Results 2,041-2,060 of 5,550 for speaker:Martin Ferris

Topical Issue Debate: Site Acquisitions (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I beg to differ with him because post-primary schools in Tralee are at bursting point. People are queuing up well in advance to get their child enrolled in Mercy Secondary School in Mounthawk. I mentioned the four feeder schools for Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. There are also 15 other primary schools who are prepared to send students...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I thank the IFA delegation for its presentation today and concur with much of what was said. Mr. Tom Fadian put it very well when he spoke about the west of Ireland, the interdependency of coastal communities and so forth. I refer to the huge damage that has been done to the west in particular with the economic decline and so forth. Many young people who potentially are good farmers have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: It is 3,414 feet high.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: Does the witness have figures for the number of stakeholdings for which there is no longer a living person who has a claim to the stakeholding? Currently there is a large number of dormant stakeholders. Some families have died out or moved to another country and there is no actual connection with the stakeholding. Are there any figures for those?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I thank Mr. Wall and Mr. Guerin for the presentation, which was well laid out, particularly the legal position on commonages and so forth. That is helpful for all of us who make decisions. Everything on a commonage is dependent on a commonsense approach because, as Deputy Ó Cuív said, one person can cause havoc as a shareholder on a commonage. The west is probably the area most...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: It cannot be purchased.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) with UFA and IFA (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: It is questionable to tell farmers they must have four different breeds of sheep or cattle on the mountain. It takes between five and ten years for a new breed to integrate and become accustomed to the area. Sheep know their area and they go back there all the time. They develop an immunity to diseases that may prevail there. I thank the UFA for the presentation, which was informative and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of money that has been received from companies holding a licencing option in the past three years; if he will provide a breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9978/13]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Prospecting Licences (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if companies (details supplied) hold a petroleum prospecting licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9977/13]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Payments (26 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown of the numbler of farmers receiving €50,000 in single farm payment in County Clare; the number receiving below €5,000 per year. [9962/13]

Other Questions: Exports Growth (21 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the efforts that have been made by the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland to create jobs deriving from exports to the USA. [9067/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pre-Council EU Developments: Discussion with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (21 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I thank Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll for his presentation. The renegotiation or review of CAP is long overdue. I do not think it has been distributed equitably enough to keep the maximum number of people engaged in agriculture or on the land. Given that the conversation and negotiation are ongoing there is an opportunity to deal with the small and medium-sized family farm which is gradually being...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retail Sector (21 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the inititives that will be undertaken to stem the collapse within the retail trade here. [9068/13]

Finance Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: The Finance Bill as it deals with farm-related revenue issues has some positive aspects. Capital gains tax relief will assist in farm restructuring. The extension of the 50% stock relief has also been welcomed. On the other side, however, the increase in capital taxes and the 10% reduction in capital acquisitions tax threshold as applied to farms will have a negative impact. Most capital...

Finance Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: Is the tide going in or out?

Other Questions: Northern Ireland Issues (20 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has raised with the British authorities the continued detention-internment without trial of two Irish citizens (details supplied) in prison; and if he has demanded their immediate release. [8955/13]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Food Safety Authority Investigations (20 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the arrangements that have been agreed as a result of his meeting with the British Secretary of State for the North, in regards to the on-going horse meat scandal. [8857/13]

Mortgage Restructuring: Motion [Private Members] (19 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I would say that on a weekly basis every Deputy meets persons coming into their constituency offices who are seeking social housing, be they low-income families who are renting private accommodation and are being helped out by community welfare officers to put food on the table, single parents living on the lone parent allowance and receiving rent allowance in order to have accommodation, or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Use of Commonage Lands: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Like everybody else here, I believe that collectively we have to resolve the current problem of undergrazing and overgrazing of the commonages. The outcome of all our deliberations and conversation has to be about bringing forward a proper management plan. That is central to the desired results. A number of the areas identified are evident to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Homeless Persons Supports (19 Feb 2013)

Martin Ferris: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to ensure that the Big Issue street leagues receive adequate funding to ensure their survival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8609/13]