Results 2,001-2,020 of 3,792 for speaker:Michael Collins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (20 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: It was such an interesting line of questioning by Deputy Mac Lochlainn, I might have stepped aside to give him an opportunity to continue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (20 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I have a number of brief questions. I still do not understand the situation with regard to the fishing licence holder. Under this legislation, the fishing licence holder is being forced to retain the penalty points on his or her licence even if the case is cleared in court. No fair or liberal democracy would allow this. How are we going to vote this into place? Do the control agencies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Proposed Amendments to the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I have been involved with farming organisations down through the years. Coming up to CAP negotiations, I have always considered the smaller farmer, the farmer who is finding it hard to survive. Quite a lot of farmers will say they are finding it hard to survive but the smaller ones certainly are. I listened to Mr. Kelleher speaking along the lines of what I have been saying for years. Many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Proposed Amendments to the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions: Discussion (14 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: A lot of the questions I wanted to raise have already been raised, which is fine. The definition of an active farmer has been raised with me quite often. As others have said, there are farmers out there who are growing corn, fodder beet, grass, maize or silage for sale. They deem themselves to be hugely important to the agriculture sector and there are concerns that they will deemed as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Implications of Climate Action Plan for Agricultural Sector: Teagasc (14 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I will be brief and to the point. I thank our guests for their attendance today. One of them said that without the payments for work in the farm schemes at present, farmers would be working at a loss. I fully agree with that, but I would go a step further. I know many farmers who are on farm schemes and, unfortunately, they are working at a loss. Only for the off-farm income of a partner...

Project Ireland 2040: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I was one of those who voted against the 2040 plan because I could see the devastation it would cause to rural communities, the stronger focus it would put on the capital and that it would forget about rural regions. Of course, it was railroaded through as a fabulous plan and dream. Another plan for remote working was announced this week. A lot of things are lovely and seem beautiful when...

Prime Time Investigates Programme on Department of Health: Statements (1 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: The "RTÉ Investigates" programme claimed the Department of Health has been secretly using information from private doctor consultations to create dossiers on children with autism who are involved in legal actions against the State and without the knowledge of their parents. As the programme outlined, the information accumulated over time from the private clinical consultations of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (1 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I welcome the national remote work strategy announced this week. I certainly welcome anything that will help boost the number of people coming back into rural Ireland. There is a planning issue in this regard that needs to be addressed. People come to, work in and build homes in rural communities. When they apply for planning permission, it is refused. Grounds are being dezoned in...

Vaccination Programme and Covid-19: Statements (1 Apr 2021)

Michael Collins: I am sharing time with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. I have raised numerous concerns in respect of health and Covid-19 and my questions over recent months, week in, week out, are never answered. To co-operate, I email the questions to the Department straight after raising them in the House in the expectation of an answer but, as of yet, I have never had an answer from the Minister. He might...

Children (Amendment) Bill 2020 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: The objectives of the original Bill are well-meaning. It aims to address the profound negative impact the ruling of the Court of Appeal on this matter is having on grieving parents who are unable to remember their deceased child's death, name or legacy. That is very clear. It aims to give power back to those parents in order that they can remember their children or their family members in...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I completely support Deputy Connolly in what she said. There is and continues to be a great deal of confusion among the public about many of the announcements that have been made. There is now a change to the vaccine roll-out. We are told that we can visit people if we have been vaccinated but we cannot if we have not been vaccinated. People are angered by that. The feedback on social...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. He said he consulted with the industry but he obviously did not listen to it or to the fishermen's groups. Listening to his reply, it is clear he has no future vision for the fishing sector in Ireland beyond decommissioning. He has no honest answers for the Government's shambolic handling of the Brexit negotiations, from which we came out the worst in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I want to raise the fishing deal the Government agreed to which is now seen as the greatest political sell-out of any industry that any Government has ever agreed to in the history of our State. This sell-out has angered fishing communities beyond words from Union Hall to Castletownbere, all along the coast to Donegal. New evidence in replies from a series of parliamentary questions...

Caring for Carers: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I welcome this motion about carers. I have been vocal in my support for carers in west Cork, especially in the times that we live in with Covid-19. Carers are unsung heroes. Many carers give up their everyday lives so that they can care for their family members. This often means leaving them with no time for themselves. The very least that we can do is support them in every way possible....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (31 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: 1119. To ask the Minister for Health if there are plans to include sativex CBD oil used for the treatment of MS pain and fatigue in the HSE reimbursement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17297/21]

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: Let us consider the average income for the schemes when they first started in 1992. Under the rural environment protection scheme, the average income was €5,000. By this measure in today's terms the average should be between €10,000 and €15,000 but that is not the case. Farmers are highly dependent on the environmental schemes and whatever schemes come their way. They...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I am very disappointed with the response of the Minister of State. This was an opportunity for the Government to show it respected people for the careful manner in which churches were opened. Clergy and volunteers had carried it out but unfortunately the Government has turned its back on them once again. It is incredible to say the least. As I said earlier, and the Minister of State did...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Covid-19 Pandemic (25 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us the opportunity to speak on this Topical Issue matter. Next week is one of great importance in the church calendar as it is Holy Week with its associated celebrations. It is upsetting for people to think they cannot go into their churches in a very careful manner. When they were allowed to open, the churches were safe. Large number of volunteers...

Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (25 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I certainly support this legislation because we need insurance reform. It is long overdue. I was elected in 2016 to the Dáil and it is embarrassing to face my constituents time and again when they ask me what I have done about insurance. These are business people working their butts off, whether in a garage or elsewhere in west Cork. They are murdered by having to pay huge rates of...

Residential Tenancies Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Mar 2021)

Michael Collins: I am afraid that this Bill may not protect the majority of people who are facing eviction. I do not think we fully comprehend the difficulties people go through when they are facing eviction. Some people have been fighting for years to try to hold on to their homes. They are willing to pay, have tried to pay and tried to negotiate. They are unfortunately facing the courts, which seem to...