Results 1,141-1,160 of 3,701 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Network (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: The material that was prepared for me by the Department of Transport does not deal with the question of the use of the corridor for housing. That is more properly a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. In regard to the wider active travel measures being promoted by the Government, I am pleased that this year has seen another increase in the Department of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Murphy for clearly articulating the importance of the N61 project. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. I am responding on his behalf. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Senator Murphy can rest assured that I will bring the points he articulated clearly here about the importance of this road to the Minister. Approximately €616 million of Exchequer capital funds have been provided to TII for national roads in 2022. In line with the NDP and Government policy, TII is allocating national roads funding to local authorities for 2022 in a manner which seeks...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter. As the Senator will be aware, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, is the main policy instrument of the Department of Education to tackle educational disadvantage at school level. DEIS schools benefit from a range of supports,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: In the draft response I received, there was no reference to Scoil Na Naomh Uilig but I will bring it back to the Minister's office. The school will have the appeals mechanism there. I emphasise that the DEIS programme focuses on targeting additional resources towards schools with the highest concentration of students at risk of educational disadvantage. The Department is committed to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputies for their follow-up questions. To respond to Deputy Colm Burke regarding the EU response and the deviation in crop rotation, these issues are being looked at and the potential response to them will be worked through. Everything is being examined at EU level. There is also the area of set-aside being talked about, as well as the ecological focus areas, EFAs. If they...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Industry (8 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I will start by thanking Deputies Burke and Cairns for raising this important issue. The illegal invasion of Ukraine places the people of Ukraine and the dreadful plight the currently face foremost in our minds. The related grain and fertiliser supply issues have led to discussions across Europe on the issue of food security and the associated disruptions to supply lines. These issue...

National Broadband Plan: Statements (27 Jan 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputies for their contributions throughout what has been a very important process, not just the statements in the last hour or so but the questions and answers with the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, prior to that. I thank the House on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, for the invitation to address the House on the roll-out of the national broadband plan and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: There have been a number of changes, many of which are in the hands of the UK. The UK has been changing the goalposts by pushing them out. It has postponed the next stage of the import control regime on two occasions, including on 14 September. The most significant element of the most recent UK announcements was that the requirement for pre-notification of agrifood imports will be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: We could do with half an hour for this debate because there is so much to cover in it. To respond first to the Deputy's last point, we have seen exponential growth in sailings and movement of Irish goods directly to mainland Europe, specifically France, because of the challenges with the land bridge, but the land bridge is still important. That is an example of everything we are doing in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Exports Growth (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for his question and ongoing interest in this area. While the immediate threat of Brexit may have passed, we must continue to prepare for the full reality of our new trading relationship with our nearest neighbour. The promotion of Ireland's high-quality, safe, nutritious and sustainably produced food is a core objective of my Department and the relevant Government...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Exports Growth (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: The Deputy is dead right. There are significant synergies. There is a need for interdepartmental co-operation and co-operation with our State agencies. I am aware of several Ireland House-type arrangements, particularly in the EU, whereby the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia are all in under the one area. In recent years in my Department,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Exports Growth (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: Both Deputies are right. Already, about one third of our food and drink exports go to the EU. There is potential for further growth. I witnessed that at first hand when I attended the Anuga Food Fair in Cologne in October. The European team of Bord Bia was there engaging with many companies across the spectrum. When Deputy Carthy talked about the premiumisation of the market, he was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (9 Dec 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy again. Brexit has presented a range of challenges for the agrifood and fisheries sectors. The trade and co-operation agreement reached between the European Union and the United Kingdom at the end of 2020 did, however, provide some welcome certainty around the future EU–UK trading relationship, including in respect of tariff-free trade. The fact that the UK is no...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (18 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: It is important to state the Government acknowledges the vital role GPs have played, particularly during the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and, more generally, in providing essential healthcare in the community. We, as a Government, are committed to ensuring that patients across the country continue to have access to GP services, including out-of-hours services such as those the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: General Practitioner Services (18 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and one which, I know from my discussions with him, is of major concern to him and his constituents in Cork. Under the general medical services, GMS, contract, GPs must be available to provide services in their practice premises or by way of domiciliary visits, as appropriate, for their medical card and GP visit card patients for 40 hours...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Diseases (11 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Cummins for raising this issue,which is important nationally but obviously in the area of Waterford in particular, as the Senator has outlined. I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional burden faced by farmers after a TB breakdown. We must do everything we can, working together as a sector, to tackle this problem. I come from a suckler farm in south Kildare and I...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Animal Diseases (11 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for his detailed supplementary reply. I will look at that parliamentary response he received from the Minister, Deputy McConalogue. If there is a discrepancy between the numbers, it is important to note that the figures I have today do not include staff members on different types of leave. However, there is a sizeable gap between those two numbers, so I will check that...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (10 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising the important issue of the viability of the sheep sector and its importance to our overall agricultural and rural economies, and our food production and exports. I am pleased to see that the strong performance of the sheep sector in 2020 has continued into 2021 in terms of overall prices. It is good to see the market providing returns which goes some way to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (10 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: The Senator is right. The role of the Government is to support sheep farmers in the very important work they do. With every reference year there are hard cases and challenges. It is definitely to the benefit of farmers that we move the reference year from 2014-15 to 2017 because it will bring in more ewes. The terms of reference for the wool feasibility study involve the identification of...