Results 661-680 of 3,577 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue on national secondary routes and, in particular, the Mallow relief road. As he outlined, I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who is unable to be here. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding with regard to the national roads programme. Once funding...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Heritage Sites (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I offer this response on behalf of the Minister, who is unable to attend this morning. I thank Deputy Durkan for his ongoing interest in Castletown House. As a fellow Kildare man, I know of the huge emotion and upset there is around developments in the area around Castletown House and estate. In recent months, Deputy Durkan has made continuous representations through parliamentary...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I will respond to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae. Let us not do a disservice to farmers, who are doing a great deal in respect of nature restoration. What farmer does the Deputy know who does not want to see better biodiversity, improved water quality and lower emissions in his or her area? Farmers are working towards all of that as well as producing top-quality food. There is no need for...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: Enough scaremongering, Deputy.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: The Deputy is right in saying there is a range of agricultural reliefs. Some of these we take for granted, but if anything were ever to happen to the agricultural relief for young farmers, stamp duty relief and consanguinity duty relief, through which €274 million was provided in support in 2022, we would know very quickly how big a devastating impact that would have. I mention the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Safety (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I share with the Deputy in offering condolences to the families of those affected in that awful tragedy on Tuesday. There are other initiatives. I see my role in farm safety as not just involving the physical form of farm safety but the mental health and well-being of farmers. My Department continues to support research into farmer health and well-being. The DCU-led farm health...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Safety (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: Absolutely. Promotion is a key part of my role. In the children's farm safety initiative in schools, in conjunction with Agri Aware, we are using the positive pester power of children. The Deputy is well aware, as I am, that when children decide they want something, they do not leave you alone until they get it. Instead of me pleading with my uncle to get on top of a very dangerous load...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a critical issue for the future of farming and agriculture. Supporting generational renewal is one of our main priorities as Ministers. It is also one of the great challenges facing farming, not just in Ireland but across the EU. Worldwide, the average age of farmers is higher than everyone would like it to be. For this reason, the Common...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Farm Safety (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Griffin for raising a really important issue. Due to the prevalence of farm safety issues and farm workplace incidents, farmers are the most likely workers to lose their lives. Farming is the most dangerous profession in Ireland. A farmer is seven times more likely to lose their life in a workplace incident than any other one of the more than 2.5 million workers in this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this very important issue. I remind the House that the rationale behind the establishment of this new element of TAMS was to further develop gender equality throughout the agriculture sphere, to encourage more capital investment on farms and, in many instances, to recognise the role that many females already play on farms throughout the country, in the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy Kerrane. We keep a constant review on all elements of TAMS. It does evolve. There are no plans at present to change eligibility criteria for the women farmers' capital investment scheme or any other element of TAMS, but TAMS 3, as were previous TAMS, has been monitored and followed through with regard to how we might change it. With regard to the point on the work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (22 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: The officials are making good progress through them. We hope to have them all cleared in early April. Good progress is being made in this regard. I acknowledge the work of the Women in Agriculture Stakeholders Group, which has led the way on this. We were very happy to work on its early proposals. As things evolve and change, we keep an eye on its requests. To go back to the...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: It is a privilege to be a Member of this House and to listen to the contributions of Members in honour of John Bruton. It is an even greater privilege to get to contribute. I want to make three brief points. As somebody whose political career began when John had retired from his, I am struck on reflection by how many times I met with, listened to and engaged with John Bruton during my...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: Fair play to the Deputy for trying to get me on the hook for that one. Obviously there is a process, which I outlined very clearly in my opening response. The process is at a very advanced stage and once the draft report is submitted to the Department, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, guarantees that it will be looked at it without delay and a decision made theron. The purpose of the DCB...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this very important matter and for the opportunity to provide an update on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Minister, Deputy O’Brien, commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 on 22 June 2023, which provides for an enhanced grant scheme, and adopted the related...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important issue. I empathise with him and his constituents. As a Kildare South TD, I know all too well the pressures his constituents in County Wicklow face around school provision and demographic growth. We suffer the same in the adjoining county of Kildare as people in Wicklow do. The Deputy has articulated those challenges in respect of Temple...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: I will bring back the request the Deputy made to the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan. who has special responsibility for special school places, which is obviously a key part of the Deputy's ask as well. To reassure parents in the area who are following this debate, I will highlight that the collaboration and engagement that are now taking place are very important. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Facilities (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputies for raising the important issue of Enable Ireland Sandymount School. I am responding here on behalf of the Minister for Education. Enable Ireland Sandymount School is a co-educational, special school providing a primary and second-level education to students aged from four to 18 with physical and other complex needs. The school property is not in the ownership of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Facilities (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: Again, I thank both Deputies for giving me the opportunity to outline the Department of Education's position. The Department has been engaging with the school, as is evident from my response, regarding the level of detailed knowledge around the challenges that exist in the emergency works scheme application received. The Department will continue to keep the school informed throughout that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Facilities (18 Jan 2024)

Martin Heydon: We are too efficient.