Results 61-80 of 4,955 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: You are the ones not in the election.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Wow. You want to accuse us of politicising this issue.

Confidence in the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Motion (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Wow. You have the neck to accuse us of politicising this issue. Wow. Incredible. Shame on you.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has overall policy responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts 1986 to 2014. This legislation makes provision for dog licensing arrangements and the functions of dog wardens. Local Authorities have responsibility for all operational, implementation and enforcement matters under the Acts. Section 15(1) of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 states that every local authority must...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Animal Breeding (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 1 August 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for Dog Breeding Establishments transferred to my Department. The Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 provides a robust regulatory framework for the licensing, monitoring and inspection of dog breeding establishments by local authorities and, where a serious and immediate threat exists to public health or animal health and welfare,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 1 August 2025, all policy and legislative responsibility for the Dog Breeding Acts 2010 transferred to my Department. Local authorities retain responsibility for all enforcement matters under the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. Inspections of Dog Breeding Establishments are carried out by ex local authority vets who transferred to my Department in January of this year, as well as by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Veterinary Services (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 253, 254, 255 and 257 together. I propose to take Questions 55616/25, 55617/25, 55618/25 and 55620/25 together. The use of veterinary medicines in Ireland is governed by EU Regulation 2019/6 and is directly applicable throughout the EU. In order for a product, such as the one referred to, to be used in Ireland it must be authorised either nationally or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Litigation is dealt with on behalf of my Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency, who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel in such litigation are not managed by my Department. The Veterinary Council of Ireland is under the aegis of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Grant Payments (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) currently provides grant aid for investment in new structures rather than repair of existing structures. Where buildings have been significantly damaged it may be more economic to replace the entire structure, rather than attempting to repair the damaged building. In such cases, it is open to farmers to apply for support for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Animal Slaughtering (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is not mandatory that all Halal slaughter in Ireland requires pre-stunning under current legislation. My Department verifies compliance with EU Regulation 1099/2009 on Welfare at Slaughter. Article 4(4) of this Regulation specifically permits animals to be slaughtered without stunning if slaughtered under certain religious rites.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Animal Slaughtering (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has no oversight or auditing role in any aspect of halal certification of foods, including those used in public sector catering or school meals.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Artificial Intelligence (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is not currently using or considering the use of agentic AI in the delivery of its services or operations. All current and future AI use cases are subject to human review, data protection and governance measures. My Department is committed to ensuring that any use of AI is informed by an assessment of any potential human rights and equality implications, with a need for careful...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Water Pollution (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together. My Department is supporting the work of the inter-departmental Lady’s Island Oversight Group, led by Wexford County Council, which also involves the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage , Local Authorities Water Programme Office (LAWPRO), and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). This work is being led...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reviews (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is an ongoing challenge for Irish farmers. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers, their families and rural Ireland. I secured an increased budget allocation of €85 million for bTB in Budget 2026, providing a total budget of €157 million. I am confident that this increased budget will allow the revamped bTB programme to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Lands Branch of my Department has informed me that 196 applications were received from trustees of former Irish Land Commission trust properties seeking to have them transferred, under the Land Act 2005, to either local sports clubs or groups representative of local communities. 191 of those applications have been fully processed with 5 awaiting completion.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Lands Branch of my Department has informed me that 11 applications were received from trustees of former Irish Land Commission trust properties seeking to have them transferred, under the Land Act 2005, to either local sports clubs or groups representative of local communities. All of those 11 properties have been disposed of.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Projects (15 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir and I recently announced a new Bovine Tuberculosis Co-Operation Project by our Departments as part of the Shared Island Initiative to tackle the growing impact of bovine tuberculosis on farms in a pilot area. My Department and Minister Muir's Department will now engage in developing the overall...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Trade Agreements (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: I will not waste lots of time talking about it. A number of EU countries, such as Spain and others, and their ministers for agriculture speak glowingly of Mercosur. That is a fact. Those meetings are public and open for people to see. I do not need list the countries in question. We are in the minority at that Council in terms of continually raising concerns around this space. However,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is committed to reviewing all legislation relating to dogs, and in this regard it will be guided by the recommendations of the dog control stakeholder group. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in due course. In the meantime, I am fully committed to progressing the work in this area. My Department is also aware of the campaign the Deputy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (14 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: We are reviewing the legislation. This is a responsibility that has come into my domain in recent months. As a Deputy who was part of the negotiating team for the programme for Government, and having been a Minister of State in the Department of agriculture, I was really keen for this to come under the remit of agriculture. I thought it was the right fit and that it is the right place for...