Results 1,561-1,580 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I am only trying to establish----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: ------the steps that have been gone through to get to this point. I know that the IFA has emailed and reached out to the mills and the commercial producers here, but has it met with them to discuss the issues, and did it alert them to the fact it was coming in to discuss the issues and to make this ask today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: But they are not supportive of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: He can come back in when I have asked the question. I note that Mr. Gorman talked about a timely and rapid review, but he is long enough at what he is at and we are long enough here to know that nothing happens in a timely or rapid fashion. How would he define a timely and rapid review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: To play devil's advocate, the risk is that if we did introduce the suspension and it lumbered on for longer than the IFA and we would hope, most of the larger producers that already have a footprint in Scotland would move there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Finally, I have a research question for Ms O'Sullivan. Can she give us an example of anywhere where this has happened previously? I know the example of bluetongue in a cow in Kent was referenced earlier, but is there an example of bark beetle being found anywhere in the world, perhaps in Scandinavia or eastern Europe, where a ban in importations was effected?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Specifically, the checks would have been a major issue and they have very porous land borders there. There were no temporary bans implemented there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Can I have an answer to a "Yes" or "No" question before the witnesses depart? Following from what Mr. McDonald said about his ask, would it be agreeable to him if a review was implemented straight away with one of the conditions being that it would look at the option of a ban if needs be? The immediate thing is the establishment of the review.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I welcome the officials who have come in to speak to us. I am sure they have heard what the IFA's ask was before them. I accept that they say they feel they have sufficient safeguards in place, but given the concerns within the industry and the farming community, particularly in the context of ash dieback, would the witnesses think there is a need to respond to their request for a review of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Mr. Delany specifically addressed the point of a ban on importations. I accept the arguments he made regarding the practicalities of that, but I specifically asked whether the Department would undertake a review to look at the safeguards we have in place at present and whether they are sufficient, and to provide us with that report as quickly as possible. That will give assurance to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I know we cannot control what is done in Scotland; it is their country. In a roundabout way, is Mr. Delany saying the Department is doing a review anyway?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Who is doing that review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Is the Department bringing in an independent expert to do the review? Who is doing that review for us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I am conscious of other speakers. A review is under way. Would the Department be agreeable to an independent body or expert looking at that review, testing its robustness, and providing the Department's review plus its analysis to the committee?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: We are compliant at present. We are trying to safeguard an industry that is very fragile at the moment and where morale is extremely low. We are reeling from ash dieback. We need to do something that will restore confidence or at least encourage people to look at forestry. Is it not reasonable to request, in respect of what the Department comes back with-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I ask that the Department's review is analysed independently. Will Mr. Delany give us a specific timeline for the review? He will understand we are sceptical of timelines when it comes to forestry. This concerns people in County Clare who are directly affected, the wider industry and, more worryingly, the commercial sector, which is trying to plan and look at its operations. It is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Regardless of whether the Department agrees to independently stress test its review, when will we see that review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: In fairness, when Mr. Delany comes in, he is very open and forthcoming with information. Specifically, however, when will he come back on this important issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Threat of Bark Beetles to Plantations: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Joe Flaherty: We could have Mr. Delany back by the end of the month. We could schedule for the end of the month.