Results 2,221-2,240 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6: General (Resumed) (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I am happy that Deputy Cahill got those phone calls in the first ten or 12 hours because, since then, listening to our local radio station, Tipp FM, there is a great deal of disquiet among our constituents in Tipperary about the gaps that are left by this budget and the number of people who will fall through them. A budget of this size should have given people certainty that they will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Okay. The question of legislation has arisen. If there were a legal basis for the ongoing role of the responsible person as a prescriber of antiparasitic medicine, subject to the appropriate regulations, would our guests have any problems with that? What would be their response to that?

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Apologies have been received from Senator Buttimer. All those present in the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. Are the minutes of our previous private and public meetings of 14 and 15 September approved? They have already been approved in our virtual private meeting, but we must do this now...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Our next business is our engagement with Ms Katie McNelis, petitioner, on petition No. 00036/21, reform of information for thatched heritage buildings. Before we start, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practices of the Houses regarding references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I have a few points before I allow other members to contribute. I agree with Mr. Darby's last statement that if something is not done urgently we will lose thatched buildings. I am from Tipperary and Holycross Abbey comes to mind because of the thatched buildings there. It would be a sin to lose thatched buildings from around the country. It is terrible to think that Ms McNelis's mother...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: No action.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Is it Mr. Darby's experience that thatching heritage buildings are being pushed off the radar? What needs to be done to address the problem he and others in his position are facing?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: It is crazy to be obliged by law to return the building to its listed state if something were to happen, as Ms McNelis said in her opening statement. Her mother could face two years in jail or a fine of up to €12.7 million if she fails to do so.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I will call Deputy Buckley first and then Deputy O'Donoghue.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: We have been raising this matter with the Minister since 2001 and it has gone back and forth. There will be a report, however, which the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, has indicated should be finished by the end of this month or the beginning of next month. I hope that will provide some answers and get things moving.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Were people only contacted in the middle of September regarding a report that is supposed to come out at the end of September?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: If the report was supposed to be out by the end of September-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: -----and the owners were only contacted in the middle of the month, that shows a clear lack of respect for people caught in this situation. I see Mr. McDonnell has his hand up in Teams. What are the witnesses' views on the study? Are they confident that things may change?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I call Deputy Devlin.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: I call Deputy O’Donoghue.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: The frightening thing, as Mr. Darby said, is that if something is not done within the next few years, the only place we will see a thatched cottage is on a postcard. That image has been reproduced millions of times over the years in every corner of the world. It is frightening to think about it. Adare was mentioned earlier. I said before I came into the meeting that Holycross village is...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: It sounds funny but it is a crazy system. I have some questions for Ms McNelis and Mr. Darby with regard to the banks they were dealing with. Did you get any advice or did they give any specific advice? Did they try to do any deals with insurance companies for you?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Just to get our heads around it, I agree with Deputy O'Donoghue. There is such a small number of such properties, maybe 2,000 or 3,000. How many of those are in the action group? Have the witnesses any figures on that? Even outside of that, a certain amount of those 2,000 or 3,000 properties are insured under farm policies, as Mr. McDonnell said earlier. Out of the 2,000 or 3,000...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: Is there any idea of how many of the 2,000 to 3,000 properties are at least getting insurance under farm policies?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings: Discussion (29 Sep 2022)

Martin Browne: As Deputy O'Donoghue said, if legislation and the Government are telling the group that a property is listed then they should have a responsibility to make sure that those buildings are kept up. We are talking about very small numbers. This is the crazy thing about it. In a couple of years' time if we do not look after these buildings we will lose them. Once something is gone it is gone...