Results 421-440 of 5,311 for speaker:Tom Hayes

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I have no difficulty in discussing these issues, particularly ash dieback, with Members of the Oireachtas. I have had many meetings with a range of stakeholders and do so at any time I am requested to ensure people are informed. This applies to those who own the woods and those who are worried about them. The GAA also has concerns about the future and the amount that could be diseased in...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: As I said when I introduced the Forestry Bill 2013 to Members on Second Stage in the Dáil and as I explained on Committee Stage, the purpose of the Bill is to reform and update the legislative framework for forestry. It is intended to support the development of a modern forest sector which operates in accordance with good forest practice and with a view to protection of the environment....

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The changes proposed in amendment No. 32 in respect of a tree felled or otherwise removed without a licence under section 7 would impose on the Minister an automatic obligation to issue a replanting order in all cases without having regard to the nature and extent of the unlicensed felling and the environmental and silvicultural considerations. With regard to amendment no. 33, it is a matter...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: This is already provided for in section 17(6) of the Bill, which provides that if a person operating under the direction of another person contravenes the condition of a felling licence, both persons will be liable to prosecution. This amendment is therefore not necessary.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The development of third and fourth level education in forestry is highly desirable and something that my Department is happy to endorse and encourage. However, the responsibility for these areas lies within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. I take on board the points Senator Barrett has made. There is a lot of opportunity for people to...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I propose to address amendments Nos. 29 and 30 together. It is important to maintain the phrase "modified" in this section since the phrase "discharge" may not sufficiently cover all eventualities. A person could be served with a replanting order requiring him or her to replant an area with a specific species. In the interim it may become evident that the particular species of tree is...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The use of the word "competent" in this context is subjective. Authorised officers who are appointed will be suitably trained and qualified to act in a professional manner in respect of the duties undertaken under this Bill and will be fully familiar with the regulatory environment within which they operate. That is of major importance and it is a given. They have to be competent and must...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: With regard to amendment No. 23, the exclusion from the felling licence system of trees in urban areas does not involve any change of policy on the part of the Department. It is a continuation of the position that pertains with the 1946 Forestry Act. The rationale for exempting trees within urban areas is primarily based on public safety concerns, which remain valid in the context of this...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The question of timelines for the issuing of felling licences was raised in discussions I had with industry representatives and growers. I have already made a significant change to the Bill by placing an objective timeline of four months for the issuing of felling licences. In some cases, licences will be issued within a shorter timeframe. In assessing applications for felling licences, my...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: With regard to amendment No. 19, it is implicit in the Bill that felling licences and conditions will generally be in accordance with good forest practice. However, there may be limited circumstances where licences may be issued which do not fall into the category strictly described as "good forest practice". For example, there may be valid reasons where tree felling is for social or...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Section 11(a) requires the Minister to have regard to the social, economic and environmental functions of forests. To list all of the functions of forests in detail in the Bill, including the visual and noise abatement impacts, could lessen the importance of other environmental functions not mentioned. The terminology "environmental functions of forestry" can include landscape and noise...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The period of six months for notification of the destruction or removal of a forest estate by fire or other natural causes is considered reasonable and it is not proposed to reduce it. Forests, by their nature, are generally located in remote areas and damage may not always be immediately noted by the landowner. In many instances, landowners do not live close to their forests and to impose...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: This section is important for the collection of statistics and information on the national forest estate which will complement national and EU reporting requirements. The collection of information on forests will also provide information for the Minister on how forests are being managed and will help to determine the direction of future policy, including the provision of financial support...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Provision is made for the classification of deer in section 15(4)(c) of the Bill which states: ''subject to subsection (5), a species protected under the Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 or the Habitats Regulations". Deer are a protected species in Ireland under the terms of the Wildlife Acts and it is an offence to hunt them without a licence. I am satisfied that adequate provision is made for...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: That is not the intention.

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: I know it never is, but the intention here is that sensitive information cannot be given out. It has already been pointed out that regardless of whether one runs a business or a Government agency, if one has to withhold sensitive information one must not allow that to be covered, so there is a clear line of distinction. Basically, I want to say that one can give information where one can,...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: While I appreciate that the proposal in amendment No. 11 to substitute "should" for "may" is positive towards forestry management planning, I believe the use of the word "may" is more appropriate in this section, and for this reason I do not agree with the proposed amendment. The size of a forest can vary from small to very large and it is important that this provision be flexible enough to...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: The text, as drafted in the Bill, provides the Minister with powers to establish committees to assist and advise him or her on the performance of his or her functions under the relevant statutory provisions. On Committee Stage in the Dáil, I introduced my own amendment to create section 8(5), which aims to ensure that the composition of committees includes members with the relevant...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information by members of committees should be discouraged and the penalty for so doing should be dissuasive. I must emphasise in this context the word "confidential". It is not intended to preclude general comment or discussion on everyday issues relating to a committee. We are talking, for example, about unauthorised disclosures of ongoing and...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Tom Hayes: It was great to see in an area like that a very efficient outfit cutting, milling and processing timber that was grown in the south of Ireland. The timber was brought up to Connemara, cut and exported, ready for the market in London. It was great to see the quality of product that was being produced in that mill, and the workers' commitment to life there, and that they could have their jobs...