Results 10,601-10,620 of 10,980 for speaker:Timmy Dooley

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. As we are coming towards the end of the session, many of the questions have been asked. I will focus on something a little bit more political and operational rather than scientific. There is no disputing the science, quite frankly. From a political perspective, we must try to find the solutions that allow us, insofar as we can, to manage...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Perhaps that is the frame for my question. To what extent do the EPA representatives see entities other than farming contributing to the problem and how would they quantify that as a percentage? I note that is difficult to do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Absolutely not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: We might come back to that when Dr. Cotter is finished.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Sadly, it never gets the same traction or publicity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: On land use and drainage issues, as parliamentarians we often get requests to drain certain pieces of land to benefit certain areas, alleviate flooding and so on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: This would be on the biodiversity side.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Can we talk a little bit about forestry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: How do we map that against the stated ambition of the State to carry out intensive afforestation over the coming years in accordance with our commitments around decarbonisation? Does the EPA see it as over-ambitious or impossible? Can we do both? Can we maintain and protect the quality of our water and our plans there, and at the same time utilise afforestation to decarbonise?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Does Dr. Deakin think, then, that there will be restrictions on where afforestation can take place? If there is a farm with land that is of lesser quality, should we be pushing towards assisting farmers in planting such lands? Should we be mapping the land in terms of the usage to suggest that afforestation in a particular place will have too much negative impact on the river basin in that area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: I welcome the presentations from both sides. I have been on this committee for some time. I have seen Departments slowly come from a position of doing what they were doing to now recognising the importance of climate change. It is clear from the presentations today that there is a much greater level of engagement and work being done, which has to be welcomed. The EPA has come before the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: Can I just hold Mr. Callanan on that? What is his thinking on that, where forestry was planted on peat soils? The requirement now is that if you fell that timber, under the grant system you must replant again with no grant. Does Mr. Callanan have any broader thinking about moving the farmers or landholders in that area towards a more sustainable forest and providing financial supports for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: That is very sensible. I thank Mr. Dunne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: What is the delay in the timeline then? I am hearing from big contractors who say they have capacity and they could do it if the work was there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: We are going to have to look at that. That used to be the case. I have been 20 years in public life. We used to have a system for schools that had so many stages, it took seven or eight years to build a school. We can now turn them around a lot quicker. We have taken out some of the bureaucratic stages that were really only there because we did not have the money, and you just kept a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: I apologise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: What about the smaller schemes outside Uisce Éireann?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: I welcome the delegation and thank them for the presentation. As always it is thoughtful and helpful. The NPWS has a difficult job but it is a really important one at the moment. As I see it, part of the service's work is encouraging people along the way and that must be recognised. I will take a couple of examples in County Clare, which is obviously the area I know best in that regard....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: It is very clear from my engagement with farmers that they will not continue to be as careful about how they do their business because there is no incentive. They can achieve their new level of payments, which are less than they were getting before, by doing less conservation work. They are trying to survive and this is not helpful. Dr. Bleasdale might also please reflect on the hen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Timmy Dooley: It was hugely successful, particularly in the Slieve Aughty Mountains.