest cover the target is 18% by 2050. The inventory is repeated every 5 years and the 2017 inventory is currently underway. The current Forestry Programme, covering the period 2015-2020, ensures continued state support for the two key objectives...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: ...'s Brexit mitigation efforts through strategic investment in key areas of the Department, its agencies and in the agri-food sector.  In particular, funding for capital investments in the commercial Horticulture sector will be increased to €5 million in 2017.  The Horticulture sector will also have access to the €150m low interest cash flow support...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (27 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: Ireland's agri-food sector is one of our most important indigenous sectors.  Employment figures in 2015 show that it accounted for 8.4% of total employment, or up to 166,000 people in 2015.  In the context of Brexit, it is important to maintain this important sector to ensure that it continues to grow strongly in overall economic terms. We have seen that the most immediate...

Seanad: Agricultural Prices and Decision by UK to Leave EU: Statements (25 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: ...facilitate the ease of movement that has facilitated the industry to grow and prosper and provide 14,000 jobs. The industry is worth more than €1 billion and there is an ambition in Food Wise 2025 to grow the sector to more than €2 billion. This is challenged by Brexit. Approximately 350,000 sheep come to the South from Northern Ireland for processing every year. Somebody...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (4 Oct 2016)

Michael Creed: ...that there are ongoing difficulties being experienced by those in the farming community, not least our tillage farmers. I am convening a meeting of tillage sector stakeholders on Wednesday 5 October to consider challenges and emerging opportunities in the sector.  I have indicated that as well as the challenges posed by current weather and price...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The baseline figure used for forest cover in Ireland is taken from the 2012 National Forest Inventory (NFI). This figure is revised every 5 years when new planting and clearfelling activities are taken into account at that point in time. According to the 2012 NFI, the total area under forestry is 731,650 hectares or 10.5% of the total land surface of Ireland. In order to achieve an increase...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Scheme Payments (27 Sep 2016)

Michael Creed: The farming community stands to gain approximately €100 million per annum from the eradication of BVD. Notwithstanding these gains which fall exclusively to the farming community, my Department provides a system of supports towards the removal of persistently infected (PI) calves. The financial supports available for farmers faced with the removal of persistently infected BVD...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (22 Jun 2016)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 259 together. On 27 May 2016, I announced the award of €4.3 million in grants to 51 seafood enterprises under 5 Schemes launched earlier this year under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme for the seafood sector.  The grants are which are co-funded by the Exchequer and EMFF are administered by Bord Iascaigh...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eurozone Issues (9 Jun 2016)

Michael Creed: I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together. The UK is by far our largest single trading partner. According to CSO figures, in 2015 we exported almost €5.1 billion worth of agricultural products, and imports from the UK were worth €3.8 billion. The prospect of a UK vote to leave the EU therefore has serious implications for the agri-food sector. This is borne...