Results 161-180 of 2,944 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Supports (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: It will come up in the next one. I will answer it if I can. I answered a question earlier about when the Department had to introduce mandatory online form filling. Many people made the point that the average age of our farmers is 57 or higher. We have so many farmers in their 70s trying to navigate an IT system. There was huge concern that we would not be able to manage that. People...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Inshore Fisheries (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The Department and I continue to work on the commitment set out in the programme for Government on the banning of pair trawling inside the 6-mile limit as a matter of priority. In December 2018, following a public consultation process, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced that vessels over 18 metres would be excluded from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. When the question was tabled, the matter to which it relates was topical for all farmers. Thankfully, we have had good progress since then, allowing me to give the Deputy a positive response. The agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is the central agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: The advance payment is one feature of our payments system that we have managed to handle very well until now. It is a key component that farmers are used to but, obviously, a lot of pressure is being put on our system with that. Among the applications that have been submitted, I am not sure off the top of my head what the advance payment amounts to but we are going to get it in during the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: The advance payment will be paid in the fourth quarter and the balance will be paid in early 2024. One point that is of key concern to farmers is that the decision letters are scheduled to issue from 8 March, yesterday. A certain number of applications were found to be invalid and a decision letter, notifying applicants of any rejections, giving the reason for the rejection and providing a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: The Deputy has made a couple of important points. I will go back to BIM, raise his points with it and ask for a response. There is no public record or register of fishermen in Ireland. Most are employed as share fishermen, that is, they are self-employed. In administering the scheme, BIM cannot check whether or how long any individual crewman has worked on a specific fishing vessel....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fishing Industry (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: As the Deputy is aware, Ireland has never made any claims to, nor has Ireland ever recognised UK sovereignty claims over, Rockall. Accordingly, it has not recognised a 12 nautical mile territorial sea around it. This remains the position of the Government. The Government has been in contact with the relevant Scottish and UK authorities on Rockall over recent years and intensively since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fishing Industry (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: This is a matter that involves more than the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Department of Foreign Affairs has a key role to play. I will outline some of the interventions made by Government in recent times. As Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Martin, last discussed the matter of Rockall with Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, at the end of last year. It was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fishing Industry (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I have clearly outlined the approach of the Government to this. We have a long-standing Government policy which has not changed. Our policy is very clear regarding the position of Rockall and we continue to engage diplomatically. We have a key role to play in our engagement with our partners in Scotland. I have outlined the steps that have been taken and which we will continue to take....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Barry for raising this matter. In its report "Navigating Change" the seafood task force included in its recommendations the introduction of a voluntary permanent cessation scheme. A condition specified by the task force was that the premium paid to vessel owners under this scheme would include crew costs. These crew payments were based on a provision in the European...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Forestry Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: In regard to migrants, the scheme is, as I outlined, whether the crew member is a migrant or otherwise, fishers who worked at sea on board a vessel concerned by the permanent cessation, for at least 90 days per year in the last two calendar years. I will revert to the Deputy on the very specific nature of his questions. I do not have the response to that now. There are a number of terms...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Canney for raising what is an important point. The areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme is one of the most important supports for farmers. It helps to support and sustain agriculture in all four corners of Ireland and in the constituency the Deputy represents, as I am sure he is well aware. Those benefits trickle down to farmers' local communities as well. As a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I take on board the point and can only imagine how stressful it is to deal with individual farmers who missed out on this. On the Deputy's request for a review, I reassure him that we constantly review the system and how we do it. However, we have to work within the constraints of EU regulations as well. The ANC tick-box screen was displayed before the farmer could select the "no change"...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: I take on board how serious this is for the farmers affected, and that is why we have so many safeguards in place between the extra pop-ups on the screen to point out to the farmer that they are potentially about to make a significant mistake. In the 2022 application process, my Department issued an information letter in April of that year. We also reviewed applications on an ongoing basis,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: Apologies from the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, for whom I am filling in today. Both I and the Government are fully committed to maintaining a viable sheep sector as an integral element of a balanced regional economy. Sheep farmers are very committed to producing a world-class, safe and sustainable product, and the Government recognises that. Market prices are a commercial matter between...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: This is an important issue and I am delighted it is the first priority question. I will answer the Deputy's last point first. We are looking at every option but, pardon the pun, the bar to qualify for the BAR, the Brexit adjustment reserve, is very high. You have to prove a direct link to the impact from Brexit. The Deputy's earlier point was about markets. As Minister of State with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (9 Mar 2023)

Martin Heydon: The wool council is an industry-led approach. I understand it met before Christmas and is due to meet again soon. We will continue to work closely with it in its deliberations and on recommendations that come from there. Other work we have done in this area, including the support for early stage producer organisations, which will be introduced later this year, will strengthen the position...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Feb 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this really important point because this is the time of year when sheep farmers' focus is on lambing their ewes. Right now, sheep farmers throughout the country are in their sheds with their ewes wondering what return they will get for their efforts and time in the months ahead. This is a really concerning time for them. Every sector across the country in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authorities (22 Feb 2023)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising what is an important issue. He articulated it in terms that I can understand. When he started referencing Kildare and municipal districts, I could see the benefit of municipal districts and how they have worked well to streamline the decision-making process, so I can understand his frustration. On behalf of my colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Local Authorities (22 Feb 2023)

Martin Heydon: I appreciate the points the Senator made and I accept his frustration in that regard. In each of the Dublin local authorities and on Cork and Galway city councils, where area committees exist, decisions can be made in local areas but, as he pointed out, those decisions have to then be brought forward to the council for further discussion. He made his point well on subsidiarity. We know...