Results 1,361-1,380 of 5,615 for speaker:Andrew Doyle

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Does anyone else wish to contribute? I am mindful that other members have yet to arrive, but do the witnesses have a response to the questions? It has been recommended that, under the Common Agricultural Policy, access and priority should be given to smaller communities. This important recommendation has come after the report was finalised. In a way, there has been a meeting of minds and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: When the report was prepared by the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA, we did not have any say in the recommendations. The then Minister, Phil Hogan, commissioned the report and Pat Spillane chaired the commission. As part of the implementation process of the commission's report, there may be an opportunity to tie it in with coastal and island communities in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: That is part of it, certainly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: One of the recommendations called for the formation of a collective island representative organisation, and this has been done. It would seem to fly in the face of that to split them up again. The committee could easily draft something, and it would back up a recommendation we made for a cohesive approach to the island communities. There is no problem with writing to the Minister. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Following on from that, do the fisheries forums within each FLAG focus specifically on fishing? I know it involves all aspects of fishing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Although it does not relate directly to fishing, I note the additional measures under Pillar 2 of the rural development plan whereby islands have been given enhanced payments, which is helpful to the farming sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I accept that. However, the report deals with coastal and island communities. Farming is one piece of that and it is well for me to acknowledge it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: The Minister would have something to say to me if I did not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: We received a response from the then Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, when we made inquiries with him. We also received a reply from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when we sought information from it. We can certainly circulate details of the replies we received at that time. I welcome Deputy Ferris. I must inform him that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: That might be a good starting point. The House sits on every second Friday and there is an opportunity for each committee to list a topic for debate. The topic discussed is chosen by means of a lottery. We have listed the report to be taken for debate. Perhaps the members of the committee could co-ordinate on a cross-party basis in order to ensure that a debate on this matter takes place...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: If they come before us, we should ask what they plan to do on foot of the recommendation relating to the Common Fisheries Policy to the effect that priority access should be given. We will seek to invite the relevant departmental officials - including those with expertise in the area of rural affairs - to come before us. There is a kind of dovetailing here that needs to happen. Did Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: That is fair enough. That is an aspiration we should all hold.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Much of what we were trying to do covers rural, coastal and island communities. The package of recommendations, in the preparation of which we were involved, covers all of that area. That is why I referenced the farming aspect, and the tourism aspect is important as well. Taking Deputy Ferris's point, once we get the chance to have the Bill debated in the House and get an official...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Exactly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Correct, yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: Not necessarily. It is a report with recommendations. The committee members get an opportunity to present their report with a list of recommendations and get feedback from the relevant Minister or Ministers. The idea would be that we would concentrate on an outcome, namely, to get agreement to set up an implementation body or whatever with the involvement of two or three members from this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: It would be helpful. Recommendation No. 10 was highlighted, which is fair enough, and there are others we could look at as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: In terms of the relevant ones, four or five.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: What we can do is forward to Mr. Early the responses we got from the different Departments at the time we circulated it to them. Also, while the witnesses are identifying the priorities, it might be worthwhile if we could establish what could happen in the short, medium and long term as well. I think we can conclude the meeting. Deputy Ó Cuív must have got delayed somewhere....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities: Discussion (17 Feb 2015)

Andrew Doyle: I am sure he is. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. Having visited Inis Oírr, I know they have taken a very long trip and they are dependent on many elements to get on and off that island. We nearly did not get back, although we would not have cried too much if that had happened. I thank the representatives from the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation,...