Results 681-700 of 2,066 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Policy (19 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: 154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way his Department is acting to support the workforce and talent development of Irish SMEs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45530/23]

Situation in the Middle East and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Statements (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Let me be clear and unambiguous. There are no rights and no wrongs and no winners or losers when it comes to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. There is no defence for violence, bombings, indiscriminately targeting civilians or the calculated murder of women and children. The actions of Hamas are abhorrent and cannot be defended by any fair-minded or rational democracy. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the representatives from the IFA for coming back before the committee. In particular, I welcome my neighbour, Mr. McCormack. I would say he is glad to be out of the field for a day. I will first ask Mr. Cullinan about the horticulture support scheme. It is obviously very disappointing that mushroom growers and strawberry growers in particular have been omitted from it. Has he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: We will certainly take that issue up with the Department and with the Minister. I will now go to Mr. McCormack. Before we get into it, could he give us a sense of his operation and what it involves?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Where outside the EU are they coming from?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: We have to put our hands up. I agree with Mr. Cullinan on the legislation for the season work permit scheme, which did not make it through in time. That is obviously a critical piece of work for the IFA.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Very good. I am a little alarmed about the situation regarding food waste. When we think of food waste, we think about what the children do not eat and what is not used at home but it seems that a big issue in Mr. McCormack's sector is that, if you do not have the staff, you lose the crop.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Aside from the environmental issue, psychologically and emotionally, it is difficult to look out at lines of strawberries.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Food waste is intrinsically linked with the labour issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: What is the equivalent of wonky veg for a strawberry?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: With regard to pricing, supermarkets are geared towards driving prices down. What are the prices like this year in comparison to last year's? Have the supermarkets acknowledged the increased challenges as regards labour and energy costs or have they persisted with the incessant downward pressure on prices?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: How much of an increase has there been in percentage terms?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: They are 5% off where they need to be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: That is 5% off viability, is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: We are in single digits like that and down to about 100 growers. With a move of one or two percentage points more, we would probably lose a lot of growers, would we not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Has Mr. McCormack seen anything in the strategy for horticulture that gives him comfort with regard to price or the involvement of supermarkets?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I have one final question. Will growers be able to access the minimum wage-related supports for small businesses announced in the budget?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is based on a rebate of rates, similar to what was offered through the Covid supports.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I apologise for not being here earlier. I had to go the Chamber. I have two questions and Ms Robinson may have already answered them. The IFA flagged something related to the horticultural support scheme. What was the rationale for the exclusion of the white mushroom producers and a large number of the strawberry producers from the scheme?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Challenges Facing the Fruit and Vegetable Industry: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Oct 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I can appreciate that but the growers who were before the committee tell us that their viability is very much challenged and that they are only a certain percentage points off viability. Is there an opportunity to revisit this policy or is it set in stone?