Results 4,861-4,880 of 5,311 for speaker:Tom Hayes

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: That is the truth. We have forgotten that. I am amazed that nobody has said this tonight. I am a farmer. I was born on a farm. I know there have been ups and downs over recent years. Prices have been cyclical all through our lives. They will continue to be cyclical. We are living in an open, free market. I heard people saying the Minister needs to intervene by controlling the prices,...

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: There has been a lot of talk about live exports. While I accept that we need more live exports, I should point out that the live export market has increased by 15% this year. That is the relevant figure. Finally, I ask for us to try to organise a day-long discussion on agriculture, at which all the knowledge we have in here can be used to put in place a plan that will leave agriculture in...

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: No, that is not right.

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Is that cheque with the Commission?

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Before I speak on the amendments, I want to draw to the attention of the House to the fact that today is Tree Day, organised by the Tree Council of Ireland. It is appropriate that we are discussing the Forestry Bill. We should all mark this day in our own way. With the co-operation of the Department of Education and Skills, a thousand trees have been sent to various schools. Tomorrow I...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I have already introduced an amendment on Committee Stage in the Dáil at section 5(l) which reads "to promote the production and use of timber". I believe, therefore, that what is being sought by this amendment has already been adequately addressed within the Bill.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: There is already legislation in place which entitles citizens to information on forestry and to participate in forestry planning. I remind the Senators that my Department, like all other Departments, is a public body for the purposes of the access to information on the environment regulations,which allows members of the public to request environmental information held by public authorities...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: To clarify, there is access to all of that information. If I thought for a second there was any non-availability of that information I would put in the amendment but the information exists. Any time I have challenged the Department it has always admitted that the information exists. If I accepted the amendment it would only be for the sake of doing so. The information already exists. We...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: It is no harm to take the opportunity to echo a lot of what I said in my Second Stage contribution here. It is always very important to lay out our vision for the future. There is great potential for forestry in Ireland and we need to mark out a roadmap. When the Government came to power it decided to see whether Coillte needed to be sold or retained as a national asset. That was a brave...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: It was great to see in an area like that a very efficient outfit cutting, milling and processing timber that was grown in the south of Ireland. The timber was brought up to Connemara, cut and exported, ready for the market in London. It was great to see the quality of product that was being produced in that mill, and the workers' commitment to life there, and that they could have their jobs...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The concern expressed during the previous consideration of this provision was that it enabled the Minister to compulsorily acquire land. To reiterate, I have received legal advice that section 6(e) does not provide the Minister with the power to compulsorily purchase land. The term used in the subsection "or otherwise acquire" is sufficiently broad to cater for any type of acquisition,...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I will address amendments Nos. 7 and 9 together. The purpose of defining an area threshold of 0.1 hectares is to ensure that the felling of small groups of trees is regulated by licence. To reduce the threshold further would result in the majority of trees within Ireland requiring a licence where felling is proposed. As stated previously on Committee Stage in the Dáil, this Bill is...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The text, as drafted in the Bill, provides the Minister with powers to establish committees to assist and advise him or her on the performance of his or her functions under the relevant statutory provisions. On Committee Stage in the Dáil, I introduced my own amendment to create section 8(5), which aims to ensure that the composition of committees includes members with the relevant...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by members of committees should be discouraged and the penalty for so doing should be dissuasive. I must emphasise in this context the word "confidential". It is not intended to preclude general comment or discussion on everyday issues relating to a committee. We are talking, for example, about unauthorised disclosures of ongoing and...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: That is not the intention.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I know it never is, but the intention here is that sensitive information cannot be given out. It has already been pointed out that regardless of whether one runs a business or a Government agency, if one has to withhold sensitive information one must not allow that to be covered, so there is a clear line of distinction. Basically, I want to say that one can give information where one can,...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: While I appreciate that the proposal in amendment No. 11 to substitute "should" for "may" is positive towards forestry management planning, I believe the use of the word "may" is more appropriate in this section, and for this reason I do not agree with the proposed amendment. The size of a forest can vary from small to very large and it is important that this provision be flexible enough to...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Section 11(a) requires the Minister to have regard to the social, economic and environmental functions of forests. To list all of the functions of forests in detail in the Bill, including the visual and noise abatement impacts, could lessen the importance of other environmental functions not mentioned. The terminology "environmental functions of forestry" can include landscape and noise...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The period of six months for notification of the destruction or removal of a forest estate by fire or other natural causes is considered reasonable and it is not proposed to reduce it. Forests, by their nature, are generally located in remote areas and damage may not always be immediately noted by the landowner. In many instances, landowners do not live close to their forests and to impose...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: This section is important for the collection of statistics and information on the national forest estate which will complement national and EU reporting requirements. The collection of information on forests will also provide information for the Minister on how forests are being managed and will help to determine the direction of future policy, including the provision of financial support...