Results 2,561-2,580 of 3,729 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter. As the Senator will be aware, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, is the main policy instrument of the Department of Education to tackle educational disadvantage at school level. DEIS schools benefit from a range of supports,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: In the draft response I received, there was no reference to Scoil Na Naomh Uilig but I will bring it back to the Minister's office. The school will have the appeals mechanism there. I emphasise that the DEIS programme focuses on targeting additional resources towards schools with the highest concentration of students at risk of educational disadvantage. The Department is committed to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: It is an interesting one. I can most definitely empathise with Deputy Moynihan's points regarding the importance of community facilities. I am taking this response on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for local government and planning, Deputy Burke. The title of this Topical Issue matter was picked up and taken by the planning department. The points...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Planning Issues (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Again, I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this important topic today. I concur and I will bring these points back to the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, and his officials in the planning department. There should be uniformity of approach here. Community groups looking to go through the planning process to deliver a community facility should not have different experiences depending on...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukrainian War (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy McHugh for raising an issue that is foremost in all of our minds across the Government right now. I know Deputy Cannon was working with the Deputy on it earlier in the week. I assure the Deputy and the House that along with officials in all Departments, including the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, on behalf of which I am participating in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Ukrainian War (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: The Government will not be found wanting in supporting the Ukrainian people. The 2016 census showed that 3,000 Ukrainian nationals were resident in Ireland at the time. They all have loved ones about whom they are greatly concerned and they may be looking to bring them here. We are taking a whole-of-government response to ensure we offer them all the supports they need. As I mentioned,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: The household benefits, HHB, package comprises the electricity or gas allowance and a free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €273 million this year on the HHB package for more than 484,000 customers and their households. The package is available as a supplementary allowance to those in receipt of various social welfare payments,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Martin Browne. All Deputies deal with carers in our constituency offices and in the course of our daily work as parliamentarians, and we are in awe of the fantastic work they do. That is why the State provides supports for people on fixed incomes who are providing such a vital service to a loved one. The State recognises that this service is of huge value. I accept there...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: It is not only the €200 payment. As I said, we also have a community welfare system. In individual cases that do not fit the norm, community welfare officers provide support that may be needed for a time, including to meet exceptional needs. I outlined many interventions the Government has made since the budget. A record budget has been provided to the Department of Social...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: That is why we are supporting them.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Transport Authority (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this important issue in his constituency. I am responding to this Topical Issue on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government sets out an ambitious and wide-ranging set of commitments in relation to walking and cycling, supported by an increased multi-annual budgetary allocation...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Transport Authority (10 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Deputy McAuliffe has an offer to bring back to the chief executives. It is on the record of the House that the offer of support is there and we need them to drive on the project now. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and making his contribution to the discussion today. It is great to see investment in active travel starting to bear fruit. The Government is keen to accelerate...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Members for being here today and for their level of engagement on this topic. It is my first time to address this issue in the Seanad. I am doing so in place of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett. I am aware of the concerns which have been articulated by Senators. I would like to acknowledge the points made by Senators Boyhan, Lombard,...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Members for the many and varied points they made. Senator Gavan asked a couple of specific questions. I go back to his earlier statement that he is not asking to negotiate in this room. I will not negotiate in this room; I do not have the mandate to do that. I will bring the points raised in this forum back to the Minister. I accept the points made about trust, communication,...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I will start with Senator Burke's point. I was responding to his question about where the three to five year period came from. That is the general principle. It is about identifying the profitability of the company. To use ten years, it would need to be proven that the business had a cyclical nature. It is about trying to get away from one set year that might have been a bad year. Three...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Our job here is to look at that legislation and see how we do that.To respond to Senator Boylan, part of my earlier response was that Department officials have a good knowledge of these firms because of their inspection system down through the years. I am not familiar with the exact role Grant Thornton played in that in respect of visits, but we are dealing with Department officials who know...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: To respond to Senator Gavan, that is no problem. The point I made when the Senator stepped out was that I had written out three specific sentences he wants me to put on the record of the House. However, I brought the debate back to the Senator's initial contribution, in which he said he was not asking anyone in this room to negotiate. The level of detail he is talking about, to my mind,...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Senator Gavan and I are splitting hairs somewhat. His interpretation of negotiation and mine are somewhat different. He does not think what he says involves negotiation; I think it does. I have made my view on that clear enough. We can keep talking about it but I will not get into that level of detail here tonight. As for the draft regulations, I have committed to bringing to the...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senators Boylan and Moynihan for the points they raised regarding amendment No. 7 and, by extension, amendment No. 8. The definitions outlined in amendments Nos. 7(a) and (b), and amendments Nos. 8(a) and (b) remove the provision to create narrow strips of native trees. Creating these areas in undisturbed water setbacks can be used to deliver meaningful ecosystem services that...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Martin Heydon: Amendments Nos. 15 and 15a are being addressed together as they both relate to the provision of statistics at local electoral area. My Department provides very comprehensive forestry statistics on a weekly basis through the forestry dashboard. Information is provided on afforestation, eroding and felling. Monthly statistics are also provided on a broader range of statistics that are...