Results 1,761-1,780 of 2,066 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: 458. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of staff by location and function in each office of his Department nationally by location; if the property is State owned or leased; and the detail of these leases in the case of those properties on a lease in terms of cost, term and next break date. [38862/21]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: 485. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of staff by location and function in each office of her Department nationally by location; if the property is State owned or leased; and the detail of these leases in the case of those properties on a lease in terms of cost, term and next break date. [38849/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Independent Mink Farms: Discussion (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the businesses for coming in today. I have sympathy for any business that has to wind up as a result of prohibition. I will not get into the ethics of the trade but there is a worldwide move towards the prohibition of fur farming. I have some questions and any witness who believes that he or she can give the best answer can come back to me. It was mentioned that Denmark has started...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Animal Health and Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Chair. I am conscious of the time. I see that Senator Boylan wants to come in. Most of my questions have already been asked. I will, therefore, defer to Senator Boylan given the time constraints.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, for attending and for briefing us on the regulations. Having spoken in the Dáil last night at length about the potential threat of loss of revenue to Longford County Council, both in terms of the local property tax, LPT, and from rates following the closure of the power station in Lanesborough, I am not one to agree...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister of State and the Department officials for coming in. It is important that we get this through. It is good to get an insight into the workings of it as well. I welcome the assurance from the Minister of State that he is working on potential funding for Longford County Council, both in respect of the LPT and rates. The Minister of State put significant work into getting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I have nothing more to offer.

Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: While the revision in the property tax bands is largely a good news story for the people of County Longford, on a personal level there is concern about the threat to future funding of Longford County Council as a result of the proposal. At present, just over 17,000 properties are registered in County Longford for the LPT and 79% of them or more than two thirds of the properties are in the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: 52. To ask the Minister for Health the number of homecare support hours being provided in counties Longford and Westmeath in 2021; the way this compares to 2020; the number of persons currently waiting for homecare in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37728/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: 75. To ask the Minister for Health if it is planned to allow mixing of Covid-19 vaccines in first and second doses as happens in other European countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37729/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I will be as brief as I can. I want to place on record my admiration for the training community in Ireland and for the wider racing industry. They have been a fantastic storybook for the nation at home and abroad. They have been excellent employers. Notwithstanding recent media reports, they have a good story to tell. I have five questions. They are all short and snappy. If they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: That is grand. The next question is for Mr. Halford. There is a television programme coming up. There has been much media attention. How damaged will the industry be as a result of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: Mr. Grassick clarified the association is a representative body. Where does the association see itself in terms of the challenges that are emerging? If we get a high-profile UK television programme, it will leave a light bulb on us for a long time afterwards. Are they positioning themselves or where do they see their role in protecting the industry and trying to address the tarnishing of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: That is grand. I am halfway with my questions but I take from this that the association has a zero tolerance approach to any wrongdoing by any of its members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: As for my final two questions, Mr. Grassick mentioned there is a trainer in the news at present. What he said has been widely reported. Mr. Grassick mentioned the trainer parted with the association on 19 March. Was that of his own volition or, as they say down the country, "was there a falling out"?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: My final question is more of an observation. As Mr. Grassick will be aware, we had Dr. Hillyer before us last week and she was impressive. Everybody agrees she has done outstanding work since she has come into that role. I was pleased to hear trainers signed up, as far back as November last, for pre-race testing for all runners on the basis that no horse would be singled out and that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I will be brief. I have two questions. The first is for Mr. Kavanagh. We had representatives from the IRTA before us at our previous session. There was surprise among some of my colleagues on the committee that they were not more critical of the IHRB. They were somewhat surprised to learn that there seems to be a somewhat harmonious relationship between the organisations. Generally, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I am happy for Mr. Egan to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I asked specifically about the IRTA. What is the relationship there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: My final question is for Dr. Hillyer. When we spoke with representatives from the IRTA earlier, they told us that in discussions with the IHRB in November, it was agreed that pre-race testing would be for all horses and that horses would not be singled out, because the trainers felt that it would be unfair to the horses that were tested. It seems to be a fair and equitable approach. I am...