Results 3,821-3,840 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Affordable Housing Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I welcome this Bill. It is a necessary Bill to achieve better affordability in housing. I want to pay tribute to our party colleague, Deputy Duffy, and thank the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, for the openness he has shown in working with him to improve this Bill. I want to thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for coming in to hear the debate. In particular, I want to...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I want to address the issue of vacancy in our towns and villages. The previous encouragement over many decades of one-off housing has undermined retail in our towns and villages as once people are in their cars, many choose to visit out-of-town retailers near the large urban centres. The Government has taken a progressive approach to rural development. The promised legislation I wish to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank our guests. I did not think Professor Boyle and I would meet again. I wished him well in his upcoming retirement last time he was here and I continue to wish him well in his upcoming retirement. I am not sure if he will be back before us before then but we will see. I also welcome Dr. Ryan and Mr. Brennan. Professor Boyle said the resources Teagasc is putting into organic...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I will come back while I still have time. I can understand farmers being risk averse; they are right to be. Surely, however, agencies like Teagasc and Bord Bia that advise Government and farmers need to have ambition because if they are not doing so, of course the farmers will not get on board. It seems to me that we do the capacity to compete with our European neighbours and to increase...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Organic Farming: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: In a point related to Senator Paul Daly's question, one of the witnesses noted that we have gone from 1% to 2% land cover in ten years in respect of organics. This is not surprising, given that less than 1% of the annual departmental budget is spent on organics. I believe it is roughly €15 million or €16 million out of a total of €1.8 billion. Moreover, Bord Bia spends...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I welcome to this meeting Mr. John Keane, president, Mr. Shane Fitzgerald, chair of the agricultural affairs committee and Ms Gillian Richardson, agricultural and rural affairs policy officer from Macra na Feirme . I also welcome Dr. Oliver Moore from UCC. On behalf of the committee, I thank and welcome you all for attending today's meeting to share your expertise. I will begin with a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Keane for his statement. It was remiss of me not to congratulate him on his recent election as president of Macra na Feirme. I congratulate him and wish him well in the year ahead. I call Dr. Moore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Moore. I will now invite members to raise their hands and I will bring them in in order. As this meeting is confined to a maximum of two hours, I propose that each member be given two minutes to address questions to the witnesses, in order to ensure that all members get an opportunity to pose their questions. We will go for a second or indeed a third round if we have time. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: Dr. Moore raised his hand. Did he want to come back in on those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Moore. Other members are keen to come in. I will allow Mr. Keane in before we take other questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I do not think Deputy Bruton was expecting such thorough and comprehensive answers to his questions. I thank Dr. Moore for providing them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: Is that question directed at Mr. Keane?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Dr. Moore for that response and Deputy Whitmore for her questions. I will bring in Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I will leave it to our witnesses to answer as they see fit but we want to find solutions, keep looking forward and find a way which works for farmers, in our work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Fitzgerald. Before I go around for a second round of questions, I might take the opportunity to build on the question asked by Deputy Cronin, which is an interesting one. The three witnesses have given comprehensive answers to that question. We are getting somewhere interesting. I am certainly not an expert on agriculture, far from it indeed, but the fundamental question I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: We will get to a second round of questioning but Senator Pauline O'Reilly has not contributed yet. If Deputy Bruton is okay to wait, I will bring in the Senator first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Brian Leddin: Mr. Fitzgerald indicated. Does he want to come in?