Results 261-280 of 312 for speaker:William Aird

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (24 Jun 2025)

William Aird: These two projects must be included in the revised national development plan to address fair regional development, align with national goals, reduce emissions, promote balanced regional development and support active travel and safer roads. The Portlaoise northern orbital route and the Mountmellick bypass projects would complement existing investment in the region's rail network. I urge the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Projects (24 Jun 2025)

William Aird: I thank the Minister of State for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: I welcome the witnesses. Can Mr. Savage quantify how many farm families have faced financial hardship or debt due to delayed payments? What support has been offered to them in response?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: I asked what supports the Department offers to people who try to ring for a fortnight or three weeks when the Department does not answer the phone. Does it have any support for people like that? We know they are frustrated on the phone. Does the Department have a scheme? Just answer the question, “Yes” or “No”.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: That is fine. It does not. That is the most important thing for mental health among the farmers I deal with. Who is directly accountable for the ongoing delay in the Department’s payment of schemes? Why has no one been held publicly responsible for these repeated failures? These are questions that I want answered.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: That is grand. I have a follow-up question. Has the Department conducted an independent review into the causes of these delays and, if so, why has the report not been published and made available to the farming community?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: Why does the Department not share that with the farming community if it knows what the issues are? That is where the responsibility lies. That is grand. That has answered the question. Why is the Department’s payments processing system still prone to delays in 2025 despite decades of EU oversight, increased digitalisation and repeated assurances of improvements? That is what we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: That brings me to my next question. Many farmers, myself included, report receiving no updates or clarity for weeks after the delays occur. Why is there such a failure in basic communication and transparency? Every farmer has gone through that system for years. Why does this happen? Can it be improved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: It is not just ACRES.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: I just want to get an answer for those people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: With all due respect, people cannot even get through to the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: How can Mr. Savage talk about making progress when we cannot even get through to the Department? I will leave it at that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: My time is running out and there is a question I did not get to ask. Why are the schemes continually launched without proper systems in place to ensure payments can be made in time? Why do we keep launching the schemes when the Department is not even up to speed on payments for the ones that have gone before that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: I am talking about the ones that have not been paid out under TAMS. Has all the money been paid out under TAMS?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: How many years does it go back?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: When was TAMS 3 launched?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Delays in Departmental Scheme Payments: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (25 Jun 2025)

William Aird: It was 2023. It is now 2025. How many people here have been waiting for their wages for two years? I will finish on that as my time is up.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

William Aird: 135. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to invest in cultural infrastructure in rural counties such as County Laois (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34380/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

William Aird: What plans does the Minister have to invest in cultural infrastructure in rural counties such as County Laois? These are counties with vibrant local artists and heritage buildings that would benefit greatly from targeted support. Will the Minister make a statement on this matter? County Laois, like many others, has a wealth of artistic talent and historic buildings, which too often are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Culture Policy (26 Jun 2025)

William Aird: Laois has a proud cultural identity, rich in music, literature, theatre, visual arts and storytelling. It has produced many artists and continues to support new generations through festivals, exhibitions and community-led initiatives. Towns such as Portlaoise, Rathdowney, Mountmellick, Portarlington, Mountrath and Stradbally all have active community groups that are crying out for adequate...