Results 2,461-2,480 of 2,691 for speaker:Tim Lombard

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: While I, too, would like to comment on the budget I will wait until the appropriate time to do so. I rise today to highlight the ongoing debate in Cork regarding the county and the city, in respect of which several reports have been produced over the last five to six years, three of which have come to naught and three of which have been debated in the last 18 months in particular. We need...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: No, the Commencement matter relates to local election boundaries. The local authorities need to ensure governance structures are put in place to allow Cork to move forward as appropriate. Thus far, all we have had is debate and internal arguments. In terms of the structure of Cork local government, we all accept there is need for change and that that change must be put in place sooner...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Retransmission Fees: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: I thank TV3 for its presentation. I am sorry I missed a part of it. I had to step out for a moment. I ask of TV3's commitment to the so-called "regions". There is a view that it is a Dublin-based organisation and has Dublin-based content. That would be fair enough to a degree when one sees the studios and everything else that is based in Dublin. In coverage of the regions, in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): Vaccination Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. This is the first time he has graced the new Seanad Chamber with his presence. I tabled this matter to discuss the need for the Minister to initiate a campaign to outline the safety of the HPV vaccine in light of very negative publicity. The HPV vaccination is a very important tool in the context of public health. It is a very important...

Seanad: Commencement Matters (Resumed): Vaccination Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: I compliment the Minister on his response and on the campaigns he is running on this very important issue. It is great to get clarity on the follow-up campaign which is very important in that people will hopefully see the benefits and come back into the system. Hopefully, lives will, literally, be saved.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: I join other Senators in condemning what happened in Las Vegas in the past 48 hours. It was a ferocious atrocity which was frightening to watch.I am slightly disturbed by the lack of reaction from the US Government regarding this incident. It has not issued a major statement saying it intends to change its gun laws. Senator Lawless knows much more about the issues in the US than I do. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2017)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his liberty. He is very kind to me. We saw further issues with Irish Water during the summer. People in a large part of County Louth did not have water for several days. Similar issues have arisen in County Cork in recent weeks as a result of continual breaks in service. Twice in three weeks, big primary schools in the county had to close at 11 a.m....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Solar Energy Guidelines (28 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: I raised this matter on 15 November 2016. The need for solar farms to have planning guidelines is an important issue in so many locations throughout Ireland and it affects most local authorities. It is becoming very important because we have had 225 planning applications for solar farms throughout Ireland in the past 24 months. This issue needs to be dealt with and is one of the core...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Solar Energy Guidelines (28 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: I am very much enlightened but very disappointed at the same time. It is an issue that if the planning guidelines are put in place, the horse will have bolted at that stage. That is realistically what we are facing. The real guidelines will apply when the actual tariffs are set by the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, as they will determine what will be built. Developments will be built...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: A very important issue for Cork currently is that of local government structures. An ongoing debate has been taking place in Cork city and county in recent years if not decades regarding whether there will be an extension to the boundary. The issue has rumbled on over the past four or five years and there have been three or four reports expressing different views. There have been many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: The industry is at a crossroads, as the Vice Chairman said. The biggest issue at the moment is the lack of confidence. There have been five years of depressed prices. Large numbers of acres have been taken out of the industry to be used for other purposes. The drive has been towards the dairy market. Even this year has seen changes in my part of the world regarding tillage farmers moving...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector and the Nitrates Action Plan: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the statement by the president of the IFA. It is a very powerful one which outlines where this industry is at the moment. We are at a crossroads. That has been mentioned previously in the context of contributions we heard earlier today. The biggest issue I can see at the moment is a lack of confidence. We have had four or five years of exceptionally bad prices and as milk and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector and the Nitrates Action Plan: Discussion (26 Sep 2017)

Tim Lombard: This is a very important issue. The nitrates derogation is probably one of the cornerstones of our industry and how it develops. When we started in 2007, we had about 4,000 derogations and we are now up to nearly 7,000, 2,500 of which are in my county of Cork. It is a major issue for the industry. It is very important that we get a positive result on this in the coming months. I wish...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I am sure the Senator can do so.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I join other Senators in congratulating the Cathaoirleach, Leader and the officials on what was a successful term in the House. I would like to raise the issue of farm deaths. We need to have a major debate on farm safety. Last year, 21 unfortunate people died on farms. Nine of them was aged over 65 and the highest number of deaths was recorded in my own county, Cork, where eight farmers...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I wish to raise the issue of the water supply and what we intend to do about it. Outside, it is a soft morning in Dublin but, statistically, we have had 33% less rainfall in the first six months of this year. People might think that this is good for tourism and so forth, but unfortunately the major knock-on effect is that communities in my part of the country and elsewhere are facing a...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Insurance Costs (18 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the Minister to the House. It is great to see a former Senator returning to the House in such a distinguished role. I congratulate him on his great achievement. The issue I am raising today is the cost of insurance for businesses and farmers in Ireland. It is a very important matter. The cost of doing business in Ireland has dramatically increased over the past few years and...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Insurance Costs (18 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Minister of State for his report on this very important matter. The working group is an important initiative and I compliment him on his involvement and ensuring the working group is up and running. He mentioned that it will produce a report. When does he envisage the report will come before the committee and does he propose to bring a copy of the report to this House at some...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I express my frustration at the lack of progress with the Heritage Bill. We debated the Bill for numerous months in the House and it has reached Committee Stage in the Dáil. The legislation has flaws and issues. I am sure the people who promoted the Bill, of which I am one, are annoyed that we have reached the end of this term. One of the key principles behind this legislation was an...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2017: Second Stage (18 Jul 2017)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber, a place with which he has been very familiar in recent years. This is an important day. We are trying to put legislation in place that will be very important for the Rebuilding Ireland initiative and society. What we hope to do is ensure that we can maximise the potential in every site the throughout Ireland. We are all aware of sites that...