Results 3,621-3,640 of 4,305 for speaker:Martin Kenny

Animal Welfare: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I welcome the motion introduced by Deputy O'Sullivan. As outlined by a number of speakers, this motion is about the need to look after the animals both as pets and domestic animals in the farmyards across the country. Much of what is in the motion acknowledges there is legislation in place to deal with this but that it is not being given enough emphasis or resources. Nobody would argue...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: The Deputy should come and live beside me. It is all trees.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: No. I was not here for the presentations so it would not be fair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I welcome the witnesses to the committee. I am interested in the 5 tonne per hectare yield in the organic sector and the gross margin for organic crops, which seem to be quite high. There is a problem getting enough people to join the sector, but what is the solution to that and what needs to be done? There was mention of the reopening of the scheme for tillage farmers and so on, and that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I have another question about the drinks side of the industry. What percentage of the grain that is imported is genetically modified? Is genetically modified grain going into drinks products in Ireland? Does Mr. Lavelle know what the relevant percentage is?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I assume Mr. Lavelle means non-genetically modified.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: Obviously, Irish grain is not genetically modified.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: That is one sector. The Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo is part of the Origin Green programme. Any Origin Green producer that is sourcing its grain in Ireland has an additional asset. I wonder whether this way of sourcing the raw material is competitive from a pricing perspective. Does the importation of raw materials, as opposed to the use of Irish materials, come with a price benefit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I know the Scottish whiskey sector is an awful lot bigger than the Irish whiskey sector. Is it ten times bigger or more?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: Yet it can source 80% of its grain locally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: If we just think in terms of capacity and consider the size of Scotland and the size of Ireland, which are not that much different one from the other, there is obviously an awful lot more barley being grown in Scotland than in Ireland. Is the Scottish farmer getting a better price than the Irish farmer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Future of Tillage Sector in Ireland: Discussion (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: And pay enough for it.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: 33. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for a fodder aid package to assist farmers in difficulty in view of the heavy rain in recent weeks. [41621/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: As the Minister is aware, we have had extremely bad weather since the middle of August and all through September. We have a huge problem in many parts of the country. In the north west, where we have very high levels of rainfall every year anyway, a particular crisis is developing at the moment and many farmers, certainly those in my constituency of Sligo-Leitrim as well as those in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: I am aware of the advances in the basic payment scheme. However, farmers would have been getting that anyway. They know that money is coming and they have already budged for it. The farming supplement of theIrish Independenttoday reports that prices are plummeting in the cattle trade because of the bad weather. Many farmers realise that they cannot keep their cattle as they will not have...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: With respect, I disagree. We spoke about this last year. Last year we said that we would deal with it on a case by case basis. When we speak about this issue, we are speaking about certain areas of the country. The Minister says "nationwide", but I am sure that in many parts of the country there is not the same level of crisis. Every year, we have a huge level of rainfall in the north...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Fodder Crisis (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: Some farmers are selling them because they cannot keep them.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Assist Scheme Eligibility (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: 56. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will request the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to introduce income averaging over three years when calculating income eligibility for farm assist. [41624/17]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bovine Disease Controls (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: 62. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persistently infected bovines with BVD here; his plans for same; the number of herds currently restricted due to BVD; and the length of time he plans for the eradication programme to continue in view of the fact that it was initially indicated in 2013 to last for three years of tissue tagging and three years lower...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: TB Eradication Scheme (3 Oct 2017)

Martin Kenny: 63. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on the bovine TB eradication, badger vaccine trial which was reported to have taken place in County Kilkenny; and the expected date of the publication of the report of the trial. [41626/17]