Results 301-320 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Peat Shortages on the Horticulture Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Mr. O'Rourke, Mr. Dunne, Ms Kavanagh and Mr. Neenan for an informative and pragmatic overview of the situation in which they find themselves. As a Government representative on the committee, I am both disappointed and somewhat embarrassed that there has been no progress. When we last met the witnesses, we met departmental officials as well, and maybe I was naive at the time but I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Task Force: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I am okay. I thank the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I will be as brief as I can. I want to place on record my admiration for the training community in Ireland and for the wider racing industry. They have been a fantastic storybook for the nation at home and abroad. They have been excellent employers. Notwithstanding recent media reports, they have a good story to tell. I have five questions. They are all short and snappy. If they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: That is grand. The next question is for Mr. Halford. There is a television programme coming up. There has been much media attention. How damaged will the industry be as a result of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: Mr. Grassick clarified the association is a representative body. Where does the association see itself in terms of the challenges that are emerging? If we get a high-profile UK television programme, it will leave a light bulb on us for a long time afterwards. Are they positioning themselves or where do they see their role in protecting the industry and trying to address the tarnishing of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: That is grand. I am halfway with my questions but I take from this that the association has a zero tolerance approach to any wrongdoing by any of its members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: As for my final two questions, Mr. Grassick mentioned there is a trainer in the news at present. What he said has been widely reported. Mr. Grassick mentioned the trainer parted with the association on 19 March. Was that of his own volition or, as they say down the country, "was there a falling out"?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: My final question is more of an observation. As Mr. Grassick will be aware, we had Dr. Hillyer before us last week and she was impressive. Everybody agrees she has done outstanding work since she has come into that role. I was pleased to hear trainers signed up, as far back as November last, for pre-race testing for all runners on the basis that no horse would be singled out and that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I will be brief. I have two questions. The first is for Mr. Kavanagh. We had representatives from the IRTA before us at our previous session. There was surprise among some of my colleagues on the committee that they were not more critical of the IHRB. They were somewhat surprised to learn that there seems to be a somewhat harmonious relationship between the organisations. Generally, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I am happy for Mr. Egan to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I asked specifically about the IRTA. What is the relationship there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: My final question is for Dr. Hillyer. When we spoke with representatives from the IRTA earlier, they told us that in discussions with the IHRB in November, it was agreed that pre-race testing would be for all horses and that horses would not be singled out, because the trainers felt that it would be unfair to the horses that were tested. It seems to be a fair and equitable approach. I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: Yes. Why has it not been implemented and when is it going to be implemented? It will provide a huge reassurance to the general public.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: There are other members who want to contribute and I do not wish to take up their time. Dr. Hillyer did give us that background at the previous meeting. The specific question is as follows: when can the general public see pre-race testing, in whatever format it takes, for all racehorses?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: By imminent, does Dr. Hillyer mean in a month or in three months? Will we see it being introduced before the end of the year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank my constituency colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, for attending and for briefing us on the regulations. Having spoken in the Dáil last night at length about the potential threat of loss of revenue to Longford County Council, both in terms of the local property tax, LPT, and from rates following the closure of the power station in Lanesborough, I am not one to agree...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister of State and the Department officials for coming in. It is important that we get this through. It is good to get an insight into the workings of it as well. I welcome the assurance from the Minister of State that he is working on potential funding for Longford County Council, both in respect of the LPT and rates. The Minister of State put significant work into getting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I have nothing more to offer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Independent Mink Farms: Discussion (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the businesses for coming in today. I have sympathy for any business that has to wind up as a result of prohibition. I will not get into the ethics of the trade but there is a worldwide move towards the prohibition of fur farming. I have some questions and any witness who believes that he or she can give the best answer can come back to me. It was mentioned that Denmark has started...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of Animal Health and Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (15 Jul 2021)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Chair. I am conscious of the time. I see that Senator Boylan wants to come in. Most of my questions have already been asked. I will, therefore, defer to Senator Boylan given the time constraints.