Results 5,341-5,360 of 23,976 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit: Discussion with Mushroom Industry (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: I do not want to go back over issues that have been discussed. I support the position taken by my party's spokesperson on food and horticulture, Deputy Jackie Cahill. As indicated by the speakers, 30 years of hard work has gone into building up this business. Temporary issues arise following on from Brexit and there is an onus on us to ensure that the industry is supported through those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: I welcome the Minister and his officials and thank them for the reports which were supplied in advance of the meeting. This is an especially opportune time, given that we are just two weeks away from the budget. I wish to refer to a few matters in the Minister's statement as well as some items in the programmes. The Minister indicated that current expenditure is running at 92% of profile,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: The issue of the grain sector has been touched on and the Minister is convening the first tillage forum on 6 October. However, there are particularly acute issues along the western seaboard in my own county and many others where a significant part of the spring barley crop could not be harvested. It looks like a significant part of it will not be harvested as time will run out. While there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: Has the Minister been pushing the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to try to secure extra funding for his Department, given the income crisis, to bring forward the €25 million of areas of natural constraint, ANC, payments to support farmers' incomes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Chairman for agreeing to put this on the agenda today and asking the Minister, Deputy Creed, to deal with it while he was here. I thank the Minister for addressing it. Some serious questions need to be answered on the procedures that were used for the unprecedented reappointment of the chief executive of a semi-State for a second time. The Minister's opening remarks did not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: I asked the Minister, when the chairperson of the board of HRI approached him and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, whether he did do so as the chair of the board or on the basis that he was acting on direction of the board? Did he indicate that he had the full backing of the board for what he was doing and that the business plan was being presented with the endorsement of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: Does the Minister feel therefore that the letter misled him?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: It would seem fairly clear that it was on behalf of the board rather than the chairperson.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister has clarified that and it was a key question. Was it the case that when the first renewal was given to extend the term from seven to 14 years, there was a condition attached to it that under no circumstances should there be a further renewal? If that was the case, the Minister has indicated that in its press statement HRI says the board had mandated a previous chairman of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: Ultimately, this comes down to the issue of appropriate corporate governance. I asked the Minister a question earlier and he has not yet answered it. When the first renewal of the CEO's contract was agreed in 2011, was a direction given that there would be no further renewal?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: Okay. A key issue is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: -----whether it was made clear. We would need further detail in this regard because it is an important point. We need clarification on whether it was made clear in 2011 that there would be no further renewal. The Minister said earlier that there are numerous good questions that we must put to the board of HRI and I agree with him on that. I also have a good question for the Minister,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: The key question to be answered by the Minister, as someone who gives €60 million a year to Horse Racing Ireland, is whether he believes this was appropriate governance? Does he believe it was appropriate that the matter of the CEO's contract was mandated solely to one individual, the Chairperson, that the mandate was then simply inherited by the next chairperson and that that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: While we have the Minister here today, a key question is whether he believes how this was handled by the chairperson of Horse Racing Ireland was-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Reappointment of CEO of Horse Racing Ireland (27 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: Does the Minister believe it was acceptable governance?

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Services Infrastructure (29 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: 134. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the progress to date on the taking in charge of developments with stand-alone treatment plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27807/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (29 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: 240. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under the areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27958/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (29 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: 241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27965/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (29 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: 242. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal under the areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27966/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme Applications (29 Sep 2016)

Charlie McConalogue: 243. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) under the areas of natural constraint scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27967/16]