Results 1,661-1,680 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: When families present as homeless and are going between the houses of relatives, does the Department set a time limit within which the housing needs of the family must be resolved?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I thank all the groups for coming in. We greatly appreciate the work and heavy lifting that they are doing. I am very familiar with the work of Mr. Moynihan and ALONE. Over the last two years, a significant worry has been the emergence of older people coming into emergency accommodation and homelessness. In many instances, it is due to a breakdown in relationships. Given the perspective...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: It would probably be fair to say that we very much need rightsizing. Many older people have come to me who live in large three or four-bedroom houses that are way too large for them, but unfortunately they are houses they have built, financed themselves and paid off their mortgages on. If they go to the local authority, they are not deemed eligible for social housing supports because they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Homelessness: Discussion (5 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I thank Ms Loughran.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I thank all of the speakers for coming to the committee. There is big attendance this evening. I counted 11 so we can play soccer if we get bored. Hopefully we will not because this is one of the big burning issues for this committee. It is hugely important and it will probably come as no surprise to know that this committee is absolutely wedded to the retention of the organic nitrogen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I would probably disagree with the point about education. Farmers know what the issue is and they are trying very hard to address the issue. I appreciate the work that went into getting this EIP and the €50 million. It is the biggest ever but Mr. Towey gave the figures: farming is the most significant pressure on water. It is affecting 1,000 water bodies. We have a €50...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: In fairness I agree with everything Dr. Byrne said, and specifically that we need an evidence-based approach, but we have 2,000 farms that are probably the worst affected in viability by the nitrates derogation. On the other side one could say they are probably the offenders in this. While we have a €50 million pot I cannot see why we do not directly aid those farmers to get to where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Who has overall responsibility for it, however? It would be a concern if something this significant and important for agriculture falls between two Departments. If this committee wants answers, does that mean we have to bring in the Ministers for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Agriculture, Food and the Marine to find out why the scheme is not working? Who ultimately is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: That is very good. With regard then to staffing, the CCMA identified that 57 additional staff were required for local authority inspections. Funding was provided for these over last year and this year. Are those 57 roles filled now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: How many of those 57 roles are filled?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I can appreciate how difficult it is and everybody will tell us how hard it is to get staff. However, it has to be a worry for us given the step up the number of inspections. I believe we are going to 3,500 this year. Realistically, we are not going to do 3,500 inspections this year if we are at 50% of the staff we plan to recruit. What is a more realistic number of inspections for this year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: That is very good. Are the five additional staff for the EPA and four for LAWPRO in situ now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: When did LAWPRO start that process of recruitment of four staff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: It is worse than the HSE.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I appreciate it is challenging. Equally, however, it is very challenging for the farming community. If we were to take at face value what we are saying in terms of the staffing, this EIP farming for water initiative is not going to work because we are not going to have the bodies there to implement it, go out and assess farms and then police the process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I appreciate the catchment referral approach. If we go back to 2022, LAWPRO prepared those catchment referrals in conjunction with the EPA and ASSAP. I believe that was for just over north of 700,000 ha. What has happened those specifically since? Mr. Coleman might elaborate on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: I am sorry, I am just conscious of my time. We did that in 2022 and LAWPRO is obviously tracking that. Have we seen progress over that 700,000 ha?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Returning to the catchment referral from 2022, is there not an onus on us to follow up on that? It is a significant body of work. It is out there in the abyss. Surely we should have been tracking that and know the progress on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: Lovely. I thank Mr. Coleman.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Facilities (20 Mar 2024)

Joe Flaherty: 422. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of plans for a new classroom and wheelchair accessible WC at a school (details supplied). [11977/24]