Results 1,681-1,700 of 7,773 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice
- Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (2 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I will furnish the Tánaiste with the details of that blood test and the ten-month wait. Regarding services for speech and language and psychology, there is a ferocious deficit at the moment. Perhaps the Tánaiste did not pick up my point. If the HSE is not able to provide a service in the area and the parents are willing to drive somewhere they can get it, I ask that those...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the guests. Since we have only ten minutes each, I will do the same as Senator Boyhan and ask questions quickly. Ms Gray said increasing afforestation by 100,000 ha would cost about €2 billion. That is about €8,163 per acre. I presume Ms Gray is counting on the Government giving Coillte the grant for planting.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Ms Gray gave a cost of €2 billion. I have just calculated that if Coillte were to buy and plant the land, it would work out at €8,163 per acre. Am I correct in saying that Coillte bought land yesterday with Gresham House for €8,000 per acre?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Did Gresham House not buy land in County Roscommon?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry. Maybe my information is incorrect.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Was there a deal done in Tipperary?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Was that land being bid on in July of last year?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: The deal is not with Coillte and Gresham House.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Is it part of-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: It is in under Coillte's portfolio now, is it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: -----and Coillte was here on 13 December. The announcement of the deal was on 16 December, and this went through Land Registry, which we thought very unusual. Bidding had to be done six months before that, and it was very coincidental, from the committee members' point of view. Would Mr. Carlin agree?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: On the last day that Coillte was in, it was stated that it was in negotiations. The negotiations must have wrapped up fairly quickly when, three days later after this meeting, Coillte was able to finalise everything. I know Coillte stated the negotiations were at an advanced stage. As a committee, we said we would have liked if Coillte had come in to update us before it finalised anything,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I understand. That is fair enough. However, Coillte was asked by the public representatives on this committee to come in and address us before it was finalised, but that was not done. Is that correct?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: This committee does not matter.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I want to try and keep going. Ms Gray said that Coillte was concerned about Ireland meeting its targets. How is it that at the end of 2022 or in 2023 Coillte got this burst of concernment when in 2016 and 2017, Ireland still had the same figures and there did not seem to be a bother about it? Could Ms Gray explain this to me whether Coillte is concerned about Ireland's climate targets? My...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I just want to be clear. The forestry programme that was announced last year is not yet in place.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: It amounts to €1.3 billion but it is not in place. It is not for farmers alone, it is for companies, and it probably will be for Coillte.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Granted, but, as Coillte will be well aware and it went through this when the representatives were before the committee previously, that be it for felling licences or planting licences there was a major problem and a lot of farmers walked away from it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: I am sorry to interrupt Ms Gray. Some of the old agreements between farmers and Coillte are still dragging on. Am I correct that those issues have not been resolved?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forest Policy and Strategy (Resumed): Discussion (1 Mar 2023)
Michael Fitzmaurice: Good relationships need to be built up to basically resolve those issues so there might be a new relationship built.