Results 20,321-20,340 of 26,924 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have already asked the Minister of State for assistance and someone in his Department has said they will forward the documents to me for my perusal, so I cannot comment in great detail about the matter. There could be things we have done wrong, like the overuse of imported species, for example, rather than using native species, that may have contributed to the spread of disease. I am not...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The provisions of this amendment are fairly self-evident. As with many of my other amendments I do not see any reason the Minister of State would not accept it. It is an obvious, innocent and innocuous yet very important amendment. It would include "the harmful effects of pollution including airborne pollution" in the list of things against which we must protect forests. Airborne...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not accept that explanation. Other bodies may consider environmental pollution, which is fair enough, but this Bill specifically relates to forests and bringing to the fore issues relating to forestry. Perhaps people assessing levels of environmental pollution may consider general problems but they may not be really focused on how to make an impact on forestry. People with more...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will agree to disagree with the Minister of State on this matter. The Rio declaration may not be binding legally, but we signed up to it. I see no reason not to commit to its wording in a Bill that is supposedly setting out to develop forestry on a sustainable basis. Nothing the Minister of State has mentioned tells me why the proposed wording, which was taken from the Rio forest...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will not prolong this debate unnecessarily, but our national standards are not great and major questions surround them, to put it mildly. People from all perspectives who are observing the forestry sector would agree that this Bill should facilitate an improvement, given that we have not done as well as we should have in many respects. This is not to say that there has not been a...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Given that reference has been made to the United Nations and the need to be in line with its priorities, I am sure the Minister of State will accept the amendment because that is what we are trying to do. The Rio de Janeiro summit in 1992 was a turning point in environmental politics by asserting the vital importance of the environment in general. The forest principles were the most...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I want to table it again on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It can be pressed and then withdrawn. Is that the procedure?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will press it.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Are amendments Nos. 1 and 19 grouped?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The purpose of these amendments is to insert prioritisation of the protection of ancient woodlands into the Bill. Section 2 pertains to definitions, and obviously it is necessary to define "ancient woodlands". Later on, amendment No. 19 relates to a section containing a list of responsibilities for the Minister regarding what he or she should prioritise. It proposes that the issue of...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister of State and I must agree to disagree. He may have a point about the date and whether it is a little too prescriptive. I take his point that there are woodlands dating from after the 1650 period that could be included. While I would be open to considering that suggestion, I will return with this amendment on Report Stage. This is a forestry Bill, and the fact that some issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he does not feel it appropriate to talk to the parents and board of management of a school (details supplied) in view of the uncertainty surrounding location for the school which is due to open in September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9148/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the likely impact on the imposition of fees for apprentices in view of the Government's stated aim of prioritising training and education in order to reduce unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9149/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for new secondary education in Maynooth, County Kildare including patronage, denomination and the way it will link with other secondary education in the area. [9196/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for primary education in Ballyfermot and the possible transfer of patronage from the De La Salle Brothers to Educate Together. [9197/14]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 347. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Deparment has conducted any impact assessment on the outsourcing of management of heritage sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4016/14]

Topical Issue Debate: Corporation Tax Regime (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The one aspect on which I agree with the Minister is that assessing corporation tax rates is a more of an art than a science. There is plenty of artisty when it comes to covering up the reality of what firms are or are not paying in tax. I agree with the Minister that there are two separate issues involved. The first relates to the global profits of the multinational companies that are...

Topical Issue Debate: Corporation Tax Regime (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for debate. I also appreciate that the Minister has come into the Chamber to participate. Between the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, and the Garda whistleblowers, this week may well go down in history as one in which attempts to cover up scandals were exposed. I certainly believe that what has been going on...