Results 6,721-6,740 of 10,878 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle might give me guidance on whether we should use the metric of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on what it says about the Government’s confidence in the Minister and his policies with the fact that neither the Taoiseach nor the Tánaiste could remain in this Chamber.

Confidence in Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Motion (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: For all of the bluff and bluster from Government Deputies, they cannot hide from the plain fact that its housing policies and its Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage are failing. Far from resolving the housing emergency, the Minister denies that there is an emergency at all. The emergency was not of the Minister's making, although his party played a starring role, but he...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: The 50th anniversary of the bombings at Belturbet in County Cavan, Clones in County Monaghan and Pettigo in County Donegal will be marked on 28 December. The three bombs exploded within 49 minutes of each other. It is widely believed that the UVF in conjunction with British state agents were responsible for the attack. Nobody has ever been held to account. For many years, the response...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Investigations (14 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: I thank the Minister of State for the update on the investigation. I ask him to give an assurance that he will endeavour to consistently update the families of the two victims he mentioned, Geraldine O'Reilly and Patrick Stanley, and the family of Paddy McCabe regarding any progress in that investigation. Will he also ensure that Justice for the Forgotten continues to be recognised for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: To take up that point, is it correct that the 100,000 ha is the commercial joint venture with Gresham House?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Can answers be kept a bit shorter please? I ask the witnesses to answer as clearly as they can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: On the 100,000 ha that are being purchased through this joint venture, what is the timeframe for that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: How many hectares are we talking about in the commercial joint venture?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Okay, 50,000 ha is the answer. This is what I mean about being brief because the Chairman will cut me short and that is why I want to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: I will try. The 50,000 ha is a joint venture with Gresham House. What are they, the partners to Coillte, bringing to the table?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: They are going to be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Are they bringing the funds?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: What is Coillte bringing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Who will own the land?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: It will be Coillte's partners who own the land?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: So, Coillte which is a State-owned company, will enter into a partnership with a fund, will provide all of the expertise and the experience of a State-owned company as developed over the past number of decades and will do this to draw down grants from the Government to, at the end of the day, have 5,000 ha of Irish land in essentially private, non-domestic ownership.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: I am coming to that in a minute but let me state the difficulty I have about the commercial activity. We have spoken before and the witnesses will be aware I am passionate about Ireland reaching its afforestation targets. As I have said a million times, it needs to be good for communities, good for the economy and good for the environment. In every single debate we have had, I have pointed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: Coillte has mentioned it is not trying to supplant private contractors or smaller domestic foresters. I remember when this State had a good housing policy, when I was on the council first and when local authorities bought up houses quite regularly. One policy my local council had, for example, was if it was planning to bid on a house but found out that a local first-time buyer was also...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Matt Carthy: I have asked a specific question. When the fund or joint venture is operational and is looking at land, if it transpires that another forester is planning and has an eye to the same land and with a view to what already has been said about the fears of land price acceleration, will Coillte ensure the joint venture is instructed to step back in such instances?