Results 21-40 of 170 for farm speaker:Martin Heydon

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Irish Sheep Sector: Statements (30 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: ...important area of the sheep sector. It is something that has been raised on the floor of this House by colleagues from all sides, in fairness, as we all recognise the challenges faced by our sheep farmers this winter and into this spring. I have spoken previously about the significant contribution sheep farming makes to rural Ireland. There are more than 40,000 farmers involved in the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Dillon for raising what is a really important issue and something I have discussed this issue with farmers throughout the country. Farmers have concerns around the new nitrates rules. These rules are in place to ensure there is an improvement in water quality, which is something all farmers have a commitment to and share that commitment. Understandably, farmers have concerns...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Supports (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I know form-filling and all the rest is a constant source of frustration. I will put on the record of the House, as I have done previously, that I am a farmer. I come from a farming background. My wife and I still have an active farm in south Kildare. It is frustrating that this is happening. Maybe I came come into this role of Minister of State...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Supports (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: ...one. I will answer it if I can. I answered a question earlier about when the Department had to introduce mandatory online form filling. Many people made the point that the average age of our farmers is 57 or higher. We have so many farmers in their 70s trying to navigate an IT system. There was huge concern that we would not be able to manage that. People underestimated the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. When the question was tabled, the matter to which it relates was topical for all farmers. Thankfully, we have had good progress since then, allowing me to give the Deputy a positive response. The agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is the central agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Canney for raising what is an important point. The areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme is one of the most important supports for farmers. It helps to support and sustain agriculture in all four corners of Ireland and in the constituency the Deputy represents, as I am sure he is well aware. Those benefits trickle down to farmers' local communities as well. As a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Feb 2023)

Martin Heydon: ...modernisation scheme grants, and other supports in those areas, in order to be able to produce that food more sustainably into the future. We will continue to support our agriculture and farming sector in doing that.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Horse Racing Industry (7 Dec 2022)

Martin Heydon: ...for new market development, I am keen to see help being given to support that; second, reducing costs and enhancing ease of trade between Great Britain and Ireland; and third, supporting thoroughbred breeders on-farm efficiencies to reduce costs. The ITBA has indicated that the premise of the application is to support Irish thoroughbred breeders as a direct result of the impacts arising...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Horse Racing Industry (7 Dec 2022)

Martin Heydon: ...in under the targeted agriculture modernisation schemes, TAMS, is also something I have advocated very strongly for. It will come in during the new year and will have a huge impact, including in farm safety which is my own area of responsibility. It will make a really significant difference for breeders to be able to invest in their holdings and in safety requirements. We also have the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this critically important issue. As Minister of State with special responsibility for farm safety, I have always considered farmers' mental health and wellbeing to be inextricably linked to farm safety. We know that a farmer is seven times more likely to lose his or her life in a workplace incident on his or her farm than in any other profession in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: ...there, from concerns about the price of inputs, the weather, inspections, prices for their products, overall economic sustainability to all the pressures resulting from a narrative out there that farmers are to blame for many of the challenges. The real risk here for farmers is isolation. They spend all their time on their own and may live in isolation in the evenings. When their work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mental Health Services (25 Oct 2022)

Martin Heydon: ...such as the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, where we have a number of initiatives and literature on that area as well. We are also funding further research. The Dublin City University, DCU, farm health study has a very important role to expand our information and knowledge in this area. In the locally-led initiatives, I have supported funding of €1.8 million to eight projects...

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: ...antimicrobial resistance, AMR, is among the key drivers for recent changes in EU legislation in this area. As members will be well aware, AMR poses significant challenges to society and the Irish farming sector. Responsible use of antimicrobial products in food-producing animals is a key element in helping to combat resistance. This Bill, together with SI 36 of 2022 – 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: When the vet is on a farm for the herd test and is examining and handling the animals, it is easy to ask him or her for a prescription there and then in the knowledge it will last the full 12 months until the next herd test.

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: ...in veterinary medicine is required to justify any partial or full prohibition on veterinarians doing that. I will bring the Deputy back to my earlier point about having maximum flexibility for farmers in as much as possible in terms of their livelihoods and the role they play. This situation has already been outlined. A farmer in that space may need a prescription and need the product...

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: On the analogy of going across farms, is Deputy Fitzmaurice talking about contractors?

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 point is that it would be applied on a per farm basis. I know what Deputy Fitzmaurice is saying from a civil contractor's perspective but from the farmer's perspective, it not something that will happen very regularly. It will happen once. It will be applied to the farm and there will obviously have to be communication between the civil contractor and the farmer as to how much...

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 highly integrated supply chains on the island of Ireland, as the Deputy will be aware. Farmers and other professional fertiliser end users can continue to purchase fertiliser from Northern Ireland and vice versa. We are keen to ensure that trade continues. We do not want to discommode that trade as normal between two jurisdictions. However, this proposed legislation does place a...

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: ...for lots of different sectors in lots of different ways, but if we do not get this right, we will have a big problem down the line in terms of resistance to medicines that are important for our farming enterprises and our food production system.