Results 501-520 of 7,670 for speaker:Jackie Cahill

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Meetings (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: 48. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on his attendance at a meeting (details supplied). [1699/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Apologies have been received from Deputy Michael Collins. I remind members and witnesses and persons in the Public Gallery to turn off their mobile phones. The purpose of today's meeting is to engage in pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the agriculture appeals (amendment) Bill 2024. The committee will hear from representatives of the agricultural sector. Witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I would be nervous about putting that into legislation because it could come back to bite where we would not want it to bite.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: As was said at the outset, it is to be hoped that when the legislation is passed, there will be an appeals system in which farmers can have confidence regarding its transparency and neutrality. That is what we as a committee want to try to achieve. We want a transparent system in which everyone has full confidence in respect of its neutrality.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss the Bill we have before us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Okay. Mr. Smyth is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Dr. Whelan has raised an issue that is coming across my desk a lot more frequently. I assume it is the same for every other elected Member here. I refer to advisers, consultants and so on not getting paperwork in on time or paperwork submitted to such people by farmers not getting where it should for some reason. I fully accept what he is saying. There are legal cases going on between...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I am not trying to be awkward. I would love to get this right. However, force majeure refers to things that are outside people's control. I do not know how it would cover a consultant or adviser being overworked and unable to get through his or her volume of work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: There is most definitely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I fully accept all of this. I am here as Cathaoirleach of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Yes, but we are trying to put in place legislation that will make the appeals process transparent and independent. I fully accept the issue but I do not know how it can be incorporated into what we are trying to do here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I am repeating myself again. I do not disagree with one thing the witnesses are saying but the purpose of today's meeting is to make sure the legislation on the appeals body is as we want it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: The Minister will come before the committee next Thursday morning. I welcome the suggestions from today's meeting and very pointed amendments on exactly what we want. I have been listening closely today. The independence of the membership of the board is critical. The timeframe of the appeal is an issue that has been constantly raised. A very good point was also made about the definition...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: No, but we can propose what we want included.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Yes. The meeting is to put flesh on the bones of the legislation. The next public meeting of the committee will take place at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 28 February, when the committee will continue its examination of compliance with the nitrates directive and the implications for Ireland.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I thank Mr. Gorman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I thank Mr. Fitzgerald. The Minister will come before the committee next Thursday morning to discuss the Bill. It will proceed at a fair pace. We have been waiting for it for a long time, and it is to be hoped it will become legislation sooner rather than later. I am not trying to be picky with any submission, but I have concerns about the proposal that if there was no representative at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I am just saying to be careful what you wish for in legislation because there will be days where a farmer, for his or her own reason, will not be able to attend an appeal. I have concerns in that regard. I would like there to be two attempts made to have a meeting go ahead without the concerned parties being present. I have attended a lot of appeals and have received telephone calls from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (22 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: I am not arguing that point at all. It is the farmer who pays the bill. We will have the Minister before the committee next week. We want to get the legislation right so that we have a fair, transparent and independent appeals body. This is what we all want so that when farmers takes an appeal, they will have confidence they are getting a fair, independent and transparent hearing. This is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Jackie Cahill: Apologies have been received from Deputies Kehoe and Collins. Deputy Whitmore has stated she will attend later. I remind members and witnesses to turn off their mobile phones. Before we begin, I bring the following to their attention: witnesses giving evidence within the parliamentary precincts are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they give to the committee....