Results 3,101-3,120 of 4,153 for speaker:Martin Kenny

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

Martin Kenny: I welcome the witnesses today. In regard to Teagasc and the advice it was giving, I know that in my part of the country people like Tom Coll and Ben Wilkinson were magnificent in assisting and working with farmers. 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...

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

Martin Kenny: I have one question. We are trying to deal with longer winters and it is certainly a matter that comes up in my part of the country. There were great grants for people looking to store slurry but now when there has been an extra month of cattle being indoors because of saturated ground, there is an additional problem. The slurry problem is almost as bad as the fodder problem. What...

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

Martin Kenny: Apart from travelling on the ground, that same ground is saturated. When the date comes, the farmer must put out the slurry. Where will the slurry go if the ground is saturated? It is on top of already saturated ground, leading to problems with the water courses, etc. It is not just about being able to travel on the ground but the ground not being able to take it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burning of Land: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: As Senator Paul Daly said there, the big issue is that farmers feel very aggrieved. The land was burned - they did not burn it, and yet they are the ones we penalise. That is how they see it. While I acknowledge that the administrative penalty has been taken away, I object to the notion that because the land was burned it is not suitable for agricultural activity and they cannot get a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Burning of Land: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: The nub of the issue is that the farmer is not the guilty party. Everyone accepts that, yet the farmer is being punished. There is a clear injustice in that which everyone accepts. Is the interpretation of the regulation the problem? Is it being interpreted very strictly? We have all come across situations where EU regulations are interpreted in Ireland differently from how they are...

Questions on Promised Legislation (3 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: I would like to make a suggestion on the sheep tagging issue. In fairness to the Minister, he met Opposition spokespersons about electronic tagging last year and he suggested that something might be coming in. Most people agreed it would be good for the sheep industry. However, we expected that it would be introduced under the sheep welfare scheme and that it would be announced in the...

Mental Health Parity Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: I have raised this issue many times with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, and with others here. Staffing is the problem. It is a problem for the service users but also a huge problem for the people working in the service. I have come across people in a stressed situation on numerous occasions. I was recently talking to someone working in the administration side of CAMHS. She is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: Everyone is conscious that significant problems are coming at us because of Brexit. I would like to focus on the issue of protected geographical indication. Every whiskey that is produced on the island of Ireland is designated as "Irish whiskey". After Brexit, it will no longer be possible to call Bushmills "Irish whiskey". This will have an impact on all the other products that are...

Questions on Promised Legislation (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: It will not be allowed to do so.

Other Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: I have tabled a similar question that we probably will not reach. People are grateful to get this money. Last year there was €17 million, but this year it is down to €10 million. People are concerned that it has been clawed back by that much. Will the Minister assure us that new money or more money will be found for the rest of the year? Although the €17 million...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: 17. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason only 0.3% of funding under the Leader programme to 31 December 2017 has been allocated, his views on whether allocation methods are failing and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19082/18]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: We have just finished talking about RAPID. I will tell the Minister one thing. The Leader scheme is far from rapid because there is nothing rapid about the pace at which people around the country are getting the money. It started in 2014. It is now May 2018 and in my county of Leitrim, not one community project and not one person who applied for funding has got a red cent. The statistic...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: We know that. In fairness, I am not blaming the Minister but he is the person who is now responsible. The truth is that communities the length and breadth of the country are at their wits' end. I come across community projects that tell me that they will never again apply for Leader and go through this process because the way they are being treated is scandalous. I spoke this morning to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: Was it not a bad sign when the Government had to do it?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: I am not denying that and I know that. I know many of these projects that have been approved. Some of them have been approved in Leitrim. However, many of them have not been approved and have been set aside on the flimsiest of criteria. If the smallest mistake is made, out they go. This is the problem. During the last programme, the LDCs worked with people and if there was a bit of a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programmes Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: They are over the top.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: 33. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason the newly announced local improvement scheme has had a funding reduction of €7 million from the 2017 allocation in view of the fact weather events in 2018 have had a detrimental effect on rural infrastructure. [19077/18]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Rural Recreation Scheme (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: 40. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to increase the number of rural recreation officers employed by his Department by appointing one in each county. [19079/18]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Brexit Issues (2 May 2018)

Martin Kenny: 56. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he has requested an economic impact report on the potential effect of Brexit on the Border counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19078/18]

Tillage Sector: Motion (26 Apr 2018)

Martin Kenny: Exactly.