Results 321-340 of 2,969 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: I accept the Senator's concerns and the points he has articulated very clearly. At the beginning of this process, there is a one-off opportunity or requirement of farmers to declare opening stock on their farm holding. The opening stock of those dairy farmers who had a high income and may have purchased some fertiliser at the back end of the year will be recorded in the beginning of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: We are putting safeguards in place. In every process there are always ways in which people might try and get around it and that is the reason we will have an inspection regime and controls and measures in place to act as a deterrent. What is also really important about this process is that it is easy to use. We do not need to add layers of complexity and red tape for farmers. We have to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: I take on board the Chair's guffaw.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: The general principle of the system is that the reporting burdens are being reduced here and this system is about making life easier for farmers. It is to all of our benefit that we do this and have a better handle on how much fertiliser is spread here. We will definitely have a much clearer picture on that with this process in place than we have to date. Also, the Senator talked about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: With the Chair's indulgence, I will bring in Mr. Massey on that point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: Can I make one wrap-up point on that and take on board that sentiment felt strongly by farmers. I argue that on the fertiliser side of things, this will reduce the reporting burden on farmers, but also-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: Not only in relation to that point but on the earlier point we discussed in the first two and half hours of this meeting, there is the bigger picture here. It is not just about what is the most convenient for farmers today or tomorrow. It is about protecting this industry and future-proofing it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: Farmers keep records under the nitrates directive. They are used to that reporting requirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: Mr. Massey will answer that very valid point about derogation farmers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: That is subjective. I have to re-iterate to Senator Lombard that the priority here has been to meet our regulatory requirements while also giving farmers the greatest choice possible and trying to minimise that impact on businesses that are in that space. It is a matter of trying to strike the right balance between all those different bits. Change is challenging for lots of different...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: We have received the opinion very recently. We are in the hands of the committee as to whether we finish tonight and the committee gives the go-ahead, pending the analysis of that decision. Obviously, there is time pressure here, not just for this part of the Bill, but also for the second part of the Bill, which we will discuss in time. Some farmers are dependent on eco schemes and other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: That is a very specific point on which I might defer to my officials. Would the contractor be applying fertiliser in that specific space?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Veterinary Medicinal Products, Medicated Feed and Fertilisers Regulation Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: Greenkeepers, golf courses, sports turf and similar operators are covered by this. They have to register as users. It depends whether the club purchases the fertiliser separately or if it is sold by the operator. An operator might offer an overall package where the club pays X amount of money for the process and part of the cost is for the fertilser. It is the same as a farmer dealing with...

Financial Resolutions 2022 - Financial Resolution No. 6: General: Financial Resolution (Resumed) (28 Sep 2022)

Martin Heydon: Ingenuity and innovation flow throughout our agricultural sector. As our most important indigenous industry, farming and food production employ more than 160,000 people. It generates €14 billion in exports, which brings money into rural communities throughout the country. It is a sector on which the Government places a significant value, and one we want to grow and continue to...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I also thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Discussions are ongoing at governmental level across all sectors and range over the points in respect of emissions targets. The Deputy raised a valid point, which is that farmers and our farming sector have been on a journey of transition for some time. We continue to produce our food more efficiently...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: I agree with Deputy Griffin that the UK will remain an important market for Irish food and drink. Since the result of the Brexit referendum, however, we have stepped up the efforts of diversification, and in my role with responsibility for new market development in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I have worked very closely with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Brexit Issues (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: Deputy Griffin can take it as a given that we will continue to work across Government to hold the British Government to the international obligations it has signed up to. I am a firm believer in controlling the things we can control, and in respect of my role in the Department, that is clearly to look at tangible efforts to ensure we have a broader diversification of the markets we export...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: As the Deputy will be aware, the European Union and New Zealand reached a political agreement in principle on a new free trade agreement on 30 June 2022. I take this opportunity to inform the House that since the launch of these negotiations in June 2018, Ireland consistently pressed the European Commission to ensure the outcome of these negotiations would be balanced and would take into...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: I outlined in my initial response the efforts that have been made and that a very close focus has been kept on this in my Department as to the impact this could have here and the need to protect the interests of farm families. The business model of our farm families in this country is very much dependent on the fact we are a small, open nation that exports 90% of the food and drink we...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Agreements (14 Jul 2022)

Martin Heydon: As I outlined earlier, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is the lead Department in trade policy but it takes a very clear direction and has very close contact with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on such matters. This is an area in which we obviously have a clear insight in respect of the sensitivities that would have an impact on Irish farm families....