Results 4,981-5,000 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary) (8 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I hope a scheme will be found for ordinary shopkeepers who are losing money also. Many of these businesses provide jobs, but they do not get a look in. I hope that, whatever the hue of the next Government, it will adopt the same positive attitude. This is an important issue because if taxpayers had not picked up the tab for this additional allocation, it would have been levied on...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: The Minister became a little annoyed with me when I spoke on this issue on Second Stage and I accept that I can be a little off-putting at times. I enjoy point-to-point racing more than anything. The Minister has made clear to all the relevant parties that he does not propose to interfere with point-to-point racing, other than by providing that Horse Racing Ireland will collect moneys that...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I accept what the Minister stated but what worries me is that he has moved it on. We cannot debate this in isolation.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: We must have some indulgence here. Otherwise, the game goes dead. I accept the bona fides of the Minister in what he is trying to achieve. Let us start with that, but as a barrister I am not completely convinced that what is contained in amendment No. 44 can override what is contained in section 5, which is the new section 10(1) and (2)(a). I ask that legal advice, perhaps from the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: They all are related.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: The governance and general functions of the HRI are contained in section 5, which is the new section 10(2). That is fairly powerful stuff. The Minister is saying that amendment No. 44, for want of a better word, overrides the governance aspect. I am concerned about that, and I must be honest with the Minister. No doubt the Minister has a good understanding of it but not everybody has an...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: Is the Minister conceding on that amendment?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: Yes.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I shall withdraw my amendment and seek a provision on Report Stage. Perhaps the Minister will take advice from the Parliamentary Counsel.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I am not bringing that aspect in here. I simply worry about things that might happen afterwards. We all thought that there was a view here that reflected what we thought was going to be in the Bill.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I move amendment No. 13:In page 8, line 40, to delete “, governance” and substitute “, other than the administration of point-to-point racing”.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I move amendment No. 17:In page 9, line 11, to delete “issuing” and substitute “the certifying”.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: Yes. We have debated certification already but my amendment would put the issue beyond doubt. It would clarify and make sure that everybody understands their roles. On line 19, it states "including the registration of hunter certificates" which means the activity will now be given to the HRI which is part of the problem. Point-to-point steeplechase regulations stipulate that hunter...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: That is why one cannot have one without the other. That is why I was hoping the issuing and certification of the hunter certificates would be dealt with in the way I asked the Minister to deal with it. Perhaps the Minister would review the issue with a view to accommodating what we are trying to achieve. I think there is some misunderstanding of the roles. They are very finite and very...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I accept the Minister is more than accommodating.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: Do not be too analytical on this. I might as well be honest with the Minister. The Minister is a racing person and he knows the issue inside out. I am afraid that some day, someone will be sitting on that seat and will be given back a parliamentary reply from this side, stating that the Bill was passed and one is left with a fait accompli and that is what worries me. I ask the Minister to...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I know some of them.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: It does. I do not want to get into an argument with the Minister but it does. This clearly does. The HRI kicks over the issue. It will do the registration. That is a function gone from the local INHSC-----

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I appeal to the Minister to use the word "certify".

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland Bill 2015: Committee Stage (9 Dec 2015)

Willie Penrose: I have referred to this on a number of occasions and do not want to bore everybody to death, including myself. We got into this argument previously. It might be a bit Jesuitical but it is important. This is extremely important for the local committees. I agree the services should exclude the issuing and registration of hunter certificates. Leaving the registration of hunter certificates...