Results 4,761-4,780 of 5,615 for speaker:Andrew Doyle

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Organic Farmers Representative Body (8 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: This is a point we need to raise with the Department. Bord Bia appoints qualified field officers to conduct inspections. These officers operate off a checklist and the farmer is sent a reminder "to do" list. It is not inconceivable that these inspectors could add an additional checklist to cover organic farmers also.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming Scheme: Organic Farmers Representative Body (8 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Yes, farmers pay an initial fee to join the quality assurance scheme, which, I presume, all organic farmers must join in any event. We could go on for ever but we have given the issues a good airing. The committee has been enlightened by the debate and members have, perhaps, been surprised by what they have been told. We will take on board what has been said. It has been agreed that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I remind members and witnesses to please turn off their mobile phones. The first session in our examination of the greyhound industry will involve the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Tom Hayes. I welcome the Minister of State and his officials and thank them for appearing before the committee to discuss the greyhound industry in this country....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I thank the Minister of State. I invite Senator Ó Domhnaill to speak.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Let the committee member speak without intervention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Deputy Butler, let the committee member speak. You will get your chance to speak

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Sorry, Deputy Butler. We run a committee here and you are not a member of it. You will be facilitated later; do not interrupt the committee member again, please.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Deputy Butler, refrain. Speak through the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Yes, because we have two more sessions. I should point out we must vacate this room at 5.15 p.m. and consequently, I ask members to try to get to the point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: There are some comments and questions for the Minister of State. We will try to finish in ten minutes if we can, as we have two other groups coming in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Thank you. I will bring this session to a conclusion. The committee was anxious to address this issue but we were waiting for the heads of the Bill to be prepared so we could discuss them. However, we were given to understand that it might not happen until next year so we decided to go ahead. The Minister might not be able to stay but we will be talking to two other stakeholders and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I understand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: When we have heard from the other two groups we will draft a preliminary list of findings. It will be a report on our hearings with, hopefully, some recommendations that will be helpful in informing the drafting of the Bill. It is probably not a bad idea that we do this now instead of when the Bill is drafted. We will suspend for a couple of minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: That was the plan. For everybody's information, we took a decision that if it was not going to be drafted for pre-legislative scrutiny until the new year, then because of an election, even on the last possible date an election could be held, we would not get a chance to have a proper look at it. If it is published before Christmas, we will act on it before Christmas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: The exercise we are undertaking will help us. I thank the Minister of State and his officials.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I welcome, from the Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation, Ms Brigid Frank, chairperson, Mr. Edward Gus Ryan, honorary vice-president, Mr. Tony Walsh, delegate for Mullingar Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association, GOBA, and Ms Brenda Powderly, secretary, and thank them for appearing before the committee to discuss the greyhound racing industry in Ireland. Before we begin, I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I thank Ms Frank. I presume her colleagues are also available to answer questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Ms Frank has been before the committee in the past so she will understand the format.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: If that is all the questions, I will allow Mr. Ryan to respond first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Racing Industry: Discussion (20 Oct 2015)

Andrew Doyle: We have 45 minutes. I ask Mr. Ryan to keep moving through the issues as we are under time pressure.