Results 8,481-8,500 of 11,413 for speaker:Matt Carthy

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: That is fair enough. My understanding from the EPA's engagement with us earlier is that essentially it was advocating a farm-by-farm analysis approach rather than a blanket one-size-fits-all. The consultation document that caused so much consternation in my view advocates a one-size-fits-all approach or, at least, does not reflect the need to deal with this. Some farmers have pristine...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Mr. Nolan is saying that the solution is for extensive farmers to look at intensifying.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: I have a difficulty with that. This is a much broader debate. I engage with farmers who on all three counts are getting screwed at the moment. They are operating at a loss in terms of the prices they receive, they are on the lowest level of payments and they are getting no benefits for never having chopped down their hedges. They have maintained biodiversity on their grounds, they do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Is that a genuine cause for concern for those farmers? In other words, will this equipment still be eligible for grant aid even in the event that it becomes mandatory?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Mr. Nolan should not get into the political questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: My question then is which will be more effective - the carrot or the stick?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: I am aware of them. Do I have time for a point of clarification?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: The draft plan states that the Dairy Sustainability Ireland working group has commenced a project to look at options for driving reductions of both national and catchment scale and that the project is at its initial stages. The IFA stated that it is not aware of the Dairy Sustainability Ireland working group referred to in this proposal and that it is its understanding that no such group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: The draft plan says that the Dairy Sustainability Ireland working group has commenced a project.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: What about the IFA statement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Okay. It is referred to in the plan. That is the only reason I asked the question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Given the witnesses all get on so well, would it not make sense for them to all operate under one Department? Is Mr. Nolan allowed to answer that question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Directive, Water Quality and Pollution: Discussion (13 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: As an organisation, does the EPA have any contradictions or competing obligations in its role? One of the points that came up at our last meeting with hill farmers was the suggestion that even with very low density stocking rates there would still be an obligation to fence off watercourses, although the land designation would make that impossible without going through an awful rigmarole with...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: I move amendment No. 1: In Schedule 2, inserted by paragraph (1), by the substitution of "€373.39" for "€383.42". This amendment seeks to amend the 50 cent increase on tobacco to 30 cent, in line with our alternative budget proposals. Very importantly, this reflects the concerns that the Revenue Commissioners have already relayed to the Department of Finance. Essentially,...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: The matters are related.

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: The only difference that today's budget will bring to most workers and families is that their fuel and heating costs will increase again tonight. This very night petrol and diesel prices will increase again. The Government has been told that families are already struggling with energy and fuel hikes. This year energy companies have increased their prices 30 times. The price of a litre of...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: I appreciate the leniency of the Ceann Comhairle. This is important because the change is happening at midnight tonight.

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Financial Resolution No. 1: Tobacco Products Tax (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Families, the people who get up early in the morning, are struggling. They have already told the Government that they are struggling to meet housing and childcare costs. Today nothing was provided for them, except a further increase in the cost of getting to work. How out of touch can we be? It is scandalous that the Government did not have the guts to put the latest hike before the House...

Financial Resolutions 2021 - Budget Statement 2022 (12 Oct 2021)

Matt Carthy: Families will be crippled.