Results 2,481-2,500 of 5,027 for speaker:Victor Boyhan

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authorities (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is clear there is no intention of introducing municipal bonds. I have read extensively in a number of papers in the last few days. There is a lot of information on best practice in other jurisdictions. It is something we should look at. We have to be ambitious. We have ambitious public representatives in local authorities. We have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I carry on the theme referred to by Senator Dooley, with many hundreds of thousands of people that might be expected to come from Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Poland. I hope we will issue them with a major céad míle fáilte and welcome. I put this against a background of our celebrations for St. Patrick's Day. I extend my good wishes to the Taoiseach, who I know is stuck in...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for reminding me.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I would like to say a few words in respect of the compensation aspect encompassed in section 7.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister of State. He is new to dealing with the Bill in this Chamber but not to the background of this legislation. I also welcome the three farmers who have taken time off from their farms to come here from Kerry, Laois and Donegal. I am conscious everybody is busy and people have many things going on, but the kernel of this matter is the issue of adequate compensation....

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I thank the Minister of State. He did not go quite far enough but I appreciate he is working with other Ministers and I respect that. Other Members have made some points. Before I make my own, I am conscious this is not a judicial appointments Bill. We could go on talking about this for the coming months, as we have done in the past. I do not think anyone wants to do that. We have...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister of State clarified something that did come as a surprise to me. I certainly did not know it. He confirmed to the House that draft regulations were prepared and said his understanding is farmers were supplied with them. Will he confirm that? Would it be possible for Senators to see those regulations between now and the next consideration of this Bill?

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I understand that

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: Going back to the earlier question about the draft regulations, these are clearly draft regulations and, therefore, not the regulations proper, which cannot come in before the legislation. I understand that process. The Minister of State has confirmed to the House the position on the draft regulations. Of course, they will always evolve and move. I accept that. The Minister of State has...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I am sorry to keep coming back to this issue. I understand where the Minister of State is coming from. I know he is not coming new to this, but this is his first time debating this legislation in Seanad Éireann. I fully understand and respect that. We talked earlier about trust and communication. I am a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas. We are Senators. I have made a very...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: The Minister of State has set out his position, and I respect that. He has a job to do, as do I. I will take away one thing. I am not asking the Minister of State to reply to me. I have listened to what he has said and he has clearly set out his case. My takeaway from that is the Minister of State will take this request to the officials and Minister tomorrow, and that is fair enough....

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I move amendment No. 30: In page 17, to delete line 28. My amendment relates to the Taxus baccata or common yew tree. The tree is included in the appendices to the Bill. My only concern is to learn the rationale behind that. We know that the leaves of the Taxus baccata or common yew are poisonous. The official briefing produced by Teagasc states: "The leaves are poisonous to most...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I gather from what the Minister of State has said that inclusion will not be mandatory so can I take it that he does not accept my amendment?

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I do not agree, but I am not going to fight or argue about it. I do not think it makes sense. It is going against all the professional advice. The Minister of State has read us the record and now acknowledges that it is toxic to animals and to children, and we should not be encouraging it. All I am suggesting is that it be excluded from the list. I am not against it. I have a yew hedge...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: Yes.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: Grand.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I support this proposal. Crataegus is commonly known as the May bush and there are several varieties and subspecies. This addition makes sense. From one perspective, we are talking about not being prescriptive and about rich biodiversity. We do not want to be drilling down and over-micromanaging the whole process, but it makes abundant sense to include these two species and I am somewhat...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I do not know where the Minister of State is getting his advice. I have a crataegus in my garden that is 40 ft high. That is a tree and not a shrub. They are all over the place. The Minister of State will know them from all over his part of the country. These hawthorns are our trees. They are listed in The Hillier Manual of Trees and Shrubs. These are not shrubs. I do not know what...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: My point concerns the percentage referred to for Scots pine. I am not going to rehash the amendment, but I would be interested in the Minister of State putting on the record his view, or that of the departmental officials, in respect of that percentage not being reduced. I had suggested we reduce it. This is just a commentary now, but I made that suggestion because of what we know about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing: Discussion (22 Mar 2022)

Victor Boyhan: I welcome Mr. O’Leary, Mr. Jordan and their teams. I do not say this lightly but we are very fortunate to have them. Their expertise and focus are clear. I thank them for submitting their opening statements, which were most helpful. I acknowledge their technical and other expertise. They do not set the policy and perhaps that is just as well. There is a differentiation to be made...