Results 801-820 of 3,983 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The new national park is not primarily biodiverse. A large component of it is a working farm. When people hear the words "national park" they think of nature.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: In fact, there are no management plans for any of the national parks. Is that correct? None of them operates a management plan. Nature is not the key priority for them. They are very much a much broader entity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Does that include the ones that are farmed? A huge proportion of the Wicklow National Park is farmed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I suppose the question is whether there is space to have an overlap of 6 million visitors a year and protect nature. I am of the belief that there needs to be areas that are no-go areas where nature is allowed be. That is where Europe and the nature restoration was going as well. They were talking about highly protected areas. That language might have fallen out of the legislation. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is highly likely though, if one has disturbance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: As an ecologist, I would say that the likelihood is that if there is large footfall, if people are bringing their dogs in, if people are riding their horses through and if we are not managing deer, the reality, from a scientific perspective, is that any footfall will impact on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Okay, people bringing their dogs in then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: On the SACs, I know there was a court decision from Europe that there were not legal protections for 217 out of the 423 SACs we have. I think we are now probably up to 406. Can Mr. Ó Donnchú give us the latest figure on that? How many of the 423 SACs that came in under that court judgment are now covered by legal protections?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: There will be around 20 outstanding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I was out with a forester in Wicklow recently. He made the point that every forest in the county is moribund. One could not consider it to be growing but rather it is essentially in a state of death because of invasive species and deer. That is the number one challenge there. Obviously we do have some very important sites in Wicklow, including the Glen of the Downs in particular. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: How can a vet tell whether a hare is pregnant? I ask because there is no way of doing so up to a certain stage, particularly in the very early stages of pregnancy. I know that because I have spoken to vets about the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is actually impossible to tell.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: This is one of the important conditions-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: -----under whish the service issues a licence. As I have raised with the Minister, if it is technically and medically impossible to tell if a hare is pregnant, there is no way of knowing whether any of the coursing entities can do so. They cannot comply with the conditions as set out in the licence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: A reply would be great.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Thank you.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: An Garda Síochána (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 140. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the interdepartmental working group examining the retirement requirements for post-1995 entrants to An Garda Síochána will complete its review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49977/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 352. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality what the median processing times are for citizenship applications; what measures are in place to address the long processing times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49980/23]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 353. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the applications of persons (details supplied) who applied for citizenship in October 2021 and completed the e-vetting process in October 2022, can expect their application to move from the processing stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49981/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hare Coursing (14 Nov 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 375. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm if both Fermoy and Trim coursing meetings, scheduled to take place in recent weeks, were cancelled; if so, the reason for the cancellations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49471/23]