Results 6,861-6,880 of 11,812 for speaker:Denis O'Donovan

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Yes.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I am very pleased to open the hearings of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee on farm safety. This meeting is the second part of a process which began last December with a public invitation to make written submissions to the committee. Members of the committee were heartened by the range and quality of the submissions they had received. We are glad to have the opportunity today to...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: It is time for questions from the members of the committee. All submissions received will be incorporated in the committee's report in order to synopsise and highlight the important points. Both the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, were very interested in attending this meeting but it was not possible to arrange a date suitable for them and we have had...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I propose that the questions from members be banked. I call Senator Comiskey and I ask him to be brief.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Senator Comiskey is usually brief in his questions. He is an excellent contributor.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I invite Mr. Callanan to respond to that group of questions.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I call Senator Coghlan. We are running over time already.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Senator Coghlan-----

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I thank Senator Coghlan. I wish to add a few brief questions before we conclude this tranche of the meeting. When young farmers do their green certificate or take part in the new grant scheme, is it mandatory that a day is set aside for farm safety training and coaching? If a worker goes onto a building site, whether he is 30, 40 or 50 years old he will not be allowed on the site if he has...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Is it something that Mr. Callanan might consider in future?

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: We are considerably over time.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: They should be under parental control as well. I am sorry, but we are running out of time so we cannot continue with that. There will be no cows milked tonight if we keep going the way we are. I sincerely thank Mr. Bill Callanan and Dr. Robert Leonard for their assistance with this part of the discussion. Our next tranche of the farm organisations includes the IFA, the ICMSA and the ICSA....

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: Almost.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: We will now hear from the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, ICMSA, which represents dairy and livestock farmers and lobbies at local, national and EU level. The ICMSA is represented today by its president, Mr. John Comer, and Ms Mary Buckley. I will allow Mr. Comer five or six minutes to make his presentation. If any of the speakers wish to emphasise a particular point when...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: The next group in this tranche is the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, ICSA, representing drystock farmers with a view to identifying and responding to key issues concerning the beef and lamb sectors. The representatives are Mr. Patrick Kent, the president, and Mr. Eddie Punch. I will allow Mr. Kent the same latitude as other speakers. I apologise for the fact that not all the...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: My position as Chairman is a bit like a referee. We do not always get it right but we often get the blame if things go wrong. I ask those who now wish to speak to direct a question at one of the organisations rather than everybody. We could have a bit of cohesion with such an approach.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: I think Mr. Downey got the heavy load this time. Some of the questions were specifically directed to him.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: The committee does not have a monopoly on wisdom in this matter. Our role is to listen and try to help farm organisations improve the position by highlighting what is taking place. Most of those who have appeared before us, notably Mr. Kent, have referred to stress levels, bureaucracy and red tape on farms. I grew up on a farm and I do not seek to create a rural-urban divide. There is a...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: We are interested in and have learned from Mr. Downey's contribution and before he leaves, I would like to recount a tale from my childhood. We were threshing corn and the small belt came off the finisher. The man who owned the Fordson Major machine turned down the power but did not turn it off totally so that when he approached the belt it broke his arm and he collapsed. The man who was...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Farm Safety: Discussion (23 Mar 2015)

Denis O'Donovan: That is right.