Results 81-100 of 595 for speaker:William Aird

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Court Accommodation (9 Oct 2025)

William Aird: I thank the Minister for the opportunity to raise the issue of a new courthouse for County Laois. They requirement for a new courthouse has long been recognised. The National Development Plan, NDP, 2018-2027 identified the need for new courthouses in a number of locations with substandard facilities, including in my hometown of Portlaoise. The current facilities in Portlaoise are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Social Farming: Discussion (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: We will let the Deputy in again the next time round. I call Deputy Kenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Social Farming: Discussion (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: I welcome everyone here. The ask, for €100,000, is very small. If given, how would it filter down to a social farming group in a way that would enable it to say it has an extra €10,000 or €20,000 to spend in the coming year? This is very important. The whole concept is brilliant, of course. What else could we say? It is small ask and the results are so rewarding....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Social Farming: Discussion (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: Yes. We have to congratulate those concerned. The story of its setting up and the way it operates is worth telling those interested in other counties. Farming and the social element can gel very well together. We realise there are hazards on farms and that, as has been said, not every farm will be suitable. However, all I can tell Mr. McCrohan is that he is lucky to have the like of Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Social Farming: Discussion (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: I know that, and I know the organisation will take €120,000. Deputy Healy-Rae said it is loose change after the budget. I would call it a bit of good luck money for those in south Kerry. I am delighted the witnesses are here. It is of great benefit to us today. This discussion is so different from that of last week, when we were arguing about the budget. Today we are talking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: I welcome all of the witnesses here today. We recently had a good briefing from their association. Most of the questions I would have asked have been asked by Deputy Fitzmaurice, Senator Paul Daly and everybody else. To go back to the history of it, I remember that, when I started off farming, I did not need anybody. I was able to fill out the forms when they came out, although there were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: In all fairness to the Deputy, the Government cannot say what is going to happen with TB. She might even have more knowledge-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: The Deputy might have more knowledge-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: -----than the Government because she works with animals every day. My point is that when we have the Minister or the officials - it will be Ted Massey who comes in to us as well, and a couple more people - sitting there, we just have to ask them if we can have joined-up thinking. That is all. The farmer will have to pay again if the witnesses are able to even buy the information from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: -----but no farmer I know is able to do the work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: Everybody should be sharing their information on the derogation-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: -----and that is hugely important.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: And Deputy Newsome Drennan should not be heckling either.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: Mr. Canning said that farmers should be paying the advisers; that I should be paying them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: They need the information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: If I asked a Teagasc adviser, he would say that the witnesses are earning five times more money than he is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Supports for Private Advisory Providers Delivering Advice on Nitrates and Water Quality Improvements: Agricultural Consultants Association (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: Does the Department of agriculture feed into the information the Agricultural Consultants Association has? There are so many people there and the consultants have a huge amount of knowledge. I presume the Department looks for that knowledge on derogation and everything like that. The consultants have a whole lot of knowledge so I presume it looks for that knowledge.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Fire Stations (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: 94. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will commit to the recommended delivery of a new fire station in Rathdowney, County Laois in the new Fire Services Capital Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53589/25]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (8 Oct 2025)

William Aird: 110. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of homes delivered and approved in County Laois under both the affordable purchase scheme and the first home scheme from 2022 to 2024 and to date in 2025; the proposed numbers for 2026 and subsequent years; the measures being taken to expand affordable housing options for working households above the social...