Results 23,821-23,840 of 23,892 for speaker:Michael Healy-Rae
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: A lot more people than I would have to look at it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: I can. For the third time, I am mentioning the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, because he has done excellent work in this regard. The Taoiseach himself is extremely involved and committed to ensuring the protection of our power lines. He is very anxious about setbacks and all of that sort of thing. Yes, it is an ambition in the programme for Government. It is being delivered on....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: It is part of the programme. That is what is there.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No. This is not a rainbow with a golden pot at the end of it. There is a finite amount of money available and I have clearly outlined the amount of money that is there. It is a not inconsiderable sum.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: Yes, it is for last year and this year but the licence is valid for five years.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: Yes. I might add one thing because it just came into my head. On the question as to when we would hit the 8,000 ha per annum, as I said earlier, although I do not know whether the Deputy was here then, there are 4,500 ha approved today for which people have a licence and they are entitled to go ahead and plant. They are the people I am contacting. It is something like 520 people. I am...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No, the Deputy is fine.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: I can. I gave a commitment, which was backed up by the Minister, Deputy Heydon. The Department is very clear on this. People were given the commitment to go ahead and clear the timber, replant it and there will be a scheme in place for them. All I can say is it will happen.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: I thank the Deputy.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: Oh God.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No, I will answer it. A 15-year premium -----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No, it could be a 15-year premium multiplied by €550.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: I have not said “No” at all. I said "No" twice.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No, there is not.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: Can I answer a few of the questions before the Deputy continues? The first thing I will have to say on the record is that in my time since I came to Dáil Éireann, there has never yet been anyone as good as Deputy Aird -----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: -----and I am fully convinced it will be a long time before there is anybody half as good as him again.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: He is asking tough questions and I want to answer some of them, but I wanted to say that to him because I like to get the opportunity. The Deputy knows exactly what I think of him. I think he is a brilliant person and if more of them were like him, it would be a great country. To answer some of the questions, first, we have to be factual about the ash dieback. Of course what the Deputy...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: I would not dare tell the Deputy that, because he knows the price of a bullock as good as I do today.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Michael Healy-Rae: No. I never said that.