Tag Archives: Michael Creed

A total of €138,000 in funding is to be rolled out to three separate harbours in Clare for essential works. Clare County Council has been granted the funding for works in piers at Carrigaholt, Ballyvaughan and Bournapeaka. The grants are part of an overall €3.1 million package for coastal local authorities to carry out improvement works at these developments. The biggest sum of €51,750 has been granted to Bournapeaka Pier in Ballyvaughan, which will go towards underpinning the mid-section of the pier; removing and replacing a cracked section; the removal of a section of deck and removing and relaying a cracked stone along the pier edge.Nearby Ballyvaughan pier has been awarded €48,750 for the installation of flood gate and three flap valves, as well as the provision of rock armour to protect the pier wall. The final grant of €37,500 has been awarded to Carrigholt pier for essential repair work and the reconstruction of section of old pier wall. “I …

MINISTER for Agriculture Michael Creed has confirmed the opening of a new telephone helpline to assist farmers with their queries in relation to current COVID-19 restrictions in place. The information line phone number is 076 1064468  and  will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm  Monday to Friday. In addition, the department has also published a set of Frequently Asked Questions on the Coronavirus /COVID 19 section of the Department’s website at https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/customerservice/coronaviruscovid-19/ The Minster commented: “my department is fully engaged with the whole of Government response to COVID-19.  I have now put in place a dedicated helpline for farmers to seek advice on the practical queries that they may have as they continue to fulfill their essential role in maintaining the food supply chain.  This helpline aims to assist farmers in addressing the challenges they may face on a day to day basis.”

The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has announced that his department is issuing payments to farmers under TAMS (the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II) at an average rate of over €1 million per week this month. TAMS II payments to farmers will reach almost €5 million by the end of the month bringing the total amount paid to date under TAMS II to over €21.25 million. The Minister said, “I am delighted with the level of interest shown in the TAMS scheme and in these huge payment figures for August. We are on track to pay out an average of over €1m per week for this month. It reflects the significant on-farm investment underway in Ireland as farmers here continue to develop their enterprises. We will continue to make payments on a weekly basis. I would urge all farmers to proceed with their approved investments and to submit these for payment as soon as the works have been completed to …

THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, was on hand to present the  Burren farming community with a special EU Life award, to mark the role they have played in protecting and enhancing the unique landscape in which they live and farm. The Green Award, a special award organised by the EU, which is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Life Programme, was presented at a community event in Kilfenora. Since its inception in May 1992, the Life Programme has supported over 4,300 projects and to mark the anniversary, a competition was organised to choose the very best projects of the last 25 years. Ireland’s Burren Life Programme emerged as joint winner in the nature and biodiversity category. At the presentation, Minister Creed said, “It is a huge achievement for an Irish project to win one of these prestigious awards and to have been selected as the outstanding project in its category over the last 25 years …

In a week during which a major forest fire has raged  near Oughterard in County Galway, landowners and visitors have been warned to be more careful during this spell of exceptionally dry weather. Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine, Michael Creed and Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys have reminded landowners and the public that it is an offence under Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 (amended by Section 46 of the Wildlife Act, 2000) to burn, from 1st March to 31st August in any year, any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated. Individuals who are found to burn vegetation within that prohibited period are liable to prosecution by An Garda Síochána or by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Commenting on the recent incidence of gorse fires throughout the country, Minister Creed said, “The Department of Agriculture has issued a number of Fire Danger Notices to the forestry sector since the beginning of March, including …

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed has announced that work on the roll-out of the new locally-led Hen Harrier scheme will begin immediately. The minister confirmed his department has signed contracts with the Hen Harrier Project Ltd, representing a consortium of skilled and experienced conservationists, agricultural advisors and environmental scientists, to lead on the design and delivery of the new scheme. The winning team was selected on foot of a competitive tender operated by the department as offering the best approach for this critical new scheme which seeks to save one of Ireland’s most endangered birds. This will be monitored closely in this region, where the Hen Harrier has resulted in restrictions in farming practises for hill famers in parts East Clare and South Galway. Minister Creed said, “I am looking forward to seeing the new scheme in place as soon as possible. This scheme is targeted specifically at farmers with designated land and should provide farmers in …

IFA Hill Committee chairman Pat Dunne has urged the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to open up the process for planners to submit Commonage Management Plans. IFA will not accept any delays in payments to the 7,000 commonage farmers, who have applied for GLAS and whose Commonage Management Plan must be submitted by the end of October. Currently, planners are assessing commonages but do not have the facility to make the online application for the plan. Mr Dunne said that the minimum stocking level for the individual farmer must be in place by the end of the year but IFA is insisting that once a Commonage Management Plan is lodged, this triggers full payment to the commonage farmers involved. With the third phase of GLAS due to open shortly, it is expected that another 3,000 commonage farmers will join the scheme with a commencement date of January 1, 2017. In relation to commonages, where difficulties may arise, IFA is insisting …

A NEWLY-formed group has contacted two ministers and 31 Shannon Estuary TDs to register concerns about a dredging operation that began at Aughinish in County Limerick last Friday, which could impact the Clare side of the estuary. Aughinish Alumina Ltd was granted a foreshore licence to undertake 128,000 tonnes of maintenance dredging of industrial waste on the Shannon Estuary. The plan involves dredging 16,000 tonnes of material annually for a period of eight years. The company submitted a detailed Natura Impact Statement to the Department of the Environment, who made the decision to issue a foreshore licence. Rescue the River Shannon Group has written to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Denis Naughten and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed on the proposal. “We, as a group, are representing the farmers, fishermen and concerned residents of the Shannon Estuary area and we believe the department’s possible decision could have serious adverse effects on the …