Results 521-540 of 766 for speaker:Pippa Hackett

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Farm Costs (15 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: The Deputies can follow up on some of those comments there.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pigmeat Sector (15 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am certainly happy to bring the following to the attention of the House: the continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for my Department, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. It is a large agrifood sector and has shown remarkable growth in recent...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Farm Costs (15 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I am here on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, who is away at the moment. I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. The very significant rise in fertiliser prices in the last year, and particularly in recent months, is concerning and my Department is closely monitoring the situation. While there are a number of factors at play in the market, there is no sign of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Farm Costs (15 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: -----their farm outputs in the face of rising fertiliser costs and reduced availability. Teagasc is working with farmers through the Soils, Nutrients and Fertiliser campaign to help them adapt to the current fertiliser market and support them to make informed decisions on what is best for their farms. This is a strategy that can ease the price pressure on farmers. It is a strategy that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I reiterate my thanks to the Cathaoirleach and the team behind the event earlier today. It was really lovely. We are good at labelling. Of course, this applies to all walks of life but today, I want to challenge our understanding of two ways in which we label farmers. One is loaded with positive assumptions, the other much less so. One is the label "productive or commercial farmer" while...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: SI thank the Deputy. To clarify, the ambition of more than 1,040 licences equates to more than 8,000 ha of afforestation. The concern is that we are issuing afforestation licences and they are not being taken up. Currently, in excess of 5,000 ha of afforestation licences have been issued but have not been planted. The ambition is there. It falls on us all to make a concerted effort to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: It comes down to the fact that the ambitions are there. The rate of planting is a big concern. My Department has engaged with the forestry companies as to why their clients are not planting. We are also going to write to the holders of afforestation licences, that is, those who have been in receipt of a licence for more than six months, to ascertain one on one what the issues are and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Organic Farming (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Deputy Carthy for the acknowledgement of the scheme as it is. I am fully committed to the development of the organic sector in Ireland, which is why the organic farming scheme was reopened this week for the second year in a row. That has been a long time coming. An increase of €5 million has been secured in the budget allocation for the scheme this year. Again, this...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Organic Farming (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: My understanding is that the rate is during the period of the CAP to the end 2027. At that stage it would be in conversion and organically farmed land. That is the ambition. If we go beyond that, I will certainly be even more excited about it. There is an issue at the moment and the Deputy is correct. The levels are painfully low given our wonderful agricultural nation as a whole. To...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Organic Farming (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: Absolutely. We are supporting Teagasc and independent agricultural consultants to play a vital role. Anyone who follows anything about organics on social media will have seen a step change in how Teagasc has been engaging with organic farming. Certainly, Bord Bia this year has invested €1 million euro to support the sector. The BioFach trade fair, which is usually held in February,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank the Deputy. The question he has asked is not the one I have on my page. Perhaps we have moved away from the question that was submitted but that is fine and we can deal with both.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: The Deputy has asked about increase in the cost of living. The question I was provided with related to whether the costs of maintaining forests in the first four years have gone up. I understood the Deputy was referring to the general cost of participation in the forestry schemes. That is something which is under general review under Project Woodland. The reference to four years is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (10 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: This morning, the Minister for Agriculture announced the launch of a tender process for the management of co-operation projects as part of the CAP's agri-environmental scheme. That all sounds like a bit of a mouthful but what it actually means is that we are on the cusp of doing things in a different way - a way I believe will be hugely beneficial to the environment, land and farmers....

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I am pleased to be here to introduce the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021. The Bill went through all five Stages in the Dáil, and pre-legislative scrutiny before that, and is now before the Seanad. The Title of the legislation was changed on Committee Stage in the Dáil to the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (8 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank all the Senators for their constructive feedback and their support for the Bill. There are two main issues here and the forestry aspect was added on Committee Stage in the Dáil, for a number of reasons. The main reason related to the fact the Bill was coming from the Department at which I am Minister of State and it was not going to be easy to attach the forestry aspect to a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (2 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senator Conway for bringing forward this Commencement matter and giving me the opportunity to discuss some of the current arrangements relating to forest licensing and timber transport. Forestry plays a very important role in our rural economy and in climate change mitigation efforts and supports thousands of local rural jobs, directly and indirectly. Following recent improvements...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (2 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I accept the Senator's concerns. In parts of my constituency, roads are founded on peat as well and it is a problem for any transport, not just timber transport but also agricultural transport and movements. However, the management of public roads is outside the remit of my Department. We try to operate the licence consent and grant schemes and to improve the communication with the public...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (2 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: Perhaps that is worth considering.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Feb 2022)

Pippa Hackett: It is great to be in the Seanad to speak. Spring is in the air and it is a time of renewal. A great new energy is rising. It is a time of planting and many farmers throughout the country will shortly begin to sow seeds. Calving and lambing are under way, the days are lengthening and there is evidence of new growth. Imbolc is also about the seeds of new ideas. We are one of the world's...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Jan 2022)

Pippa Hackett: There is much optimism around at the moment. It is a new year and green shoots are already appearing, while the crisis of Covid is hopefully showing signs of disappearing. Behind the optimism, there still lurks another crisis which shows no sign of going anywhere, the climate and biodiversity one. We are all very aware of it but, understandably, we wonder what we can do about it. One...