Results 5,861-5,880 of 7,643 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Mr. Sheahan told us that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I want to pursue this issue if I may. Mr. Sheahan told us we had a Rolls Royce system which he extolled at length and he said it took 50 years to build it up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Precisely because we have a system like that, it would not take 50 years to adapt that across the equine sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Is it not an indictment of the Department that having such a Rolls Royce system for cattle that it has not been applied to horses? Is it not the case that the Department has not been pursuing an animal welfare agenda with vigour?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: If I could turn to the question of doping, one of the problems with the claims being made about the fear that drug taking is a major problem in Irish horse racing is that it is very difficult to catch. Those who do this kind of thing are very skilled at staying ahead of the investigators. We know how they had to be brought down in America and that has brought changes, including to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Could I stop Mr. Drea there? He referred to food safety and public health. Equine doping is not primarily about either of those things.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Is Mr. Drea in a position to tell me, first, that he has the expertise on site to know if the drug that has been seized by customs could be used in horse doping and, second, where that happens he does not warn off the consignee and seek permission to destroy the drug but that a controlled delivery is done in all of those situations in order to find the wrongdoers? Could he guarantee that he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Is Mr. Drea saying-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Mr. Drea said first of all that they have to be dangerous. That suggests to me that if it is being used in equine doping it is not regarded as dangerous. Is that what Mr. Drea is getting at there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Mr. Drea stated that the controlled delivery has complexities attached because one would not necessarily find the product. I am talking about a situation where drugs have been seized. Is there expertise on the spot when that happens to know that they could be used in horse doping? Serious allegations have been made affecting the reputation of the Irish horse racing sector, which is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Why was it done in only a small number of instances?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Does the Department have the pharmacological qualifications? If I understand it correctly, Mr. Drea is in a role that was previously a veterinary role. I know there was some change to the system. I also understand that a lot of people with veterinary and related experience have left the investigations division and that there is a small number of veterinary inspectors with relatively recent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Okay. What happened in the Zilpaterol case? This is a case that we have discussed at previous meetings. It relates to testing done in France and the withdrawal of certain horses from races by Ballydoyle. There was a report that there was a contaminant in material produced by Gain Equine Nutrition. We were told by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board that it was satisfied that it could...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Did the Department take samples from the end users?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I appreciate that. Could I ask one last question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Alleged Issues in the Horse Racing Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jul 2021)

Rónán Mullen: It echoes the Chairman's own. It seems to me that our guests are the ones who are going to shape policy. Will they take steps to bring forward legislation, or whatever measures are necessary, to bring about more independence in the body that is responsible for the regulation of something as sensitive as equine doping?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Sep 2021)

Rónán Mullen: We should have a debate in this House about the manner in which high profile appointments such as those of UN special envoys are made by the Government. I do not agree with the Taoiseach when he says that the result of the recent debacle should be that such appointments would be made by open competition in future. An argument can be made that, provided the process is transparent and...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Rónán Mullen: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach agus cuirim fáilte roimh ár n-aíonna inniu. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh siad taitneamh agus tairbhe as an gcomhrá seo inniu agus as an malartú tuairimí agus mar sin de. Tréaslaím leo as a gcuid oibre san Aontas Eorpach agus i bParlaimint na hEorpa ar ár son. The question I address to our...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I apologise. I did not realise when I came in that I should not pose my question at that point. However, I have posed a question about China and the trade deal.

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by Members of the European Parliament (22 Sep 2021)

Rónán Mullen: I have no doubt the MEPs will answer it. I will also ask a question about demographics. Politicians tend to take a short-term view; that is one of the weaknesses in politics. The long-term future of Europe, it is said by many and seems to be borne out by the figures, is that we face a demographic winter with a massive decline in population. Who will look after us in our old age? Who will...