Results 4,821-4,840 of 5,550 for speaker:Martin Ferris

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: If HRI is using its influence to prevent the Irish Harness Racing Association from holding an event, it concerns the use of public money being given to it. Since 2001 almost €1 billion has been given to it and Bord na gCon. HRI has prevented the Irish Harness Racing Association from holding an event and I find it very difficult to stand over this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: That was because of the Minister's intervention. I had raised the matter with him previously.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: Hang on one second. The point I am making is that the Minister is giving a ball of money to HRI which has abused its position in preventing harness racing from taking place. It has effectively-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: It tried to become an affiliate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: We could meet next Tuesday morning to deal with the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: If HRI is as determined as we are to give it the money, its representatives will be here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: Up until it held the event in Dundalk, it was blocked, despite several requests from the Irish Harness Racing Association to hold an event there. The fact is that the board of management in Dundalk was prepared to permit the event to be held, but HRI intervened to stop it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: No, the Minister changed it - just once.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: I do not want this to get personal, with people saying we are playing ping-pong and holding the meeting to ransom. We are not. Every year since I became a member of the committee I have voted €1 billion to Horse Racing Ireland and the greyhound board. I have serious reservations about this because people are sleeping on the streets, people are hungry and there are children in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: I brought it to the Minister's attention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2015: Motion (18 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: The Minister dealt with it - one event.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: 2. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the person who made the decision not to prosecute anyone in relation to the milk quota irregularities involving Glanbia, Clongowes Wood College and a person in County Tipperary, which were investigated by his Department; if An Garda Síochána was made aware of the details of this case; and if he will waive his legal...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: I am returning to the Minister with a question regarding milk quota irregularities involving Glanbia, Clongowes Wood school and a farmer in County Tipperary, which have been investigated by the Minister's Department. Was the Garda made aware of the details of this case, and will the Minister waive legal privilege in order to disclose the opinion of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: The person in question did not resign willingly. He resigned as a result of the issue being raised in this House and raised continuously with the Department. I find it difficult to comprehend how somebody in a very prominent position on the board of Glanbia, with a milk quota being allocated to Clongowes Wood, was able to use that milk quota without the knowledge of Glanbia, thereby...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: Why was the matter not referred to the Garda? This was blatant attempted fraud at the very least. A major milk processing company, Clongowes Wood College and the farmer were all involved, and this matter was not referred to the Garda. Why not? Most people would be of the opinion that if somebody else had been involved the matter would have been referred to the Garda.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: But it did.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: This was not initiated, to my knowledge, until an article appeared in a newspaper. That is what sparked this investigation, because the matter was in the public domain. This did not just come down through the system. That is my knowledge of it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: Also, I have reason to believe, from information I have been given - whether it is true or otherwise - that the Chief State Solicitor recommended that this matter be referred to the Garda. In the interest of members of the public, we need to know whether that is the case. Did the Chief State Solicitor make a recommendation that this matter be investigated by the Garda? If that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: Who gave the Minister that advice?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Milk Quota (25 Nov 2015)

Martin Ferris: What was the advice of the Chief State Solicitor?