Results 41-60 of 886 for at speaker:Tim Lombard

Seanad: Agriculture: Statements (16 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Minister for attending this welcome debate on agriculture. I can blame him for many things but I cannot blame him for the weather. The past seven months have been frightening. It has been appalling. Since last September, it has not stopped raining. In my part of the world, an inch and a half of rain fell last Monday week. To say it was depressing is an understatement. Where...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: I also acknowledge the new Senator and wish him the best of luck. I hope he enjoys his experience in this wonderful House. We should have a debate with the Minister for Education about Irish oral examinations in the past few weeks. We have had a bizarre situation in which the profile for having oral examinations count as part of the leaving certificate has been changed. Traditionally,...

Committee on Public Petitions: Campaign for a Walking and Cycling Greenway on the Closed Railway from Sligo to Athenry: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: So the timelines for any change or review of the current development plan would happen in that kind of timeline. We are looking at probably four years away to some degree. Would that be fair?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: I apologise for being delayed. I was caught at another meeting. My deepest apologies about turning up late. It is great to have the witnesses here. The presentation was very well put together. The chair designate's involvement with Dawn Meats is something we are all very much aware of. In my part of the world Dan Brown is a very good friend of ours so we know exactly what Dawn Meats...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: My last point is on where we are, unfortunately, with the weather issues we have throughout the country. I will be very blunt. In my part of the world, last Monday we had 33 mm of rain, which is just over 1.5 inches. That is significant, to say the least. Pressures on farms are significant at the moment. There are fodder issues and slurry capacity issues. This is causing mental health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate (10 Apr 2024)

Tim Lombard: ...Murrin for his contributions. I wish him the best of luck going forward. The contributions and engagement with members have been excellent. The next meeting of the joint committee will be held at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 17 April 2024, when we will engage with the chairman designate of Coillte. As there is no further business, the meeting now stands adjourned.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: The Acting Chair should have told me as I would have met him. It is great to have the Minister of State in the Chamber. I am discussing the issue of Ballinspittle National School, one which I have continuously raised since I entered the Seanad. We have been looking for a new school since 2018 and the timelines are quite frightening. In June 2018, a design brief was approved for this and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (20 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: I raised this Commencement debate last April and I got an interesting response regarding the tender process. There is a real slip in the timelines outlined. Last April, I was told that it would take six to eight months for the tender process to happen. Today, I am told it will take eight to 12 months. For some reason, the timeline for the tender process has slipped in comparison with what...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (7 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber to discuss the need for the Minister for Transport to provide an update on progress for phase 2 of the N71 Bandon southern relief road. As the Minister of State is very much aware, Bandon is the biggest town in west Cork. Its population has increased dramatically since 2016. According to the most recent census, it has gone up by 17%...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Road Projects (7 Mar 2024)

Tim Lombard: The biggest issue is not meeting the timelines. The report the Minister of State mentioned has actually shied away from going into timelines, because they have failed to meet the timelines we have been given by them on a continual basis. This project was quoted as costing €7.2 million four or five years ago. It is probably a €10 million project now. A sum of €150,000...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: I welcome this very important legislation. I wish to ask the Minister about the timelines for the legislation. We are now in the last day of February and March is a busy month. We are looking at a situation with unusual timing regarding the election cycle. Does the Minister believe he has enough time to get this legislation through the hoops of the Houses of the Oireachtas and signed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: With regard to the 70 years of age issue, a topic that is appropriate given we have also highlighted the school bus driver issue this week, as Senator Paul Daly has said, are there other issues within the Department of a 70 year age limit that the Minister might look at regarding other Chairs and other boards? Is that just a unique one or are there more out there?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: I might come up with something unusual this afternoon. I am seeking a debate on a report that has been published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community. Is it appropriate to bring the Cathaoirleach of that committee before the House to debate the report it published in early February? The report had some very unusual findings....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their helpful opening statements. I will start with the Agricultural Consultants Association. I thank its representatives for their detailed opening statement. It is good to have them here. They represent an important cohort of farmers that needs to be represented at meetings like this. It is great to have this organisation in front of us. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Tim Lombard: Dealing with that section of the Department, do the witnesses find it hard to contact it at times about these issues to get clarity?

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

Tim Lombard: In a few moments. I will start my questions, if that is okay with the Senator. I thank him. It is great to have a few Cork people here. It is great to have a few Corkonians in the audience. It makes me feel more at home straightaway. BirdWatch Ireland made an interesting presentation regarding its members' view on cover crops. We can see the map published by the Environmental...

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

Tim Lombard: If I could take the Beara Peninsula as an example, the unit area is the size of Louth. It is a huge area geographically, but the population of dairy farmers, in particular, and even of bovine farmers in general is very limited. These are low-stocked areas with farmers running fewer than 40 units. This part of the world cannot afford to have any reduction in stocking and so on to be viable...

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

Tim Lombard: Do we not have a nitrogen budget per farm at the moment regarding how much slurry can be spread per hectacre?

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

Tim Lombard: I think that would be a very fair reflection regarding the farming practices, which are quite unique and powerful. When we look at Timoleague, what was achieved as a model farm for farmers was very helpful, so I would hate to hear its good name being diminished in any way. Regarding the results, however, the stocking rates have increased quite dramatically. A place such as Leitrim is...

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

Tim Lombard: Is that not the issue? There are more issues at play than just the stocking rate. There are issues like soil type, which is a very significant issue with regard to nitrates.