Results 61-80 of 5,375 for speaker:Danny Healy-Rae

Office of the President: Motion [Private Members] (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: That is all right, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will not name names but many people feel a certain other lady should have had a chance to run. I regret, as others do, that certain people did not get a chance. The likes of the man I mentioned did so much to secure the Good Friday Agreement and for the well-being of our country. It is regrettable that he did not get a chance. He would have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I am glad to get the opportunity to talk and to welcome these people here today. The more we talk about this, the more concerned I am getting. I remember when we talked about this back in my first term here in the Dáil. It was said that biodigesters were the way to go and it would help farmers to get rid of their slurry, and that is what it was to be about. Then, as for the Green...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: This comes from the Department. It states that the required anaerobic digestion and "related infrastructure ... [are] subject to consent, including but not limited to planning permissions ... ". I am worried about that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: In all this rush, we need to be very careful. I am fully behind anyone who wants it away from his or her house. I do not want it near my house. When I hear of explosions and all this, I would not want it near elderly people's houses. I would not want it near anyone's house. We know what it is costing to build them. We know what it is even taking to get planning permission. Young...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I went to the North of Ireland yesterday. I went through four counties. A number of tractors were drawing maize - big, savage loads of maize - and I found out that they were going to one of these digesters. If that is what is going to happen in the South of Ireland, that is enough for me. I heard the other day about grass being put into these things. What we started out with was some way...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I do not think they will ever say to cut the turf.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: It is a pity the witnesses from the National Biogas Concern Group will not have an opportunity, as well as us, to put questions to the next group of witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: Sorry, I cannot hear you at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: With no disrespect to the two witnesses, it is very clear to me that the Department is pushing this through without due diligence and planning. From what I have heard, I do not think people need to go for planning permission to get one of these things built. Is that right or wrong?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: Is it in the Kerry county development plan? Is there a strict set of guidelines that says you have to be 1 km away from an existing house?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: There are no regulation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: This is very concerning. People's homes are their castles. There are so many people without houses. I applaud the people who have built their own houses and want to ensure the value is maintained and that they do not have to suffer these things beside them. It is absolutely reprehensible that the planning regulator will stick its nose into Kerry County Council and the county development...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: That is my concern. There does not seem to be any place for this to be thrashed out or for planners to do proper due diligence. For instance, when a fella puts in planning permission for a house-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: -----his application is sent to environmental services, water services, roads and all the different bodies to measure it and come back with an answer. The planner then makes the final decision. This is not happening in this case, is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: That did not answer my question at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: Mr. Kinsella mentions jobs and all the other benefits but there is no proper planning process for this. There is no specification as to where these plants can be put or what distance they have to be from a house. Is there that stipulation in any part of the regulations?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I know our senior planners look at what they have to adhere to but it is not appearing here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I am sorry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: There is no compulsion on them to do that at all. They can say they met a couple of fellas down the road who agreed with it but there is no account of the fellas who were against it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2025)

Danny Healy-Rae: I thank the witnesses very much.