Results 341-360 of 4,571 for speaker:Trevor Sargent

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: ——from 456,000 tonnes in 2008 to 605,000 tonnes in 2009. This will result in the net Irish quota, after deductions for the payback for undeclared Scottish landings, going from approximately 45,000 tonnes to 62,000 tonnes. However, this TAC increase remains to be formally agreed and must be protected against any proposal that a part would be transferred to Norway in the EU negotiations...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: That will not be necessary.

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I shall do my best. I wanted to respond to Deputy Sheahan as the Department and the Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, have been in constant contact with the Federation of Irish Fishermen as regards working on a joint proposal to the Commission, because we are, as the Deputy said, concerned. I gave a fuller answer in this regard in an Adjournment debate, but we are conscious of the...

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: ——seems to be driving much of the panic, I would say, within the Commission to carry out measures that will not be helpful, as the Deputy rightly said. We have a job to do and I hope that, between the federation and Members on all sides of the House, we can go, united, to the Commission.

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: The mackerel quota is up.

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I do not believe the Acting Chairman would allow me to go into that in some detail. However——

Fisheries Protection. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: ——it is an example of adopting a tough stance and getting a benefit.

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Some €128 million has been allocated to the Forestry subhead for 2009, demonstrating the Government's commitment to maintaining an active and substantial forestry programme into the future. This significant investment by the Government will allow for the operation of a range of forestry schemes next year. However, much of the allocation for 2009 is already committed and the scope for new...

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I cannot imagine that.

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I will try to elaborate further. It is not telling tales out of school to say we sought more money so we could introduce the necessary schemes. We did not get everything we wanted, but we got most of it. The €128 million we got was considered good in the context of the situation with which we must deal. Therefore, we had to prioritise. The priority was to put the funds into the...

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Much as I would love to be able to give the Deputy a date, I cannot. I have already said that the available resources will determine when it will be possible to extend the revised forest road scheme. Unfortunately, that is the reality and I cannot dress it up or make it sound any better. I remind the Deputy there is a growing demand for the thinnings because they are the raw material for...

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: All I can do is tell people the truth, which is they should not wait for the revised forest roads scheme before getting on with thinning. I have an interest in the forestry planting area.

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: We both have, so let us speak as people with that interest. It is bad advice to tell people to hang on so they may get a grant for thinning, because as the years pass, the trees become less valuable unless they are thinned at the right time. It is not possible to say wait and see and the grant will come in due course. I want people to take the decisions now and get the value of the...

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: We cannot just print the money.

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: No, it is a case of the budget. I do not know what the Deputy expects me to do. Does he want me to take the thinnings, turn them into paper and print money and give it back to people? The only outcome of that would be an increased sale of wheelbarrows, because we could not manage that without causing significant inflation. We must be realistic. We do not have the money for the schemes,...

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: There is more to be said about it, to be honest.

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: I am not answering the question but I would be guided by——

Afforestation Programme. (3 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: ——the Deputy opposite. Additional information not given on the floor of the House. The State has made a substantial investment in forestry over the last number of years and I recognise the need to manage the forest resource it has funded. Given the many calls on the funding available, my officials are assessing how available resources can best be employed to meet the demands of industry....

Agriculture: Motion (2 Dec 2008)

Trevor Sargent: They are entitled to protest.

Fisheries Protection (19 Nov 2008)

Trevor Sargent: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an dTeachta Joe McHugh as an cheist thábhachtach seo a ardú. This matter refers to a recent proposal by the European Commission which calls for the establishment of a moratorium on fishing certain whitefish species in the area off the north west coast — technically called Area 6A which covers the areas from the south Donegal coast north to...