Results 541-554 of 554 for speaker:Paul Lawless
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: The point I am making is that it started in Asia, it was widespread all over Europe in the 1990s and was first found in Ireland in 2012, very close to a Coillte forest. We are bringing in millions of whitethorn trees as part of ACRES and hedgerows, which is obviously a good thing, but I am very concerned about the importation of this. Have we learned anything? My understanding is that the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: No. I am referring to imports. I want to be very clear. I understand that this was long before the Minister of State's time. My point is about imports.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: I know that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: My concern is about imports-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: Is the Minister of State concerned about the level of imports in, for example, whitethorn? Is there a danger of repeating ash dieback in the future? That is my question.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: May I go on to the next question? Who owns the carbon credits that are planted on the land under the current schemes?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: So the landowner, the farmer, owns the credits today and will own them into the future under the current scheme.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: Since Storm Éowyn, has there been any change to the distances with regard to trees and the ESB corridors? Will the Minister of State consider any changes to that? In the west, in particular, it caused havoc.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: I appreciate that. I urge the Minister of State to try to get that over the line as quickly as possible because we need to be more prepared for the next storm. I want to raise concerns I have that go back to the Gresham House deal. I understand there is an Irish strategic forestry fund that is supported by Coillte. This country has been asset-stripped for hundreds of years. In fact,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Ash Dieback and Other Forestry Issues: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: I also agree on forestry. I believe we need to ensure that, where possible, companies and investment funds are not competing against farmers. That is currently the case, and the Minister of State needs to revise the incentives on commercial taxation of the land and the product at the end of it. He mentioned the forestry appeals committee. A forestry was recently approved in Ballycastle,...
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (17 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: 133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to ensure that children have access to summer provision and adequate supports during the summer months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32483/25]
- Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Licences (15 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: 313. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will seek an increase in licensed taxi driver and vehicle supply by at least 30% from 2023 levels by 2027, to support the urban, rural and night-time economies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39349/25]
- Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (15 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: 314. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will allow part-time drivers to enter the market by removing the current requirement for all newly registered taxi vehicles to be wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs); if he will significantly increase the WAV SPSV grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39350/25]
- Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (15 Jul 2025)
Paul Lawless: 315. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will reform the specific geography-based knowledge in the SPSV driver entry test due to the advancement and ubiquitous nature of satellite navigation technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39351/25]