Results 241-260 of 4,255 for speaker:Martin Heydon
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: We have clear rules that we signed up to from a European perspective. It is a nuanced question. It is not a black and white issue. What are peatlands? There are different types of peatlands and beyond. We have set criteria that we have to meet now. From a forestry perspective, our current forestry programme is very different. When people speak about the mistakes of the past, and what...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Newsome Drennan for raising these points. I acknowledge her comments on ACRES. As I have said already, I want to fix the problems once and for all to make sure they do not reoccur and that we learn from it for the design of future schemes. We have made progress but I will not be happy until the last case is resolved. I will continue to work full square to do this. With...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: We are talking to all like-minded countries.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: No, it is not. The process started last December when we informed the Commission that we were seeking to apply for a derogation because our nitrates derogation, as it stands, ends at the end of this year. There are four key meetings this year. The first took place in March, which was to be addressed by the EPA. It put forward the case about the progress and the impact being made by our...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: The next meeting is in June, and that is where we-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: Some countries are more vehement in their opposition than others. Some are still considering it. I have spoken to agriculture ministers who are vehemently opposed, but there is not a unanimous view across every government. I have spoken to some ministers for agriculture whose finance ministers might have a different role. In general, there are countries that have significant concerns....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: I cannot speak for them all. I have spoken to them all and outlined our position. I understand their position. Nobody has told me they are not supporting us, but, obviously, countries will be coy about these things. I have no sense that anyone will openly block us.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: Apologies, I left my crystal ball at home, so I do not have an answer to that. We would all love to know those answers. We will know in the middle of July. These elements will be announced around 16 July. We are doing everything in our power. I cannot be clearer that I want to maintain the single fund and pillar 1 and 2. We want a fully funded CAP. Will we get that? I have clearly...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: We could end up with so many different scenarios. If what was leaked about a single fund was to come about, that would be very different. I have made the point that it would be bad and would be a re-nationalisation of our system. It would undermine the Single Market. I will not get into predicting what might result from different outcomes, because there are so many such outcomes. All I...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: The first element of this is the MFF. What happens with the overall budget will determine what happens with the CAP.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: In the role that we play on the Council, does Ireland have a veto?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: At prime ministerial level, there is, of course, a veto. The discussion will be about the MFF and the overall budget for the-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: In the second half of 2026, I will the chair of the Council. We will be working on a basis of consensus. I am meeting every other minister bilaterally to understand their priorities and in order that they understand our priorities. Hopefully, before the end of 2026, under the Irish Presidency, I will be in a position to help get the CAP over the line by means of consensus.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: We are making progress.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: I have been in office for four months-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: -----and in those four months we have made progress. We are building up a level of expertise in that. I am not minimising GAEC 2. If people in this room have a rake of constituents who come next year with fines, I will be proven wrong.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: I know, but the Deputy said I am minimising it. I cannot let the point go unchallenged because I am not. We negotiated a set of circumstances that means that farmers' day-to-day activity can continue. I am happy to take on board the Deputy's point of view on the video and clearer communications. Mike Moloney, a senior official in my Department, has attended a series of public meetings.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: The reason the information is important is that there is plenty of misinformation out there, and plenty of people are saying that. As regards ACRES, I absolutely accept we do not want to be where we are. I said the vast majority-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)
Martin Heydon: What I can say is that when people contact me and my officials, they get a response in a timely manner. I get back to people as best I can.