Results 3,361-3,380 of 3,648 for speaker:Michael Collins

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Fishing Industry (26 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: 1252. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will consider a pilot project in which a number of fishermen from each county would take part in a scheme overseen by the Marine Institute to ascertain sea stocks, the results of which would determine the need for a salmon fishing drift net ban on the inshore fishing community; and if he will make a statement...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (26 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: 1281. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if broadband will be provided for 75 persons in Sandycove, Kinsale, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35278/17]

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: It is scandalous.

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: We need to forget about all these Departments. If the Minister wants to get something done, he should get the communities involved in the roll-out. It can come under the Leader programme, as is done in other European countries. There are many other issues I could speak about here, including the cuts to the ambulance service that are affecting rural Ireland and the 24-hour accident and...

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Ring, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, on their appointments. My experience since I came into the Dáil tells me they will be passionate and fair to people. While many of my comments might suggest I do not think that way, my heart is in rural Ireland and its community. The new Department of community and rural affairs is a positive move....

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: Why was that? I will tell the Minister why. It is because they told the truth. They said this new Leader programme would be a shambles and it is nothing short of a shambles. The Minister has an opportunity to turn this around. I do not think he can do so in this Leader programme. The Minister can look at the future because this one is almost in tatters, so much so that we can say it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Preserving Ireland's Natural Heritage: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: I welcome all the witnesses. I have a few interesting questions. Most of them relate to An Taisce. The representatives of the Heritage Council raised issues like upland farms and fires. To be honest, I would echo much of what Deputy Danny Healy-Rae said about An Taisce. I come from a rural community. An Taisce was founded in 1948. I was born in 1968. This is the first I have seen of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Preserving Ireland's Natural Heritage: Discussion (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: I will be brief as we have already discussed many of the issues I raised. How do we strike a balance and find a solution in regard to An Taisce? I said it was faceless, has broken the hearts of many, has caused extreme frustration and is very much disliked in rural Ireland, to say the least. I have found no one who will say a good word about it. How do we find a solution? Mr. Lumley did...

Questions on Promised Legislation (5 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: On page 113 of the programme for Government, I will raise the issue, which I and many other Deputies here have often done, of tillage farmers who suffered huge losses to their crops in the harvest of 2016. Some of them also suffered salt damage to the crops in late 2015 and the early spring. These farmers have been waiting almost 12 months for compensation. Can the Taoiseach announce any...

Waste Disposal: Motion [Private Members] (4 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: I am very happy to speak on this Bill but I have a number of concerns about it. I am aware that the former Minister, Deputy Kelly, proposed this legislation as one of his last projects in the Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition. Having faced much opposition at the time, this proposal was put on the long finger and was due to be reviewed and a public awareness campaign created around it. Now,...

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I do not agree with him that there is not a need for a designated Minister for the marine. The potential to this country is huge if we had a Minister for the marine. Until this is addressed, as I said earlier, the fishing industry will remain the poor relation in Irish politics. I also asked the Taoiseach about the unfair mackerel quota system. I do...

Leaders' Questions (4 Jul 2017)

Michael Collins: Fishermen, fisher-women and the fishing industry in general have been the poor relation in Irish politics. The fishing industry has struggled to be recognised as the second most important in the country owing to a lack of vision shown by successive Governments. On Sunday the British who have been sweetening the Irish Government up to now with some nice words about Brexit came out and...

Local Government (Establishment of Town Councils Commission) Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 Jun 2017)

Michael Collins: I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on this very important Bill and I commend Deputy Shane Cassells on bringing this forward. As Minister, Phil Hogan introduced the Local Government Reform Act 2014. This Act did not offer any reform to the local government system in Ireland. Instead it abolished 80 town and borough councils, transferring their functions to the city and county...

Appointment to the Judiciary Nomination Procedure: Statements (21 Jun 2017)

Michael Collins: I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this very controversial issue. I do not question the ability of the former Attorney General, Máire Whelan, to fulfil her new position in any way, and I am sure the majority of people will agree with me on that. However, the process of the appointment of Máire Whelan to the Court of Appeal, the second highest court in this land, was...

Nursing Homes Support Scheme: Motion [Private Members] (31 May 2017)

Michael Collins: I am sorry my name was not on the list. I was down in west Cork for most of the day with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, opening a CoAction building. My colleagues and I in the Rural Independent Group have called on the Government to implement an immediate reform of how the fair deal scheme is applied to farming families and the self-employed across...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Michael Collins: I thank the witnesses for their attendance. They have given us an insight into the planning process. Having been a councillor in south-west Cork prior to being elected to the Dáil, as well as being a community activist, has given me experience in dealing with planning issues. Many young people in the scenic areas of west Cork were unable to get planning permission for a house on their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Michael Collins: -----of a skyscraper of a building out in the middle of nowhere. It is by the Black Horse bar. It seems to be an incredible planning decision. I certainly would not like to live there. We need to look at derelict sites in rural communities. There is a need for a rule to deal with them because many wealthy people have derelict sites that they are sitting on. Nothing is happening with...

Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael Collins: Tillage farmers along the south-west coast suffered huge grain crop losses last harvest due to shockingly bad weather It was the third year in a row that they experienced such losses. In mid-January, the Dáil voted to direct the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a rescue package for grain farmers but, as yet, these hard-pressed farmers have not received any...

Order of Business (23 May 2017)

Michael Collins: Supporting tillage farmers is not a matter for promised legislation.

Leaders' Questions (17 May 2017)

Michael Collins: I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. He referred to the huge cost increase this would represent, but that is to fail to take into account the value of the women who stayed at home during those years. I urge him to address this anomaly immediately. In 1970 and before, women chose to remain at home to raise children or care for elderly parents. We know the contribution they made to the...