Results 4,921-4,940 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I think he would be lost in politics.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: You will find them. We have a saying down our way: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." I wish to wrap up this tranche now. I am encouraged by Mr. Patrick Duffy's presentation. If farming attitudes are to change, young people like him are the ideal role models. We are here to listen but if he and his peers at that age can reflect positive thinking on farm safety, the next...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: He could be any kind of a bull.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: On behalf of the committee, I thank the delegations for their enlightening submissions. All their points will be taken on board and will be included when Senator Martin Conway, the rapporteur, will do our final report. It is hoped we will be able to invite the delegations to its launch in May.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: The committee will now hear presentations from a number of contributors with their roots in rural and farming communities and families. Embrace FARM, or farming accidents - remembered and missed, was founded in 2014 by Mr. Brian Rohan whose father, Liam, died as a result of an accident on his farm in County Laois in 2012. The organisation was established to provide bereavement support to...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: We will move on to Mr. Seamus Boland and Mr. Vincent Nally of Irish Rural Link.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Sometimes I can get confused, even as Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad. We have just had questions and comments from Senator Rónán Mullen and now I am calling on Senator Michael Mullins. They might be related.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: The purpose of Senators being here today is to ask questions of our visitors, not to make prolonged statements. We are nine minutes into this segment and four questions have been asked. We will go straight to the answers now because ---

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: That is understandable but the witnesses know to whom you were referring. We will now move on to getting answers to the questions that were asked and move away from the glorious commentaries, saying that the witnesses are great people and so forth because I said all that at the start. I would be interested, if possible, to hear a brief account from Peter of how his accident occurred.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I invite the other witnesses to pick up on the questions posed by Senators.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I have two brief questions. A couple of speakers referred to progress in terms of dealing with gases emitted by slurry tanks. A system is being developed by an engineering company to extract the poisonous gases from the slurry tank which would prevent a farmer or his son inhaling them. That would prevent people collapsing and falling into slurry pits, which unfortunately happens too...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: One thing that troubles me is that it is not that long ago since €1.3 billion was spent on farm pollution control, which is a substantial figure. Slurry deaths are relatively new, although they were happening 20 years ago. All this investment - €1.3 billion - has been put into farms in the current economic climate, but that scheme was not dreamed of. I think the grant was...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank Embrace Farm and Irish Rural Link, which are doing exceptional work throughout rural Ireland. I also thank Councillor Dolan. We are grateful for their attendance.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank the witnesses. We are very grateful for their submissions and their oral evidence, which will be taken on board and will form part of our eventual conclusions. We will now move on to group five, State agencies. The committee will now hear presentations from two State bodies which are central to the promotion and support of farm safety. The Health and Safety Authority, which was...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I invite Mr. John McNamara of Teagasc to make his opening statement.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Is it true that, by and large, the older farmer is being hit rather then the young person aged 16 or 17 who is driving a tractor? In terms of European averages per capita, how much above average is Ireland? Do the witnesses have those figures?

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Dr. Meredith mentioned that farmers are inheriting landholdings at a much older age. Does this not contravene the Department's policy of incentivising farmers to hand over to their younger relatives as early as possible? During the past 25 to 30 years, the Department, under various Governments, along with farming organisations, have encouraged farmers to hand their farms over when their...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: And safer farms.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: That might contravene farm retirement schemes. A retired farmer is supposed to be retired. We will not go into it.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: This question is directed at Mr. O'Halloran. Four years ago I visited a family about 48 hours after a young man had died tragically in a farm accident. I knew the family fairly well and wished to sympathise with them. The young man who died was 20 or 22 years of age. I met the young mother, who said she had been looking through her window for the past day or two at health and safety...