Results 1,761-1,780 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: I am interested in whether the Department has looked into how many jobs may have been lost as a result of the 52% drop in the area sown with hemp. Has the Department examined why or engaged with the farmers in question about the reasons for this drop in the number of hectares sowed with hemp?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: There was a 52% drop in the sector. I imagine in any sector, such as dairy or anywhere else, if there was a 52% drop, the Department would surely ask questions or try to find why there was such a drop in the sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: Does the Department have any figure on how much hemp or products derived from hemp are imported to the country? Could we get an idea of what products derived from hemp are brought to the country? What are those products used for? Perhaps then we could start cutting down on imports and the carbon footprint that goes with that. Do the witnesses have any figures on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: I have some questions for Teagasc. Why has there been a lack of demand for hemp following the three research projects Teagasc mentioned? Is it purely a lack of need or were there other difficulties, such as legislation or the public perception?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: I suppose it is the market. Is that why Teagasc believes there was a lack of demand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: Mr. Caslin has more or less answered my final question, which relates to the research on MDF. It has been claimed that hemp has great potential for retrofitting, construction and installation. Has Teagasc data to back that up?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: I have a final question. It is for the Department. To go back to the 2018 consultation, it was said there is a lack of evidence to prove a meaningful income could be provided all along the supply chain. Can Mr. Moloney expand on the evidence sought and the research the Department carried out to ascertain that? How high did it set the bar?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: On the last point, have we even got a figure on how many hemp blocks have been imported?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: This brings me back to what I asked earlier. While responsibility is left under the Department of Health, we will never be able to build up the industry. There is so much uncertainty. Farmers will not have the confidence to invest to increase the crop yield enough to make blocks or insulation. Therefore, we will have to continue importing the material.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: Yes, but the farmers are just not producing enough to make it viable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hemp Industry: Discussion (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: To build the industry, should responsibility remain with the Department of Health or would it grow quicker and better, and be viable, if it were transferred to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine? Can the witnesses give an opinion on that?

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (26 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 157. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the benefits that more focused strategic planning to ensure a minimum level of rail services and standards for rural and regional railways would have for rural Ireland and for regional connectivity; his further views on extending public service obligation services to foster greater development in and use of these rail...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Car Test (26 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 344. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to address the current backlog in NCT tests given that wait times are currently up to four months in some test centres; and his plans to take action to address the backlog. [19264/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (26 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 1096. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that a person (details supplied) had their tender proposal to Tusla rejected despite their successful provision of services since 2020. [19265/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 156. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of the staffing allocation for the room at the emergency department at Tipperary University Hospital that is specifically for patients presenting with mental health issues; the grades of staff attending; the hours that staff are in attendance; the number of hours per week the room is staffed; if the room is fully resourced and staffed to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Policies (27 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 158. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 352 of 24 February 2022, the status of the feasibility study into remunerating service user family member carers. [21415/22]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vacant Properties (28 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 17. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is committed to introducing a vacant property tax following the collection of data on vacancy levels under objective 19.12 of Housing for All; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21438/22]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (28 Apr 2022)

Martin Browne: 59. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason that the eligibility criteria for access to the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme were inequitable and needed to be changed; the further reason that he and his Department failed to respond to those concerns despite warnings from members of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal and when those warnings were first raised with...