Results 1,961-1,980 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ash Dieback and its Impact on the Private Forestry Sector: Discussion (22 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: We understand some of the frustration with which Mr. White is dealing. It has come up and been raised repeatedly. The witnesses have also called for improvement in phytosanitary security by the forestry service if we are to prevent any other diseases coming in. What kind of feedback is Mr. White getting on that to ensure that we do not finish up with something else being brought in by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ash Dieback and its Impact on the Private Forestry Sector: Discussion (22 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Does Mr. White have confidence that this will take place going forward, whereby the safeguards will be there to protect us from the likes of that? The ash is destroyed at this stage for no other simple reason than people were not listening or people were not doing their job. Can the public feel safe that those kinds of measures will prevent anything else like that from happening again?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ash Dieback and its Impact on the Private Forestry Sector: Discussion (22 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Finally, from talking to other people in the forestry business, we hear that the forestry service never actually provides an update regarding the status of any application. Some people told us that they have been battling with a slow response from the forest service through one application or another for the last four years. They say that the forestry service never provides them with an...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Representatives from Wicklow County Council are before us today. Before we begin, I will explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses regarding references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. The evidence of witnesses physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected pursuant to both the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: How does the council raise awareness among community groups? Does it use the media?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: I am finished for the moment. I will ask more questions later. I call Deputy Devlin.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: The witnesses stated that when the machines were hired, a wire brush was put on the sweeper. Most councils now have their own sweepers. Is it an easy job to put a wire brush on the sweeper on the council’s own machines in order to cut down on costs. The sweepers in my area - I imagine this is the case everywhere - are out every day of the week. If it was possible to put wire...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Returning to what Deputy Devlin asked about, the general public has become used to everything being cut in a lovely and looking nice on all sides. At home, I reckon that 50% of people will understand what is going on and the others will ask why grass and weeds are growing all over the place.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Yes, Does Ms Cahill want to come back in?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: That is what I was going to ask our witnesses about because some of the worry which people are expressing to me is around the fact that Cashel has improved in the marks it has received in the past number of years in the Tidy Towns competition. People think that areas are now being left overgrown. When it is explained to them, however, they understand. Is there a message that municipal...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Does Deputy Devlin wish to come back in?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: Coming back to the wire brush method, do the witnesses have any idea how effective that was compared to spraying for weeds? Were they gone for a few weeks or a month?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: I have seen wire brushes put on ordinary strimmers and it cleans it up well. I would not say it has the same long-lasting effect as spraying but I was wondering had------

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: What kind of cost is on the Foamstream machines?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: With the whole package, generator and all to heat water, you are probably closer to €40,000.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: The witnesses have seen what one machine can do. For a council like Wicklow, how many machines would be needed to do the whole county? One machine will not do it.

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: We are back into the expenses again. In terms of training in use of glyphosate, I was surprised to note there is the need for a course on the awareness and implications of applying it and the alternatives and safe storage of it. When we had the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in on this, we were told it was not in its remit to point out specific alternatives. There seems to...

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: It surprised us to be told by the Department it was not in its remit. They knew the problems but it was not-----

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: How is the app the council is developing going? Is there a possibility that such an app could be used by every local authority?

Committee on Public Petitions: Consideration of Public Petition on a Ban on Herbicides in Public Areas: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jun 2022)

Martin Browne: How far advanced is the council with that app?