Results 2,281-2,300 of 2,691 for speaker:Tim Lombard

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: Is the Minister hoping to get this passed before the summer recess?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: With regard to the 70 years of age issue, a topic that is appropriate given we have also highlighted the school bus driver issue this week, as Senator Paul Daly has said, are there other issues within the Department of a 70 year age limit that the Minister might look at regarding other Chairs and other boards? Is that just a unique one or are there more out there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: A colleague, former Deputy Willie Penrose, always made the point about how the appeals office operated regarding legal advice that it received. He made the point that the legal advice was coming from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and that the Department was involved to some degree. Can we get clarity regarding the independence of the entity itself and whether it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: Okay. I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (7 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss the need for the Minister for Transport to provide an update on progress for phase 2 of the N71 Bandon southern relief road. As the Minister of State is very much aware, Bandon is the biggest town in west Cork. Its population has increased dramatically since 2016. According to the most recent census, it has gone up by 17%...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (7 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: The biggest issue is not meeting the timelines. The report the Minister of State mentioned has actually shied away from going into timelines, because they have failed to meet the timelines we have been given by them on a continual basis. This project was quoted as costing €7.2 million four or five years ago. It is probably a €10 million project now. A sum of €150,000...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: Last week, I raised a report the Irish language committee published a few months ago in which it expressed the view that exemptions from studying Irish should be removed from children who are dyslexic. This is a very important issue, which I have raised repeatedly. I have spoken to the Leader and others about trying to ensure the report is placed on the Order Paper. That would allow us to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: The Acting Chair should have told me as I would have met him. It is great to have the Minister of State in the Chamber. I am discussing the issue of Ballinspittle National School, one which I have continuously raised since I entered the Seanad. We have been looking for a new school since 2018 and the timelines are quite frightening. In June 2018, a design brief was approved for this and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: I raised this Commencement debate last April and I got an interesting response regarding the tender process. There is a real slip in the timelines outlined. Last April, I was told that it would take six to eight months for the tender process to happen. Today, I am told it will take eight to 12 months. For some reason, the timeline for the tender process has slipped in comparison with what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: Is the Deputy finished?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: I apologise for being delayed. I was caught at another meeting. My deepest apologies about turning up late. It is great to have the witnesses here. The presentation was very well put together. The chair designate's involvement with Dawn Meats is something we are all very much aware of. In my part of the world Dan Brown is a very good friend of ours so we know exactly what Dawn Meats...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: Indeed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: Very good. Mr. Murrin will take over a really important role in the agricultural sector. This role involves Bord Bia and it involves trying to make sure Bord Bia is fit for purpose to drive forward this really important industry for our entire economy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: What are your personal key goals in your period of time as chairman that you want to deliver? I realise you have been given a few hundredweight of paper and that you are still going through that paper, and I wish you the very best luck. Hopefully Bord Bia will become a paperless operation in your reign as chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: I was thinking as much.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: Indeed. Will Mr. Murrin give us the key goals he has in his mind as to how he can actually drive this really important entity forward?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: With regard to Bord Bia's significant international footprint, Mr. Murrin mentioned face-to-face contact being very important in building relationships with key markets. How can the good work done in the past regarding that footprint be built on? Does that footprint need to be expanded in international markets? Should more people be encouraged to act as ambassadors for us in those markets?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: That is the point I was making about the need for an expansion of the important network Bord Bia has and which has worked really well. Having 14 offices is significant but if the number increased, hopefully we would see growth in our global market share.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: My last point is on where we are, unfortunately, with the weather issues we have throughout the country. I will be very blunt. In my part of the world, last Monday we had 33 mm of rain, which is just over 1.5 inches. That is significant, to say the least. Pressures on farms are significant at the moment. There are fodder issues and slurry capacity issues. This is causing mental health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: On behalf of the committee, I thank Mr. Murrin for his contributions. I wish him the best of luck going forward. The contributions and engagement with members have been excellent. The next meeting of the joint committee will be held at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 17 April 2024, when we will engage with the chairman designate of Coillte. As there is no further business, the meeting now...