Results 521-540 of 755 for speaker:Pippa Hackett

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...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: I echo the Christmas wishes to the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, including my Senator colleagues, their staff, families and friends. I hope they have a good one. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit my home county of Mayo thanks to an old national school friend from Ballindine, Sabina Trench, who is now the CEO of South West Mayo Development Company. We have known each other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: I do not have the specific figures to hand. We are a massive net exporter of timber products. I think we export 90% of what we produce in Ireland. That is a credit to the sawmill and the wider sector, and the landowners and farmers who grow the trees and produce them. I will get the employment and value figures sent on to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: The supply of timber this time last year was a very significant worry for the sector. There was deep concern among sawmills about where their supply would come from. I am pleased to say that in the past 12 months we have worked really hard to make significant improvements in that regard. Each week the Department publishes extensive information on forestry licensing and forestry-related...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: Certainly, that is the intent. As the years will progress, we know there will be a significant volume of timber to come onto the market. We have to match our licensing capabilities with that to be able to deliver that. We sometimes hear the discussion of Coillte felling licences versus the private side. As a note for this year, Coillte tends to submit its felling licences in batches,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: We absolutely accept that there are significant issues with regard to licensing and getting licences out there. It may be worth noting that in the region of 5,000 ha are currently licensed for planting that are not being planted, for whatever reason. It is important that we understand those reasons and find out why landowners who have been issued with licences to plant have chosen not to....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: There were 50 licences for afforestation.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: The 4,000 refers to all licences.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: There is no doubt but that there are some significant challenges ahead in getting farmers and landowners engaged in planting. We are looking at incentivising small-scale planting. These would be non-commercial plantations of native species. These could be counted towards our carbon inventory. I am hopeful that we will have something on that very soon and that we will be able to roll out...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: I do not have a date for the annex. I hope it will be published in the coming weeks.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: The climate action plan 2021 highlights the importance of forestry in removing from and storing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Ireland's forests are a net sink of carbon dioxide and the timber produced also stores carbon in long-lived harvested wood products. It is for this reason that the climate action plan recognises the importance of maintaining our forest areas, preventing...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Dec 2021)

Pippa Hackett: The target is 4,000 licences by the end of the year. It was originally 4,500 at the start of the year, but a statutory instrument introduced for the Department out of the blue in the middle of the year set us back by about two months during the summer. We were on course up to June with a sizeable increase in licensing output. It was low in July and August but we picked up the pace again in...