Results 4,041-4,060 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: The next speaker is Deputy Shanahan. I will have to be fairly ruthless with the five-minute slots from now on or else we will go over time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I am loath to cut Ms King short, but I have to make time for other speakers. I call Deputy Nolan, who represents a constituency affected by this.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: There are six speaking slots left so I am going to reduce the time for each to four minutes. Deputy Carroll MacNeill, therefore, has eight minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Next is Deputy Carthy, who has eight minutes. I have had to reduce the final spots by a minute or so. I am sorry, but it is to allow everyone to contribute.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will try to.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Just go ahead.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: It is because we have workers' representatives in this session. Meat Industry Ireland will be in the next. The Deputy will have an opportunity to ask it questions then.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Deputy Carthy knows the parliamentary practice.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Yes. I am glad Mr. Ennis does not want to single out any company and is saying it is a generic problem across the sector.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have no desire to correct the Deputy other than on the practice of naming companies.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Yes, she has ten seconds.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I would ask also that you would respect the Chair as we do have to get through another speaker. Deputy Browne has been sitting here patiently for some time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Does Mr. Ennis agree that the inspections are, by and large, unannounced?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: They are announced.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have a couple of questions on which I ask for "Yes" or "No" answers. Ms Labo referred to a hostility towards trade unions and indicated that workers and their family members were blacklisted. Is she saying they were blacklisted not only in one company but across the entire sector?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Ms King's affiliate organisations in unions represent workers across a wide variety of areas. How would she compare the State resources put into inspecting meat plants with the State resources put in to inspecting the hospitality sector, including Fáilte Ireland, the Garda Síochána, etc.?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Mr. Ennis mentioned the scope section in the Department. Will he explain briefly what that section is, how it is resourced and how its resourcing compares with that provided for the investigation of social welfare fraud?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank all the witnesses for attending and apologise for slightly exceeding the time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome the witnesses from the Department of Agriculture and the Marine, the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, Meat Industry Ireland and Food Drink Ireland. The witnesses are participating remotely from Committee Room 2. From the Department of Agriculture and the Marine, we have Mr. Michael Sheahan, deputy chief veterinary officer, and Ms Maria Dunne, head of milk and meat policy...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have to ask Mr. Sheahan to conclude and we will move on to the next speaker. I am sorry but we are constrained in the context of the time available. I call Dr. McGuinness from the HSA. I ask her to confine her opening statement to five minutes. I will stop her in five minutes because I have to allow sufficient time for questions and answers.