Results 861-880 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Development of Sheep Sector: Discussion (8 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I apologise for having to leave the meeting but I was listening in and I have read the presentations. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. A number of producers and people in the market have taken significant steps to provide an alternative. They have invested heavily in doing this. It could be said, perhaps, that the witnesses should have taken all reasonable steps to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Development of Sheep Sector: Discussion (8 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: They are long established commercial entities. They feel confident they will be able to do it. They would say they saw in the wind that it was coming. I know Mr. O'Connor said the ban is not yet European-wide but was it not banned in France, Germany and Denmark in 2019?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Development of Sheep Sector: Discussion (8 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Metal is also an option. Have the witnesses looked at metal?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Development of Sheep Sector: Discussion (8 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Is what was referred to as happening in Northern Ireland a suitable halfway solution? I refer to existing stock in yards being allowed to be sold post the cut-off date.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Development of Sheep Sector: Discussion (8 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Is the approach being taken in Northern Ireland acceptable?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I apologise to the witnesses for the delay in getting here but I was listening in from the office. I thank them very much for their contributions. Addressing Dr. Doherty first, I am sorry to hear she is unwell at the moment. An issue that is often raised with me is that people are becoming more aware of autism and are coming to the realisation that children in their family may have it,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: On the training workshops that ADI is providing, what has been the reaction? Obviously, there are significant demands on GPs and the medical profession generally. Is the profession seeing this as a chore or as a real opportunity to skill up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It goes without saying that this is a very important committee. It is great to get the insight of so many people. Heretofore, we have been very much focused on and to some degree preoccupied with the issue of young people. It is good to hear Dr. Doherty refer to the challenges that are there for adults also. The data she presented from Sweden are quite frightening. Politicians get very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Dr. Doherty, Mr. Hunt and Dr. Tamming for attending. In respect of the NDA and the fact there was not an opportunity for a review in the EPSEN Act, the authority’s secondary recommendation, given the first would have been to have the review under the EPSEN Act, involves doing it as part of the forthcoming UNCRPD implementation strategy review. Has there been any feedback...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: The authority has started its engagement with the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Very good. The authority has had some discussion with the Chair regarding what is euphemistically referred to as special education unit spaces and classes. It has had a big role in respect of universal design, with the creation of guidelines and so on, and much of that work was laudable. Do the witnesses get a sense we have not moved beyond the guidelines and that, as a Government and as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Services and Supports Provided by the State for Autistic People: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I was pleased to hear the witnesses touch on employment and they referred to the Employers for Change service, funded by the Government. I do not like suggesting we should follow a US model but I have spoken to an agency in New York that works with the disability sector there. It has brought in a quota for employers tendering for government contracts whereby 20% of their workforce have to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: 138. To ask the Minister for Finance his estimate of the number of persons in County Longford who are eligible to claim the rent tax credit; the number of persons in County Longford currently claiming it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11350/23]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration Tax (7 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: 93. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review current rates of VRT given that some disability support and special needs organisations are being negatively impacted by current rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11349/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the speakers for attending and welcome their return. Much of the detail on what I wanted to go through has been given to Deputy Fitzmaurice, so I will not go over much of the old ground. I will address only a few of the issues. Over half of the 100,000 ha to be planted by 2050 is to be native woodland. With regard to the requirement for 30% of woodland to be native under the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Is the €10 million from corporate sources still available? Has any of it fallen away after the reaction controversy?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Has any funding been got in addition to that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Given the forestry premiums, one would imagine the sector would be very attractive to pension funds and investment houses. We are largely farmers here but take the point that the corporate world is standing back and has serious reservations. I would have expected Coillte to have more than the €10 million at this stage, the beginning of March.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Twenty-five million is our money, though, so there is €10 million from the corporate side. My point is that there clearly is concern about this project.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Notwithstanding the interest, Coillte needs to get to €200 million. Is Ms Hurley worried about getting to that point?