Results 2,521-2,540 of 3,729 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (21 Sep 2021)

Martin Heydon: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to introduce the Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 to the House. By way of background I should advise that EU Council Regulation No. 1224/2009, known as the control regulation, establishes a community control system for ensuring compliance with rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, and establishing a...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I wish to put on the record of the House the ambition Irish farmers have. First, I would like to say how proud we are of the fact we produce some of the most sustainably produced food in the world. We feed multiple millions more around the world than we do in our own population. We know we too have a role to play in making our food...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fishing Industry (7 Oct 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Bacik for raising this important issue. It is important to state from the outset that mussel seed is an essential raw material for the bottom growing mussel aquaculture industry. Mussel farmers fish for wild mussel seed for transplantation onto their licensed aquaculture sites for ongoing and later harvesting over a two-year growth cycle. The fished seed is grown to maturity...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fishing Industry (7 Oct 2021)

Martin Heydon: I agree. We should always look at our processes and make sure they are robust and are protecting our environment and the sustainability of our future stocks, as is the case. In some ways, I would argue that perhaps the survey the Deputy points to in the North that advised that there not be harvesting in those areas actually show that the system of surveying is working. This is done on an...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (13 Oct 2021)

Martin Heydon: Let me start by welcoming budget 2022 in an overall sense. I believe it is a fair and balanced approach for all of our citizens. From an agricultural perspective, and in this time of transition, farmers can have confidence that this budget protects farm family incomes and supports actions to improve safety and sustainability on farms. Farm safety is an issue of great importance for me,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (14 Oct 2021)

Martin Heydon: That is effectively it. The legislation is close, funding provision has been made and that process will conclude in the near future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I acknowledge the Senator's passion for farm safety and the engagement I have had with him on his proposed Bill. I acknowledge the meetings we have had on farm safety. It is a topic very close to his heart. There is no single action that can solve the problem. If it were easily solved, the unacceptably high rate of fatalities on Irish farms would have been addressed long before now. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Martin Browne for his contribution. I am a suckler farmer based in south Kildare, with a mixed enterprise involving tillage, and I am acutely aware of what the Deputy has outlined. On hoping that the €2 million will be enough, to be honest this is not all about money. Much of what is involved is a change of culture and ensuring that all of us in the farming set-up,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Carthy for his points and questions. I agree, and I acknowledge the cross-party consensus on farm safety. We all want to see success in this area and it is one of those issues where political differences remain outside the door because we are all in the same boat. We all know of families in our constituencies that have been impacted by farm safety incidents. I assure the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: The charter is a valuable document in terms of the role it plays in recognising the importance of farmers as equal stakeholders in this process. My experience is that the charter is fully upheld. If there are incidents where farmers believe that has not been the case, I ask them to come forward and let us know. The charter was drawn up in consultation with the farming organisations and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: As regards TAMS, there is a significant number of measures that have a farm safety element and are funded through TAMS. Obviously, farm safety will be an integral part of the new TAMS but it is not the only mechanism through which we can support farmers with investment. I refer to the accelerated capital allowance scheme. It is a proposal we got through in the Finance Act last year and has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: Embrace FARM has significant knowledge of the experience of farm families in the aftermath of fatal incidents, as well as of practical measures such as those highlighted by the Deputy. It has raised these issues previously with my Department and that actually brought about a change whereby we put in place a dedicated point of contact within the Department for such families to deal with....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: Will I answer the individual questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for his questions. With the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme, TAMS, every investment in a farm has a farm safety element to it because we are upgrading facilities and the conditions in which farmers work. It is making farms much safer. We have not signed off the decision for the new TAMS yet. Measures are being reviewed and new options are being considered...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: The Deputy is referencing the work experience element of the green cert.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: As I said earlier, farmers' mental health and well-being is integrally linked to farm safety. As far as I am concerned they are the same and one cannot look at them in isolation. I definitely share the concerns. Farmers work in isolation anyway. It is the nature of the job and it then makes it harder when the pressure is on. We are all aware of the impact that Covid has had on farmers....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Vice Chairman, the Chairman, Deputy Cahill, and members of the committee for inviting me this evening to speak on the important topic of farm safety. I am joined this evening by officials from my Department, Mr. Michael Moloney, senior inspector and head of crop policy, evaluation and certification division with responsibility for farm safety, and Dr. Robert Leonard, agricultural...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for his comments. He is right. The point that struck me from what he said was that no one expects a farm safety incident to happen to them. I tend to refer to incidents rather than accidents because they are unintentional but, many times when you engage with families after a tragic incident, they admit there was an element to it that was probably preventable, if an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: I apologise for the poor connection. It is not 100% but we cannot blame it on the Irish national broadband plan. I am in Glasgow at the COP26 meeting and our Scottish broadband could do with being a little bit better. I was determined to participate in the committee today and when the invitation came in I asked the Chair if he could change the timing. I embraced that change so that I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety: Discussion (3 Nov 2021)

Martin Heydon: Whatever is easiest.