Results 1,461-1,480 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: In programme B, the number of applicants under the organic farm scheme was 1,570 in 2020 and the target for 2021 was 1,800 and is the same for this year. Do we know what the figure was for 2021? Is the 2030 target a realistic one and what is that based on?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I hate to come back to forestry again because we are blue in the face talking about it. The Minister says he is putting in the funding to reach the target of 8,000 ha but we will not reach it, no matter what spin the Minister puts on it. We need to be honest with the public at this stage and tell them we are not going to reach this. Does the Minister have confidence that we will reach that...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Will the Minister comment on claims made by the Minister of State, Senator Pippa Hackett, in a recent press release that the backlog of forestry licence appeals has been dealt with? That is clearly not the case. I note the Minister copied the same line in his opening statement. From what we know at the moment, the backlog alone will take until October to clear and there is nothing new...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: The Minister has answered my next question as I was going to ask him for a prediction on the afforestation licences. He is saying the figure will double over the next 12 months or so. We will hold him to that. Given the value of total seafood sales and exports have continued to drop, what is the Minister's forecast for this year and going forward?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: The exports have continued to drop. What is the Minister's forecast for the period ahead? If he does not have that information, he can come back to me.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: The dispute on the Northern Ireland protocol has escalated. The Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, Mr. Edwin Poots, has ordered that agrifood checks on the Irish sea border cease at midnight tonight. I ask the Minister to comment.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy. I also extend condolences to Senator Buttimer on the death of his father who passed away earlier today.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: 25. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason she has not engaged with a company (details supplied) on the tender for local employment services in relation to the advice secured from third-parties on procurement, the financial model, the impact on citizens and the sourcing of funding for redundancies if they arise. [60197/21]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Policies (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: 197. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the procedure in place to assist persons that have been in foster care to live independently once they turn 18 years of age; the procedures in place to assist such persons who have disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5409/22]

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (Revised) (2 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I appreciate that and thank the Minister.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I welcome everyone to this meeting which is being held over Microsoft Teams. Apologies have been received from Senator Buttimer. On my own behalf and on behalf of the committee, I send our condolences to Senator Buttimer on the death of his father yesterday. May he rest in peace. The Ceann Comhairle, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, and the Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, have...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: To the best of our knowledge, there is no court case at the moment. We are looking at policy and procedures. There is no actual court case. We can seek legal advice, if members so wish.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: Can Mr. Kehoe answer that question?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: As with any committee, anything can be said at any committee meeting and could be used at a future date. We just do not know when we talk about any of these issues. I hope people will be very careful in what they say during this discussion and ensure they do not bring either the committee or any other members into that situation.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I do not agree we are here to ride roughshod over any local authority or organisation. That has not happened since this committee was set up. I said in my opening remarks that we were giving a right of reply to everybody and that an invitation would go out to the other party that was involved. It was agreed the other people who were involved would be asked either to write to the committee...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I propose that following a closing statement from Waterways Ireland and Westmeath County Council we suspend this part of the meeting and that we take up this matter at our next private meeting. Are members happy to proceed in that way?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petitions on Unauthorised Developments: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: I propose that we suspend this section of the meeting until we get legal advice. We will revisit the issue at our next private meeting in two weeks' time. Is that agreed? Agreed. On my own behalf and on behalf of the committee, I apologise to the witnesses for what has transpired. We will seek the legal advice, following which, hopefully, the witnesses can appear before us again.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: We have three petitions for consideration today. The summary notes and recommendations in regard to the petitions were circulated and discussed in private session with a view to the decisions on them being taken in public session. I suggest that we consider petitions 42/21 and 48/21 together. Petition 42/21 is in regard to saving the services at Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, County Cork....

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: To my knowledge, the issue with regard to the Owenacurra Centre is with the health committee. I am not sure of the position with regard to the St. Brigid's service. As mentioned by Deputy Buckley, we had a discussion earlier about bringing in the HSE. As the Committee on Public Petitions, our function is to hear petitions from people in regard to issues arising in their local areas.

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (3 Feb 2022)

Martin Browne: We have the option of asking the Committee on Health to sit in with us, if members wish that. I call Deputy Higgins.