Results 261-280 of 595 for speaker:William Aird

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Farm Safety: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I welcome all our guests today and especially welcome Ms Rohan. I know Brian would have loved to be here today as well. You are from Laois the same as I am. I remember well getting a phone call about Brian's father Liam. I was young at the time. I clearly remember saying it could not be him because he was so safe. He was so tidy on his farm. He was just one of that type of people and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Farmer Mental Health and Well-being: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I welcome John, David, Alice, Teresa and Claire. I do not have a question for the IFA from the point of view of what it does because it does great work and if it was not for the IFA we would be in a lot poorer place than we are in at the moment. The IFA has monthly meetings and engages with farmers to try to encourage them to go in and we did the same in Macra. I started off in Macra and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank the witnesses for coming in. There are 20,000 farmers in Ireland with less than 10 ha. Those 20,000 farmers are in those schemes. If those 20,000 farmers were offered something else, the money would have to come out of it. We will leave that as it is. Ms McPhillips can answer that question in a moment. I would like to ask Mr. McGann a question. He is out there on the front...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I will just say that it is agreed with caution. That is all I will say.

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Engagement on Matters Relating to Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I have a question about the housing situation. I was a member of a local authority for many years. It introduced a scheme whereby if a person was renting a house and it was put up for sale, the council would buy it and leave him or her in the house. I thought it was an excellent scheme. I agree with the witnesses; it is a pity that it has not been continued. The fact was that they felt...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Engagement on Matters Relating to Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (9 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank everybody for coming here today. I have used this analogy all of my political life. Sinead is not alone. There are thousands of Sineads and Johns out there providing full-time care. I always say it is like pushing water up a hill. I still have to use that analogy, which I have been using for nearly 40 years now. I hope I am still a public representative on the day I am able to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (8 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the third level fee supports that are available for graduate medicine students; if he will outline future plans for this if none are currently in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37571/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Primary Medical Certificates (8 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 329. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will increase the tax reliefs allowable with the primary medical certificate in line with current vehicle values; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37295/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation (3 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 58. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide an update on funding for a new courthouse and services in Portlaoise, County Laois; to provide a timeframe around commencement and completion of the works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36566/25]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulatory Bodies (3 Jul 2025)

William Aird: 127. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the enforcement powers currently available to the Agri-Food Regulator; if he is satisfied these powers are sufficient to ensure compliance across the food supply chain; if he intends to bring forward any legislation to strengthen the regulator's role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36567/25]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Dog Control and Sheep-Worrying: Discussion (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank all the witnesses who have come in. I am delighted to be here. One good thing that has happened, on which I have campaigned for more than 40 years as a member of Laois County Council, is that the control of dogs be handed over to the Department of agriculture. That has happened now for the first time, although it should have always been the case. It should have been the case for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Dog Control and Sheep-Worrying: Discussion (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: We are talking about a very small cohort of people. The majority of people look after their dogs well. There are an awful lot of dogs. None of us knows what happens, but some say we come back as animals. I often say to myself if I came back, there are certain people that I would love to be minded by as a dog. There is care and attention taken, but it is a problem when it is not done. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I thank the officials for attending and clearing up our concerns. I very much welcome food regulation. It is something that we all sought for many years. I wish Mr. Joe Healy well and he is Chair of the board. The office of the Agri-Food Regulator is only in its infancy and getting off the ground. There is a lot more legislation to be put in place so that the people with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: Chair, you have opened up an awful can of worms, if you do not mind me saying that.

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: First, I apologise for being late but it was not my fault. The train was 15 minutes late. I will have to talk to the Minister for Transport. I welcome both the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputies Calleary and Buttimer, here this morning. I hope the Minister does not mind me saying it, but I look upon him as the Santa Claus of Dáil Éireann because he has so much money...

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: It is certainly not Laois. I can tell him that.

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: What should be said, in fairness to me and everybody here because most people spent time on the council, is that councillors should be informed of which councils did not take up their full allocation.

Select Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: I know that. I said that. To be fair, public representatives might not be aware of that, and that is not fair.

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Rural and Community Development Matters: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (2 Jul 2025)

William Aird: The Minister and I had the opportunity to speak earlier. I support the Senator on the LIS schemes. There is a considerable backlog in my area, too. Did the Senator say that only one road in Mayo has not been done?