Results 321-340 of 808 for speaker:Paul Lawless

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

Paul Lawless: It is very relevant. I want to move on because my time is going. I want to work with the farm organisations on this. There are major issues around the legislation from 1986. It is very weak, as was alluded to. It is resulting in a lack of prosecutions. That is the reality. The other factor is not only do we have very weak and loose legislation that is vague and one of the reasons...

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

Paul Lawless: I fully support Deputy Fitzmaurice's suggestion to do a report.

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

Paul Lawless: This is really important because if we do not address it, we are going to see great difficulty in the future for greenways and walkways. Farmers will not engage with councils. Greenways have been a massive lifeline for rural Ireland. It is critically important for the tourism sector that we address this issue. I agree with all the points made and the report we have committed to doing....

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

Paul Lawless: I want to talk about the Agri-Food Regulator. One of the key tasks for it is that there is a significant mark-up on the price of beef in supermarkets. The farmer keeps the animal for over three years, or thereabouts. He receives €7.50 per kilo. Supermarkets at the moment are selling at a price in the region of €23 per kilo. What role does the Agri-Food Regulator have in...

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

Paul Lawless: In its current form, it is a charade. It does not have the ability to quantify or extract that data from the companies in its current form.

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

Paul Lawless: If the companies tell the Agri-Food Regulator that their data are none of its business, the regulator says "Okay".

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

Paul Lawless: The regulator has two functions. One is around unfair trading practices and the other relates to transparency. It is ironic that those are its core functions but it does not have any teeth to address transparency and the slice of that pie. It is a major oversight. Would Ms Dunne agree?

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

Paul Lawless: The other function is around unfair trading practices. As Senator Brady alluded to earlier, there is a fifth quarter of offal that is sold by meat factories but the farmer receives nothing. How is that not an unfair trading practice?

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

Paul Lawless: The Agri-Food Regulator has two core functions in relation to unfair trading practices and transparency. It cannot achieve either. How is it the case that for a valuable commodity such as offal, the farmer cannot receive anything? The Agri-Food Regulator says, "There is nothing to see here."

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

Paul Lawless: The other point-----

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

Paul Lawless: -----is around the fact that transparency without the power to compel is a major oversight.

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

Paul Lawless: We as a committee need to write to the Minister about these key points.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (2 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 151. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people who received successful HAS 2 award payments for Storm Bert and Storm Éowyn, in each county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36284/25]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Data (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 253. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department has looked at the possibility of lowering the VAT rate on construction materials to address the cost of building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36234/25]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 502. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of An Bord Pleanála refusing planning permission due to population targets potentially being exceeded by the proposed residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36233/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Electronic Tagging (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 593. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the expected rollout timeline for the national electronic tagging programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35970/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Electronic Tagging (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 594. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if Castlerea Prison is included in the electronic tagging programme implementation plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35971/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 675. To ask the Minister for Health the number of home help agencies registered in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35218/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (1 Jul 2025)

Paul Lawless: 866. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what the current administration, teaching, instructor and management grades are in further education and training; what circular letters, if any, correspond to each of these grades; and what the associated pay scales are (for example, CL 44/99 for VTOS co-ordinator); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35314/25]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 Jun 2025)

Paul Lawless: Last week, An Bord Pleanála overturned a decision by Mayo County Council to grant permission for 92 homes in Ballina, north Mayo. An Bord Pleanála overturned the decision and rejected this development. The site was dezoned in recent years. It is located just 2 km from the town centre and has all the necessary services, including water, wastewater, telecommunications, footpaths,...