Results 1-20 of 1,543 for at speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (16 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 253. To ask the Minister for Health if a locum GP will be put in place at a health centre (details supplied) to cover a departure; what plans are in place for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22175/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: We have done a fair bit of analysis on plastics, as have others. We would be fairly confident there are 35,000 tonnes of plastic lying around in yards in Ireland at the moment. Why did the Department not, as we asked, get an independent body to carry out an estimate or quantification of the amount of plastic that is in those yards?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am reading a document on waste plastic recovery. It states that the IFFPG disclosed at this committee that the target of 70% of the farm plastics has been recycled, with up to 90% recycled in 2021 and 88% recycled in 2022. It states the volume of waste plastic being collected each year is in the region of 36,000 or 37,000 tonnes. This is what was collected. On the website, it states...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Recycling Farm Plastics: Discussion (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If we are having a meeting, could the Minister of State have the 2023 figures for exports of farm plastic only and for recycling of farm plastic? None of us are conspiracy theorists, but we have a big concern. We have driven around, some of us have been in some of the factories that recycle plastic and some of us have been around looking at where plastic is stored. Some of us, though not...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (14 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: .... To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to clarify if a person (details supplied) over 65 and on over-65 jobseeker’s benefit, not having to actively seek employment and at home on a full-time basis, would be entitled to carer’s support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21225/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have one final question because I want to let other members in. The officials are saying that a change is not coming. However, there has been change. At one time, if you had a shed and you put in a tank, you would get the VAT back. That does not happen now. There has a change somewhere along the line. Off the top of my head, the change happened in September or around that time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: It is not that it is costing Revenue money as such. Someone in the circle to which I refer paid the money. My opinion is that the person who made the meal bin was paid the price plus the VAT by the farmer. VAT details are sent in every two months. Whatever the person paid out in VAT other than that, he or she put one against the other and the farmer went to claim it back. I would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Do people have to wait four or five years, at best? Will the quickest be four or five years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I am dealing with the €5,000. Will Mr. Delany stay on the €5,000 so that I will understand? We have looked at the scenario of the people who are replanting now. They will get €2,500 now and €1,250 and €1,250 in four and five years' time. Is that right?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Would Mr. Gleeson be worried at the moment? This committee has dealt with the issue and we have watched it every year. It is past April and we have gone into May. There is probably another month of planting as people will not be planting in June, July or August. Is Mr Gleeson worried that only 392 ha are coming in at the moment? Is he worried we would not increase on last year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...2020, farmers were waiting and waiting and they went into GLAS and other schemes because they could see money coming and did not have to wait for the postman to come with something. I understand that some of that was due to challenges and so on. Mr. Gleeson spoke about a review. I did a review of the habitats directive and I would have been as well off if I had gone home counting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I will give Mr. Gleeson a few facts from a Teagasc document if he likes. According to our inventory up to now, peat was emitting 7.3 million tonnes. Teagasc has now done the research. It is getting it peer reviewed and it is down to 3.3 million tonnes or 3.4 million tonnes. That is a fair bit of a reduction. On top of that, we have not studied what grass, hedgerows and all the different...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...call a ditch a drain but we call it up the way claí. Years ago, people planted trees down along in a line. They were lovely. In the eighties, a lot of them were got rid of. We all know that but there are still a lot of hedgerows. In my head, an acre is 1,000 trees. Why is there not a scheme for farmers who plant 1,000 native trees along their ditches? That would tick a box for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Will the Department look at it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: VAT Refunds to Unregistered Farmers: Revenue Commissioners (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: In effect, that is discriminating against small farmers. If Mr. Egan was a small farmer and knew anything about farming 40 or 50 acres, he would know that the reason for buying a meal bin is to keep rats away from the place. Second, he would know that farmers are putting 3 tonnes into small meal bins. Some people have meal bins that take 1 tonne or 780 kg because that is good farming...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Welfare Concerns and Compliance with Legislation: County and City Management Association (1 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome Mr. Condon. I am sorry I am late; we were voting in the Dáil. On abattoirs, there is a lot of confusion at present, which might not affect Mayo as much as some other counties. The FSAI is also involved in giving county councils funding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Welfare Concerns and Compliance with Legislation: County and City Management Association (1 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: There is some confusion at the moment with Brexit and export certificates. Some councils are not issuing them. They are saying resources have not been allocated to them, which is causing a problem, although it may not be affecting County Mayo. I have a question on horses. If horses in a field are causing a problem, is it the local authority that should always be contacted? This is if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Welfare Concerns and Compliance with Legislation: County and City Management Association (1 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Mr. Condon said the money had reduced. What percentage do councils get compared with the 100% they got at one time?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: 57. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of employees employed by his Department at the end of 2022 and at the end of 2023; the current numbers for 2024; if there is an embargo on recruitment in his Department at the moment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18678/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Staff (25 Apr 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: How many people were employed by the Department at the end of 2022 and at the end of 2023 and what are the present numbers? Is it true that there is an embargo on recruiting people into his Department until others retire? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?