Results 4,761-4,780 of 10,862 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: So the Minister intends to bring forward a measure in the budget on that.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (6 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: The problem is when farm contractors' costs increase, they have no option but to pass that on to the people for whom they are doing the work, so this charge applies directly to many farmers. It has been promoted at EU and domestic level that farmers pool resources and apply contractors and that, as opposed to having huge vehicles and machines lying idle on their lands for long periods, they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: Apologies for being late; I was listening to the proceedings on the phone. It is an important voice that needs to be heard in the wider debate on afforestation. This committee agrees that forestry can play an important role in the future of agriculture and meeting our climate emissions targets. Sometimes, the third cog of that is missed, namely, that forestry should also be playing a part...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: For this committee and for decision makers more generally, it is going be about balance. I agree absolutely that there are some areas where there has been a proliferation. That needs to be accounted for in terms of how we plan for the future. We need to undo damage that has been done by very poor forestry and planning policy in the communities that the witnesses have spoken about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: Some of the language our guests have used, such as describing the Department as inept and incapable of meeting its remit, is probably stronger than we have ever heard from any stakeholder group across most committees in these Houses. That needs to be heeded. Our guests have spoken about the elephant in the room, and I get a sense they believe the solution is essentially to get rid of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: I have a couple of questions that I need to put separately. The Minister of State mentioned the Save groups that were in earlier and the concerns they raised around communities that have been at the brunt of the negative aspects of forestry policy. What proposals does the Minister of State intend to bring forward to address their concerns?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: What proposals does the Minister of State intend to bring forward to address their concerns?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: But the Minister of State does not have any proposals currently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: As it stands, the Minister does not have proposals.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: I asked the Minister of State if she has proposals currently to bring forward. Her answer was "No".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: The answer is no, the Minister of State does not have any current proposals. The sector, including the groups that have come before the committee, essentially describe the forestry division in the strongest terms I have heard on any committee regarding a Department, as being inept and incapable of addressing the challenges of the sector. Does the Minister of State have any proposals to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: I know but we are tight for time. I have asked the Minister of State if she has any plans to address what is clearly a dysfunctional system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: But Senator Hackett is the Minister of State and I have asked her if she has proposals to address the dysfunction in the system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: I am conscious of the time. I asked the Minister of State if she had any proposals to address the dysfunction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: Who will carry that out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: Okay. To clarify, I am sure the Minister of State was not inferring that I have in any way singled out officials in the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: Earlier, the Minister of State accused members of this committee of being solely focused on the commercial side of forestry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: I do not know if the Minister of State has read the report on forestry that was agreed by this committee but I would argue that it was a very well balanced report that addressed all of the concerns and the roles forestry can play in terms of the commercial sector, the economic driver forestry can be and the community concerns that have not been addressed and the environmental role of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: What is the target for planting?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Afforestation and the Forestry Sector: Discussion (13 Apr 2022)

Matt Carthy: What is the number?