Results 21-40 of 4,009 for speaker:Martin Kenny

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 913. To ask the Minister for Health for a breakdown, by county, on the monthly basis from January 1 2024 to 31 December 2024, of how many staff providing homecare services working for the HSE are not working their full contract hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16818/25]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (3 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 121. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in light of the disruption to the TETRA national communication network from storm Éowyn, the steps he will take to ensure similar disruption does not recur in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12023/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (3 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 265. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16384/25]

Diverting Young People from Criminal Activity: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: It is clear there is a lot of work to be done to have proper youth services in place across the entire State. The Children Act states that a juvenile should not be in the criminal justice system, and only as a last resort or for a very serious crime. That is absolutely appropriate but the big issue in my experience has been resourcing. That comes into everything. We can have all the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister, and I appreciate that progress has been made. It has not been an entirely bad news story but it came from such a poor start. Farmers went out and expected that this scheme was going to be - it was sold as this - very similar to the old REPS that we had years ago. It was to be simple and easy to manage, it would be easy to meet the requirements and they would get paid...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I appreciate that but at the same time, restoring their confidence is going to take an awful lot of work. We all know that because confidence in this scheme has been dented significantly. We are now in 2025 and this scheme started in 2023. I know there can be teething problems but they should not go on for this long. Many is the animal out there that has a full set of teeth grown and has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 27. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers still awaiting payment for ACRES for 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13629/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I raise an issue the Minister has heard about many times, as did his predecessor. I refer to ACRES. Many thousands of farmers across the country are still awaiting payment for 2023 and 2024. I ask for an update on where we are at in this regard. We have been told that the reason for the delays is to do with problems with processing and IT. The difficulty, as the Minister knows, is that a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: The Minister made a point to Deputy Connolly about farmers making applications and splitting parcels of land. If a parcel is more than 50% peatland, can a farmer split it and section it off at application stage? Is that what the Minister said? Is that part of a solution he is offering? Will there be an appeals process such that if a person feels their land parcel is unduly designated,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: Will the Minister clarify that the parcels can be split on applications?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: Yes. I am aware that there has been a slight improvement in that input costs have decreased from what they were when the war started in Ukraine. That was really the time that we saw them skyrocket through the roof. The market has settled a little but farmers are still paying very high prices, particularly for inputs such as fertiliser. While I accept that it is not the Minister’s...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister. It was pretty much the reply I had expected. To be honest, I do not agree. The parcel is well understood, everyone knows what it is and it is there for several other schemes, but in GAEC 8 and GAEC 9 relating to Natura 2000 lands, for example, one can red-line out the area. There is no reason that cannot be done when it comes to peatlands as well. There is no reason...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I understand that and I take the Minister's point but at the end of the day, there are issues, particularly in my part of the world, with people in rural areas finding it difficult to get planning permission. If their lands are designated, what will happen if they are in GAEC 2? Will that be an issue for them? There are also serious problems for farmers with ambitions to expand their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 5. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department will address the increases in the cost of production of milk in order that these costs are not passed on to consumers in supermarkets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13672/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: This relates to the increase in the cost of production, particularly in the milk sector. The dairy sector stated last week that it had serious issues and was going to have to pass the high cost of production on to the consumer. The dairy sector, which has been important for Ireland, especially in terms of exports, will be looking at what happens tonight across the water, given exports of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Dairy Sector (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I suppose it goes back to the old adage that the farmer is the one person who pays a retail price for his or her inputs and takes a wholesale price for his or her outputs. That is the crux of this issue. The cost that farmers have to pay for fertiliser, feed, diesel for the tractor or whatever is constantly climbing, yet they see their margins getting tighter and tighter. This is the issue...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 3. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will re-examine how peatlands and mineral rich soil lands are designated for good agricultural and environmental condition 2, GAEC 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13671/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Schemes (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I welcome the Minister and all his colleagues here and wish them all the very best in their term in office in the Department of agriculture. My question is on GAEC 2 and how peatlands and mineral-rich soils are being designated under that scheme. As the Minister knows, the proposal sent to Europe is that if a parcel of land has 50% or more of peatlands all of the parcel will be considered...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Weather Events (2 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: 187. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will provide an update on the review for a humanitarian assistance application for a person (details supplied) as the refusal states that they were without power for less than 48 hours, when in fact they had no power for eight days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15882/25]

Support for Householders, Businesses and Farmers Affected by Storm Éowyn: Motion [Private Members] (1 Apr 2025)

Martin Kenny: I commend the many thousands of people around the country who put their shoulder to the wheel throughout the storm, including those in voluntary groups and agencies across the State who came out, the ESB workers and county council workers who worked day and night to get things moving again and the ordinary people and farmers who went out to cut bushes along the roads and took trees off the...