Results 4,741-4,760 of 7,670 for speaker:Jackie Cahill

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I have called Senator Daly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I apologise for interrupting Senator Daly but the secretariat would like members to confirm that they are within the parliamentary precincts. To participate in the meeting they have to be within the parliamentary precincts. Any member not within the parliamentary precinct cannot participate in the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: On ash dieback, are there any fresh proposals coming from the Department? On the basis of what I am hearing from the people affected by it, what is on the table is not satisfactory. Who wants to answer the questions posed by Senator Daly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: Senator Daly specifically asked whether targets have been set for each sector. Whether it is felling licences, afforestation licences or thinning licences, has the Department set targets for the length of time it should take to get them out of the system?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I suggest, Mr. Hayes, that in the next couple of weeks, in addition to the forestry licence dashboard, we get a timeframe for the licences that were issued, exactly how long they were in the system, how many were done within the set targets, and how many were three, six, 12 or whatever months over the target. If that information was on the dashboard then we could see how many of the licences...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: Sorry, Senator, that could be my fault as I interrupted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: The figures at the moment are heavily biased in favour of Coillte. The ratio as between Coillte and the private sector was 7:1 on the dashboard in the second week of January.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: We will go over to the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I have two questions for the officials. Deputy Kehoe asked a question at the last committee meeting the witnesses attended about the policy regarding unenclosed land and from where that policy was formulated. The committee has not yet received an answer to that question. It is a very important question about policy on forestry. The question about unenclosed land was asked last November...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: With respect, the question that was asked was about where the policy to stop plantation on unenclosed land was formulated, where it came from or where the direction came from. There was an indication that it was EU policy and there was a clear assertion that this was not the case. We would like to see written confirmation of how exactly this policy that unenclosed land cannot be planted was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: It was a departmental decision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: That is a long way along the road, and a great help. Four members wish to contribute and we must stick tightly to the time limits. There are approximately 20 minutes left so I will ask two members to ask their questions together, followed by the next two. It is everybody's second opportunity to contribute. I will call Senator Paul Daly, followed by Deputy Michael Collins. They will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: Deputy Browne is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: That is a very specific question to which we will try to get an answer. Deputy Carthy is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I want to add one question to the list. What tonnage of timber have we imported in the past six months? I will now-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: There was one question directed specifically to Ms Kelly that we will deal with first.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: The other questions were to Mr. Hayes or Mr. Dunne.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: Mr. Dunne might get back to Deputy Browne with written clarification on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: What tonnage has come in from the UK in the past six months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges for the Forestry Sector: Department of Agriculture and the Marine (29 Jan 2021)

Jackie Cahill: We must conclude as we have reached the two-hour mark. I sincerely thank Mr. Colm Hayes, Mr. Seamus Dunne and Ms Patricia Kelly. The vigorous questioning by the committee stems from members' concern for the forestry sector. We need to start meeting our targets for afforestation, thinning and clear-felling if we are to have a healthy industry. The committee will prepare a report with...