Results 181-200 of 236 for going forward speaker:Martin Kenny

Special Needs Assistants: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2018)

Martin Kenny: I welcome the debate and thank the Rural Independent Group for bringing forward the motion. It is almost 25 years - much has happened since - since the right to a mainstream education was won through court action by parents of children with special needs. That is how all this came about. In fairness, most children today are able to receive the support they need to stay in education. I...

Health Waiting Lists: Motion [Private Members] (20 Jun 2018)

Martin Kenny: I commend Deputy O'Reilly for bringing forward the motion. At the core of this issue is Sláintecare, which must be implemented. I have read the speeches of the Minister and Minister of State. While they are not opposing the motion tonight and are supporting its general context, the public is not seeing Sláintecare being implemented. No one is seeing that. These lists are not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Electronic Identification of Sheep: Discussion (19 Jun 2018)

Martin Kenny: I thank both contributors for their statements. This is a good thing and it is the direction we need to go in. It is a move in the right direction in terms of opening up new markets, helping to sustain markets and ensuring we have correct and full traceability. As we know from recent reports from Teagasc on farm livelihoods, many in the sheep sector are on the lower end of the scale and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Rural Development Programme: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (19 Jun 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...matter. The suckler cow sector, about which we are talking, is the one under most pressure. The Minister will acknowledge that the recent report from Teagasc on farm incomes showed that they were going up, but it was all in the dairy sector. Suckler cow and sheep farmers continue to be under the most pressure and are the ones who depend most on the schemes. The beef data genomics...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Different Approaches and New Opportunities in Irish Agriculture: University College Dublin (29 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...intensification in recent years is leading to a situation whereby farmers are expected to get more from less. The acre of ground is expected to produce more. This means that more inputs are going into the land in order to get more out of it. In terms of the animals themselves, more inputs are also going into them to get them fatter faster and to move them along quicker in order to make...

European Union (Common Fisheries Policy) (Point System) Regulations 2018: Motion [Private Members] (23 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: I move amendment No. 1:To insert the following after “hereby annulled”: “and calls on the Government to introduce regulations that will provide redress to the courts in circumstances where the complainant is not satisfied with a sanction made under the regulations, in order to give effect to the ruling of the Supreme Court of Ireland on this matter.” I thank...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (23 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...used for the election of Seanadóirí, which we all recognise as something that needs to change. The Manning report recommended that the franchise be extended to all citizens and the diaspora. What are we going to do to make that happen? There is no constitutional impediment to doing so, and the Oireachtas can confer the right to register to vote in Seanad elections to both Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Different Approaches and New Opportunities in Irish Agriculture: Discussion (15 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...in using the various new technologies. Representatives of the tillage sector have been to the committee and reported on the huge problem in which it finds itself. I see low food miles as a way forward for the agriculture sector. Whatever is produced and the inputs in food production have to be as local as possible. What is Macra na Feirme's view? It is one of the contradictions that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fodder Shortage Risk Management Measures: Discussion (8 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: .... Teagasc gave advice from very early stages when people began to see that a crisis was developing. When it did not stop raining from the end of August onwards, it was obvious that there was going to be a crisis or at least some element of a problem, that farmers would need to use whatever silage they had and that there would be a problem around feed concentrates. One of the criticisms...

Tillage Sector: Motion (26 Apr 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...county. Deputy Penrose will be interested that the figures for Meath and Westmeath increased slightly. They are not all lazy in that part of the country. Despite everything, they are pushing it forward. The reality is that it is about price. Other speakers referred to the animal feed element. The feedstuffs necessary to keep the dairy and beef sectors going must come from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Basic Payment Scheme (26 Apr 2018)

Martin Kenny: I am trying not only to protect the farmers whose case I am putting forward but also to enhance their position. Many farmers on smaller holdings have not gotten a fair crack of the whip. Going back to 2001 or 2002, farmers in the west of Ireland who had a few suckling cows discovered that their farms were not intensive enough to be able to receive the entitlements they deserved, whereas...

Select Committee on Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development (Revised) (25 Apr 2018)

Martin Kenny: ..., Country Leitrim. Another project in north Leitrim seeks funding to build a greenway. A number of projects in different places await funding. There seems to be a slowness in moving the projects forward as quickly as needed. Can the Minister ensure these projects will be progressed as quickly as possible? I agree with what Deputy Ó Cuív has said about the western rail...

Fodder Shortage: Motion [Private Members] (17 Apr 2018)

Martin Kenny: I will be sharing time with my two colleagues. We will be supporting the motion put forward by Fianna Fáil in regard to the fodder crisis. The crisis has been going on for a very long time. In October of last year, I first raised with the Minister that a fodder crisis was looming in the north west. The Minister had at that time a very bland attitude to the matter and insisted that...

Business Insurance: Motion [Private Members] (21 Mar 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...;il's motion. Insurance is something that affects everyone in the State, especially people with small businesses. I read through the Minister's speech and while it is strong on rhetoric on what the Government is trying to do, it does not go to the core of the problem and address the issues. The problems we have in the insurance sector are a symptom of the broken economic model for...

An Bille um an Séú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht 2018: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...is preserving what is called the equal right to life of the mother and the developing embryo in the womb. That is what it provides for. I came to a decision on this matter approximately 18 years ago. My daughter is now 17. I have four children. On our second child, Ava, my wife was very ill, but not critically, and she was in hospital for a large portion of the pregnancy. I came to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Mar 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...called Vimizim. The Temple Street hospital clinicians who deal with morquio put a proposal to the HSE a couple of months ago for a managed access programme. The managed access programme is the way forward and I have spoken to the Minister about this, but to this day it is shrouded in secrecy. I believe this is being looked at and progress is being made, but the problem is the HSE makes...

Sustainable Seaweed Harvesting: Motion [Private Members] (7 Mar 2018)

Martin Kenny: I commend Deputies Connolly and Pringle on bringing forward this very timely motion, which Sinn Féin will be supporting. We have been aware for some time that this issue was boiling under the surface. What happened with Údarás na Gaeltachta and the sale of Arramara Teoranta gave rise to many questions. A lot of red flags were raised in respect of the sale of this company,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Issues specific to Agriculture, Food and the Marine Sectors: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Mar 2018)

Martin Kenny: I am sorry, I had to go the Chamber for a Topical Issue debate. I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their contributions. I read most of the submissions earlier. I have a couple of brief points because I know most of the questions have already been asked. One thing that strikes me is that farming in Ireland has become more intensive. The intensification of farming has brought us...

Motor Insurance: Motion [Private Members] (27 Feb 2018)

Martin Kenny: I compliment the Rural Independent Group on bringing forward the motion. The issue I will focus on is young drivers, particularly those in rural Ireland. My wife and I were insured by a particular company. Last year, we contacted the company to see if we could get a quote for my son to become an insured driver. It would not give us a quote so when we were renewing our insurance we went to...

Supporting the Suckling Sector: Motion [Private Members] (21 Feb 2018)

Martin Kenny: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion which was brought forward by Deputy Charlie McConalogue. The element on which Deputies have been focusing is the suckler cow sector, as well as where the suckler cow scheme is at and how we move forward. Many farmers have found the BDGP very useful. There are approximately 25,000 farmers participating in the scheme, but we know that there...