Results 61-80 of 417 for speaker:Michael Comiskey

Seanad: Rural Development (1 May 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise the issue of the setting up of a rural development forum or commission, to look after issues in rural areas, in light of the rural development programme from 2014 to 2020. As many issues affect us in rural areas it is important there are structures in place to examine the problems going forward. It is clear from the rural development...

Seanad: Rural Development (1 May 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the Minister of State for a very good reply. I look forward to working with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, and all the other parties to bring about a good outcome for the people of rural areas.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Second Stage (3 May 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister to the House and I thank him for introducing this legislation as a Seanad Bill. As the Seanad spokesperson on agriculture I am pleased to speak on Second Stage today. I commend the Minister and the staff in the Department on their work on this Bill. The Animal Health and Welfare Bill is multifaceted in its aim and scope. It reflects a significant departure from...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I call on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to put in place an new agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, for farmers. There has been no scheme for a number of months and it is important that farmers who are exiting REPS 3 and 4 should have a scheme available to them. An environmental scheme has been in place for 18 years in Ireland and this is the first time there is a...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 May 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister to the House. This is a problem. I agree with Senator Ó Clochartaigh's point. Often at marts one sees animals abandoned or left behind. I heard of one occasion where a farmer came with his horse box and had two horses in it which did not belong to him. We will be able to overcome this with the micro-chipping of animals. When horses and donkeys are micro-chipped...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I join my colleagues in welcoming the inaugural Yeats Day and look forward to attending the function this afternoon in Sligo. It is a very good day for us. As my party's spokesperson in this House on marine issues, I welcome the agreement reached early this morning on the Common Fisheries Policy. I particularly welcome the move to end the requirement regarding discards, whereby fish are...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jun 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I wish to respond to Senator Thomas Byrne's comments on the west and Senators from there. I assure him the west is fully represented in the House this morning.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Jun 2012)

Michael Comiskey: The west is wide awake. I join colleagues in raising the issue of Cregg House. It is regrettable to hear that the sisters are withdrawing from the services. We should have a meeting with the HSE and the Minister to see if there is any way we can at the eleventh hour solve the problem. There is a deficit of €1.3 million. We must make an effort because we cannot allow vulnerable people...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the news this morning that the constituency report has been published. The good news is that, for the first time since 2004, County Leitrim has been reunited. There will be winners and losers in all of this but it is good news for the people of Leitrim. They will have an opportunity in future to elect a Deputy from among themselves.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Jun 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I support the call by my colleague, Senator Pat O'Neill on the issue of rates. I raised this a number of months ago. We are contacted regularly by people who have businesses, especially those who own a small rural pub and may not open their premises except for a couple of hours at night to serve the one or two customers who call in to them. They must pay for the significant rates levied on...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (4 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I welcome the Minister. This is an interesting Bill and it has become more interesting as the debate has continued. I was interested to hear what Senators Ó Murchú and Quinn said. It reminded me of when I did contract work in north Leitrim in the 1970s and I was mowing a field for an old farmer when we came upon a nest of corncrakes. The farmer took off his cap, gathered up all the...

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (4 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: Now.

Seanad: Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the Minister for a good debate. I agree with my colleagues on the other side in respect of the wildlife Bill and following publication I urge the Minister to bring it first to the House, where we can have a good debate. Farmers have been the custodians of the countryside as the Minister has said. We move forward to reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the rural development...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: Briefly, it is important that no additional fees be imposed on farmers. At present, farmers pay for their tags and testing and it is important that no additional fees be imposed on them.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I join with my colleagues in welcoming this stimulus package. I support my colleague, Senator Mullins's, call for a debate on job creation to be taken later in the year. There has been much talk about job creation but a number of worrying things have come to my notice in the past few days. Two people have set up small companies employing 12 to 15 people. Some 20% of the first company's...

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I second the amendment but I am agreeable to what has been outlined. We had discussions with the officials and there may be a compromise on the issue.

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (18 Jul 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I thank the Ministers and his officials. We had almost nine hours of debate on this. Coming from a farming background, I know that in 99.9% of cases farm animals and pets are very well looked after but we must legislate for the cases where they are not.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Sep 2012)

Michael Comiskey: Like previous speakers, I welcome colleagues back to the Seanad. I also welcome the forthcoming referendum on children's rights, which will be held on a Saturday. The latter is an important consideration for people who work away from home - in Dublin or wherever - and who will be able to return there to vote. I hope that we will continue to hold referendums, etc., on a Saturday in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Foresty Industry: Discussion with Coillte (2 Oct 2012)

Michael Comiskey: I thank Mr. Gunning and Mr. Egan for attending today. At this stage many of the questions have been raised. I am very much in favour of wind farming. Where Coillte has low-lying land or commonage land attached to forestry, where the commonage is not planted could farmers be allowed to buy or lease the commonage? There is a great deal of such land in my area. In cases where reasonably...