Results 1,561-1,580 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. As I said, I appreciate the Department is under pressure on this issue, which arises every year. Every Deputy will have met the same problem. However, I do not get a sense that the Minister of State realises how serious this issue is for some families in certain places. When there are no special needs, parents can make plans from the time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: I welcome the witnesses. I will come back to the Gresham House deal because it is a project of €2 billion, as Ms Gray said. I and the public do not believe the Minister or someone high up in the Department did not know before December. Who made the initial contact? Did Coillte approach Gresham House or vice versa? Did Gresham House get in touch with the Department? What was the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: I accept that in April-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Yes. When?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: In April 2022 or December 2022?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Mr. Carlin is going back over what Ms Gray said. I am asking a specific question. When was the decision made that Gresham House was the preferred choice?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: At that stage, we were talking about a €2 billion project.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Is Coillte trying to convince us that at that stage Coillte had decided to take Gresham House on board as a potential partner and no one was flagging it with a Minister or with the Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: In 2020, Coillte would have known the targets it needed to meet. Coillte got into discussions with Gresham House and everybody else. Coillte knew the €2 billion figure at that stage. It did not matter whether it was Gresham House, Martin Browne or Tim Lombard, Coillte knew at that stage the target it needed to reach. Why was the Department or the Minister not brought into those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: As I said at the start, trust is a major issue here. We have foresters and small farmers. We have farmers who have kept the industry going. When Coillte stayed away from it, they kept it going. That trust is not there at the minute. The more we listen to the dragged out answers such as we are getting here, the more that trust will not be repaired. I will move on. How long does this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Last week I and other members spoke about the concern at the price of land being driven up by the inequality of foresters and farmers trying to compete with investment funds. I do not know which of the Coillte representatives said a while ago that it would not be a problem. Even if land is scarce, this is an investment fund that has shareholders who will not care whether they have to take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: We agree with Coillte there. Ms Gray can talk about the 1%. If Coillte's investment company decides that it wants land in Tipperary to reach part of that 1%, it will come down and it will not care about the farmers in whatever area it identifies land. Coillte has to bear some responsibility and try to give assurances to the sector. Just as local authorities will not out-bid first-time...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: We cannot ignore what we are hearing in our own areas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Everyone here will say, bar the Coillte representatives, that when investment companies come in, they can distort the market if the want to do so. Coillte is saying the contrary. What evidence has Coillte that when it goes into an area to buy land that it will not distort the market and push out the foresters and the small farmers who have been doing forestry in those areas.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: I am conscious of time but I have two more questions. What is the purpose of purchasing existing forest if Coillte’s aim and primary concern is developing new forest? Is there likely to be a conflict in terms of meeting biodiversity aspects of the forestry programme and the need for those like Gresham House to deliver on demands from their investors?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: I will leave it at that. I am conscious that three other members wish to come in.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: Therefore, there is no end date in the deal between Coillte and Gresham House. It will roll over continuously.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: They might wake me up at Tipperary. Senator Murphy can even come.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: When was the decision made that it would be Gresham House?

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (1 Mar 2023)

Martin Browne: 104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools can refuse a child a place in a special class for children with autism based on continence issues, despite a recommendation for a place in such a class being made by a clinical psychologist.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10423/23]