Results 3,741-3,760 of 4,382 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I thank the witnesses for their detailed presentations. Our engagement on this legislation thus far has been good. It is the committee's first time dealing with pre-legislative scrutiny of a Bill. In my view, this will prove its merits when we come to deal with the more detailed elements of the Bill. We had a particularly good engagement last Tuesday with four different delegations in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agri-Taxation Review: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I thank the delegations for their attendance. I will not repeat the points made by other members. Land mobility is a key issue. We need to encourage people to participate in land leasing. Capital acquisitions tax and agricultural relief are crucial to land mobility. For younger farmers to have the opportunity to access and to grow their enterprises, we must encourage more people to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions Restructuring (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 158. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the progress of returning credit union services to Newbridge, County Kildare, in view of the need for the services there; the role his Department is playing in this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32661/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Birth Certificates Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 330. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the options open to an Irish person who has no birth certificate or record of their birth here, after making substantial enquiries, but who needs to obtain a birth certificate for official and social welfare purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32812/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Personal Public Service Numbers (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 344. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if applications for PPS numbers for persons (details supplied) in County Kildare will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32227/14]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 446. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the mapping process being undertaken as part of the national broadband plan; the timeline for completion in view of the huge concerns about lack of suitable broadband in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32721/14]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Electricity Transmission Network (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 447. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the work of the expert panel that was appointed to review the routes for the GridLink project; the timelines he expects on its work with specific reference to considering underground routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32723/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 500. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the development of protocols required to clarify the procedures to be followed in the taking charge of housing estates by local authorities and the subsequent transfer of waste services infrastructure to Irish water; when such protocols are expected to be published; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Guardian Status (17 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 603. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the way the concerns of unmarried fathers who have no automatic rights to guardianship are being dealt with; the role her Department has to address those concerns; the way future legislation will be able to assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32708/14]

Order of Business (16 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I wish to ask about the proposed landlord and tenant Bill. There is a need to address deficiencies that exist between landlords and tenants, including deficiencies with the Private Residential Tenancies Board. In south Kildare currently, a private tenant is renting from a landlord who does not live in the area. There are also serious anti-social behaviour issues. Neighbours who have been...

Order of Business (15 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: On promised legislation, what progress has been made on the Valuation Bill in terms of the need to address the valuation process in light of the difficulties businesses are under, the changes regarding the town councils and the change in respect of harmonising rates?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: The commitment we have been given in the Bill is that the €50 registration fee that would normally go to the Turf Club will pass through HRI. There are property rights associated with it so it has to be explicitly stated that it must go back through HRI. Officials have told us it is an accounting exercise to ensure the money is properly accounted for with no other interference.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I thank the representatives for appearing before the committee and imparting their views on the Bill. It is important to outline the process, which is the first time the committee has done this. We have introduced a new reform in how we deal with legislation. Normally, the Bill would be brought through the House and one would argue the toss over amendments on Committee Stage. This is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I will group my questions, as there are a few areas I wish to touch on. A point was made about board composition and the Minister's representatives having a thorough knowledge and some having a working knowledge. It is absolutely key that any representative of HRI understands the industry. As an industry, it can be a tight clique. It is hard to get that balance with a person who has the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: Would it be fair to say there are probably as many people employed indirectly as directly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I was in a trainer’s yard recently and I saw the stable staff, the grooms with the horses, and the riders going out to ride the horses on the gallops. The horse laundry pulled in and there was also a farrier and various ancillary staff. Such people might be self-employed but many people make a good living out of horse racing. There is a combination of direct and indirect employment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: It is enabling legislation for offline and onshore betting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Horse Racing Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I thank the gentlemen for their presentations. I will divide my questions into two groups given that the groups made two presentations. I will direct my questions to the representatives of the owners association first and then direct some question to the stable staff association. I would say to Mr. John Weld and Mr. Aiden Burns that the industry would not work if we did not have owners who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Developments July to December 2013: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: I thank the officials for coming today. On CAP, I want to ask about the Department's efforts in two areas. The first is young farmers, and that cohort of farmers who are still young but are not considered new entrants due to the fact that they started earlier. They missed out on installation aid, so they fell in that gap. Efforts have been made to find ways of addressing this anomaly....

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Mortgage Interest Rates (8 Jul 2014)

Martin Heydon: 218. To ask the Minister for Finance the action he will take to ensure that predominantly State-owned banks pass on recent interest rate reductions to their customers who are on variable rate mortgages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29861/14]