Results 1,221-1,240 of 1,625 for speaker:Pat O'Neill

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: I wish to be associated with the comments made by Senators Sean D. Barrett and Michael Comiskey in regard to the tragic accident involving members of the Spence family in Hillsborough, County Down. As an active farmer, I am aware of the campaigns highlighting the dangers presented by farm machinery. I agree with Senator Barrett that there should be a campaign to raise awareness of the toxic...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: I am not quite finished, a Chathaoirligh. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, we have been waiting two months to speak. Senator Thomas Byrne made reference, in regard to the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012, which we will debate this afternoon, to the existence of a two-tier health system. I remind the Senator that his party was in power for 14 years and had ample...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Yes; I am getting to it. The Fianna Fáil Party was in government for 14 years. When the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, was in opposition, he brought forward various proposals on how savings could be made. Senator Byrne's comments regarding the Minister were uncalled for.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Senator Byrne's party created this two-tier Ireland in the Galway tent.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Yes. My question to the Leader relates to the revenues arising from the replay of the All-Ireland hurling final. I welcome the GAA's decision to make a contribution to both teams' holiday funds. These players provide entertainment to many thousands of people.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Yes, it is. I am asking that the Revenue Commissioners deal with this contribution in the spirit in which it is being given. There should be no tax implications for players arising from it.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: That is out of order.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: I now understand the graph provided in the documentation, which shows there are five areas that are legislative in nature and approximately 16 areas in which private software companies are competing with the ICBF or Teagasc.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Given the age profile of the men and women involved in agriculture, the figure of 35,000 farmers using the agfood.ie website is a good one. I am aware that the ICBF's HerdPlus.com is being promoted in agricultural colleges because my son attended agricultural college last year and came home with the HerdPlus.com package. Private companies will not be able to compete if the ICBF is promoting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Yes. Do AgriNet and Kingswood Computers have access to young farmers attending agricultural college? The ICBFis selling the HerdPlus package.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Is the figure 35,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: I think I have most of the answer to the question I was going to ask. The more information on agriculture we can gather, the better in respect of progression and statistics, of which I have seen printouts. Can the witnesses explain the link to the departmental site agfood.ie? If I register a calf in the morning, whether by sending a postcard or registering online, it is in the system. If...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: It is part of the process of running a farm. If animals are born, one must register them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Is Mr. Lynskey saying that anything fed from the farmer through the system is not automatically passed on to the Department or Teagasc? Must the farmer give his or her permission, aside from the case of calf registration?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: In the reverse case, is there any feedback from those websites to the witnesses' systems?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Does everything provided through the software by farmers go to the Department? What comes back from the Department to the company? The witnesses' companies will not provide a report on the fertility rate on the farms with which they are associated in respect of the AgriNet software.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Information from the Department, with the exception of calf registration, cattle movement and cattle slaughtering, is of no benefit to the witnesses' companies. The Department does not have to give anything back, whereas the witnesses must give everything to the Department.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Who is developing new software in the Department to improve the packages available? We do not know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Management Information Technology Systems: Discussion (18 Sep 2012)

Pat O'Neill: If one goes to page six of the other document supplied by the delegation on getting the public-private balance right, it is interesting to see what services were provided in 2000 and that in 2009, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Teagasc provided some of these services. In respect of innovation, we all know computers and software are evolving, especially with things...

Seanad: Presidential Nominations: Motion (18 Jul 2012)

Pat O'Neill: Senator Norris can reply at the end of the debate.