Results 161-180 of 268 for long speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Annual Report 2018: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. I know that Mr. Carlin said earlier that for legal reasons he cannot comment on this. I am not asking about the legal aspect but why it is taking so long for arbitration to go ahead with regard to partnerships where there are problems. At our last meeting here, we asked if there were legal issues with the certification of the farm partnerships....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Nature Restoration Target and General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Oct 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...with us? Mr. Dermot Kelleher talked about The Fieldand I know exactly where he is coming from because people with spades tried to reclaim this land and put in stone shores and then diggers came along and they made it better. Is there tick-tacking between farm organisations or is there any tick-tacking with other countries? We are hear that Sweden, Finland and Holland are objecting to...

Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The amendment is needed. The Bill is too detailed, takes too long and is too prescriptive and cumbersome. They look for the CC of an engine and the mileage of a car. I am not one who would agree that it needs to go through the courts. It can be solved before that. We have a problem coming down the line in the next 18 months in the form of 57,000 houses. If the banks do not make some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: North-South Interconnector: EirGrid (21 Apr 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...panel would have some expertise in the matter. Will he clarify that point? As I understand it, there is an intention to provide an interconnector between France and Ireland in due course. Looking to the long term, does it make sense to go around the country installing pylons and wind turbines when the probability is that in ten to 15 years time we will not be able to produce...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Heritage Bill 2016: Discussion (29 Nov 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...it might be a good idea for the committee to contact that Department. An inspector comes to an area which is a managed landscape. If he or she finds a certain percentage of heather that is too long or that there is vegetation somewhere, the entire grant is removed. Do the farming organisations agree that this or another committee has to sort out that scenario? People are jumping to...

Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill 2018 [Seanad]: Second and Subsequent Stages (11 Jul 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...carers are treated. Every one of us across this floor has put in applications or helped people with their applications. The process is very cumbersome. It might take three or four months, and longer if it goes to an appeal - possibly six, seven or eight months. That is a long period to wait for an outcome. I have seen cases, especially in rural parts of Ireland, where a potential...

Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (12 Feb 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...There are many people scratching their heads after a while and costing the State money. Also, indemnity insurance needs to be called in. We should not let people off the hook. I refer to those people along the chain who allowed this to happen. I believe that if someone delivers something on time, the people involved, be it the civil servants or the private sector, should be given a...

Retained Firefighters: Motion [Private Members] (15 Nov 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...guys from Nenagh and I was talking to Padraig Quinn from Tuam. They say that they basically always need to be on standby. The day has come and I see it in my own side of it. In agriculture a long time ago someone who had a new tractor or a fancy looking yoke would have a queue down the road trying to jump up on it. Today, you nearly have to put your arms around some of those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...a dysfunctional Department for a number of years that has let this deteriorate. The heart is gone out of it. If one mentions forestry now to farmers they run away because the paperwork is a mile long. At the moment if farmers want to apply for a forestry licence it is all about the environmental impact assessment appropriate assessments and screening out. It is all EU bureaucracy that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Joint Meeting with Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action
Exploring Technologies and Opportunities to Reduce Emissions in the Agriculture Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (31 Mar 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...a dysfunctional Department for a number of years that has let this deteriorate. The heart is gone out of it. If one mentions forestry now to farmers they run away because the paperwork is a mile long. At the moment if farmers want to apply for a forestry licence it is all about the environmental impact assessment appropriate assessments and screening out. It is all EU bureaucracy that...

Social Services and Support: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (15 Jul 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...Roscommon. We need full teams of nurses and carers to assist elderly people across the country. I know there is a pilot project in Galway which is working well. These projects can actually save money in the long term. Every old person wants to spend their last days at home with their families and neighbours. We need to ensure the recommendations of the national positive ageing...

Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2018: Second Stage (14 Nov 2018)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Acting Chairman. I will not hold the House too long. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I welcome the increase that will apply to pensioners and others in receipt of social welfare. There are some worries, however. As every Deputy is aware, there are people in the State who might have worked for a few years and put up a few stamps or they may not have put up...

Homelessness: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...a step in the right direction. There was a lot of focus on homelessness last week. For some people, having ten or 20 houses would not solve the underlying problem. Having experienced somebody belonging to me coming through a situation like this, I know that the underlying problems that must be addressed. There is a general acceptance in this country of a drinking culture. When one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Flooding of Lough Funshinagh: Lough Funshinagh Group (26 Oct 2022)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...said this before, if you are to go through the procedure, it is about a four-year process between all the rigmarole you have to go through. I hope this situation under discussion will be resolved long before that, barring, to be blunt about it, and we have to be honest as politicians, some of these self-interest parties that have no clue and that do not live in those areas deciding to...

Proposed Sale of AIB Shares: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2017)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...during the years. It would give the Government a dividend and reaslise a value. There is no point in putting X amount of money in and then getting back half or three quarters of it. One may have to wait for a long time, but in the end one will receive a dividend, plus more. The one thing the Government needs to do is to put the matter to a vote in the Dáil to see whether it would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Western Rail Corridor: Discussion (4 Mar 2015)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...pays back. A Government creates the environment or infrastructure in order that one can create employment, no more than what is going on in Claremorris and in other parts. One must look at the long term. Anyone in business will say one must spend a euro to make a euro. I would like to know from Iarnród Éireann whether the problem with flooding is being addressed....

Climate Action: Statements (30 Sep 2021)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...again. Turning to transport, if we had these one million electric cars that have been talked about, where would we be today when we are on the cusp of our lights going out? Moving to school buses, a long time ago when I was going to school in the 1980s, there was a school bus in every village. Now we are not able to bring the kids to school. Instead, sports utility vehicles, SUVs,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Strategy Implementation Plan: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (8 May 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...? I saw that this year they were able to change parts of the CAP because farmers started protesting in different countries. I think they should have reduced the paperwork a lot more for farmers along the line. I am being honest here. When you talk to farmers on the ground, given what went on over the last number of years in the Department, they have no faith in it. Mr. Gleeson talks...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Services (9 May 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...The Minister of State will be well aware that in all counties the parents of children or young adults with challenging behaviour, intellectual disabilities do their best right through their life as long as they can. There are daycare services where this is done, which I recognise, and there is respite but there is one instance that I have discussed with the Minister of State. People get...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Smart Community Initiative: Discussion (6 Feb 2019)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...but it takes a while to do this because of the funding streams required. In fairness, some education and training boards, ETBs, are involved but they may have to go through LEADER, which is a long process. Is there any way we can streamline the Department's rural development programme the specifically target smaller towns such as Glenamaddy, Ballygar, Strokestown and Castlerea? In that...