Results 1,841-1,860 of 4,399 for speaker:Martin Browne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Let me assure the witnesses that the only interest of investment or vulture funds is profit. They are not worried about the additional sources we need in this country. I will leave it at that. The question has been asked. However, I can assure our guests that we will be back in a couple of years' time when we have a shortage of local foresters and small farmers who have been driven out of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Is Ms Hurley saying that there is another 100,000 ha required, or that they need to get to 100,000 ha?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Where are they now in terms of that 100,000 ha?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Strategic Vision: Coillte (13 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The small farmers and the small foresters are competing for that 100,000 ha with investment funds. I will leave it at that. Most of my questions have been answered and more members are looking to come in.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The issue is with speed.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: We have dealt with this matter time and again at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister of State cannot deny at this stage that the Department's performance in forestry licensing is putting many prospective foresters off planting. While we may have problems now, we are facing into major ones down the road because of this. We have an annual target of 8,000 ha,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The Minister of State is in fairyland. The Government can congratulate itself all it likes, but its targets are not being met. Only 4,728 ha have been licensed this year. That is not an achievement, but a missed target. This topic has taken up most of the time of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine since I have been a member of it. Time and again, we have been told...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: I welcome the increased premiums and grants, but faith in the system needs to be regained among farmers and foresters. Lengthy delays in processing applications are resulting in many choosing not to plant. They foresee the same delays happening down the road as affected felling licences. There is another area of discontent. Coillte's felling licences are above target. If we are to see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The establishment of an all-island wool council was a recommendation of the wool feasibility study. We are supportive of that. I understand the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, has reached out to stakeholders. Will she outline if she intends to follow through with this on an all-island basis? Will she also outline the timeframe she is setting for that?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I suggest that the timeframes to date have been anything but satisfactory. A review of wool-based products was promised when the programme for Government was being put together, but it took until July 2021 for a tender to be put out in the first place. It was not until December 2021 that it was confirmed that a tender had been awarded and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: I asked about the establishment of the all-island wool council. I note that in the Seanad the Minister of State spoke about stakeholder engagement, but there seems to be a lack of clarity on the all-island aspect of that. The Sinn Féin spokesperson for agriculture in the North raised the matter and was told that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Is the Minister of State engaging with DEFRA in the North? What stage are the discussions at?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Reviews (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Will the Minister of State please do that and let me know what stage the discussions have reached?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: There is just one other category on which I would like to get the Minister's thoughts, namely, dairy farmers and hill farmers who would have lands classified as category 1 under the areas of natural constraint. They also fall outside the new peer group. This group is also not immune to the increases in fodder, feeding costs, etc. They are also food producers who are trying to make a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: Does the Minister intend to reopen the fodder scheme to new applicants? The purpose of the scheme is to incentivise farmers to have enough fodder for the coming winter. Would it not be prudent to take measures to maximise participation by not restricting it to those in the scheme last year? Why was the scheme devised in a manner that excludes so many farmers?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The Minister has made it clear that it will be open for people who did not qualify last year. For example, someone who took over a farm would not have submitted the application in time. They may apply in the spring. I agree with him that the majority of farmers plan ahead and ensure they have enough fodder for their animals. Did he say that payments went out this week and the new...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: I welcome everyone to the meeting. All those present in the committee room are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others from the risk of contracting Covid-19. The first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of our previous two meetings on 23 November and 24 November 2022. They have already been approved at our virtual private meeting, but for...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: I remind members of the constitutional requirement that they must be physically present within the confines of the place in which Parliament has chosen to sit, namely, Leinster House, to participate in public meetings. I will not permit a member to participate where he or she is are not adhering to this constitutional requirement, and any member who attempts to participate from outside the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Housing and Homelessness in County Kildare: Kildare County Council (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: The next item on our agenda is an engagement with Mr. David Creighton, senior architect, and Mr. Thomas Kelleher, senior executive quantity surveyor, from Kildare County Council in relation to Mr. Eamon Broughan's petition, No. 2 of 2022, entitled "Homelessness is a cancer, blocked up houses are not the cure". Before we begin I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Housing and Homelessness in County Kildare: Kildare County Council (8 Dec 2022)

Martin Browne: That is fine. Thank you, Senator. On behalf of the committee I extend a warm welcome to Mr. Creighton and Mr. Kelleher. I suggest that Mr. Creighton's opening statement should not exceed ten minutes. We will then have questions and comments from members, with each member allocated approximately ten minutes for same. Members may contribute a second time if they wish. I invite Mr....