Results 1-20 of 281 for likes to work speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice

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Primary School Funding: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I congratulate Deputy McNamara. I send my condolences to the Ó Muircheartaigh family. I commend Deputy Harkin on putting the motion forward. The same problem is in schools throughout the country, and in work and the price of work and so on. What no one understands is that over the past number of years, costs have gone up. Unfortunately, the likes of the capitation grant, and I...

Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Jun 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I wish the Minister well in throwing his hat into the ring. As regards the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, while I had many a chat with him in the Chamber over the past number of years since 2016, I could talk to him very well. We get on sound. I might not agree with his policies, but I will draw a separate political line between the man and the ball, as we say in the country. I also wish...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jun 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the motion. There are a few things to be said. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, have gone around Europe, where a lot of countries are kicking back at this law for the simple reason of the consequences it will have. It is bad legislation and should not be let in here. The Minister of State has spoken about it being voluntary. I will give...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Relief Schemes (23 Apr 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister of State for his reply, but this falls under the habitats directive. While we might not like the side of it that is looked at, it seems to put the turlough and the SAC before people. However, under the legislation and under the habitats directive there is emergency legislation to put a solution in place where a site of community of importance or an SAC is being damaged...

Nature Restoration Law: Statements (7 Mar 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. A few things need to be addressed. Earlier I heard reference to scaremongering. I hope it was not directed towards me because I was at the forefront of highlighting difficulties with the nature restoration law. I have dealt with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department for many years and I would not like anybody to think this,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (14 Feb 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the witnesses for appearing. I have met Mr. Gorman before and I wish Mr. Drennan the best of luck. The witnesses spoke about a few things and we need to be honest with them about those. The part about objections to planning is going on at the moment. The problem is that every council has a little document sent by the Department of housing. The witnesses should bear one thing in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)

Michael Fitzmaurice: That is the ambition. It is like the monitoring you have to do for the designated areas. Every four or five years, you have to get scientific stuff - is it poor, is it moderate, is it good? You then got a slap on the wrist from our good buddies in the European Court, to which you will be referred because you did not go in at favourable status. That is the way it works at the moment for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...the place. I am fairly familiar with the Wildlife Act but going by what has been said, it would be two years, at a push, before we would see good results. Some of the people we would be looking to change bits of legislation with might not be pushing it as fast as we would want, with some of the agendas being pushed in here. I am concerned legislation would be holding it up. Does Mr....

Planning and Development Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I want to thank the officials for the briefing they gave us on the Bill via Zoom a week or two ago. Planning in this country is in a total mess. We can bring in all of the legislation we want but at the end of the day it depends on what planning authority one is dealing with because there is no consistency in the planning system. It also depends on who is the director of planning and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Taoiseach said a few words, including "survey". What will a survey do for a small business of four or five people with one or two at the head who are trying to do everything and make sure everything is right? The other word he used was "software". We are back to the same thing. That is grand for a business with a HR department. It will have someone dedicated to that. The Taoiseach...

Immigration: Motion [Private Members] (6 Dec 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the opportunity to speak on this matter. Ireland is signed up under different protocols to take in a certain number of refugees every year and we are doing that. In fairness to the Irish people, when the war in Ukraine broke out, they opened their doors everywhere as has been pointed out by Deputy Tóibín. The Irish Red Cross made a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. I am talking about legislation. The Minister mentioned the people of Lough Funshinagh. There is a steering group for those people. This steering group looks like it is going to sit for another three or four years with the way it is going. The water is coming. You cannot stop the water. The problem is the habitats directive and the way it is being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Response to Ash Dieback: Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners (25 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Ministers will be responsible for not moving on this. Be it via county councils, the single farm payment or some other system, funding should be provided for any ash trees along a road to be cut down. This should have happened already because someone, somewhere is going to be injured or killed. We see what happens during storms. The other day I saw a branch of an ash tree snap...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: ...takes food out of the fridge and pegs it on the floor. Some 20 T-shirts a week must be bought when a tantrum is thrown. He wrecks the mirrors of the car and he is incontinent. The father is trying to keep the family together. We have got on to the HSE. Ironically, we are told that money is not a problem in these cases. The problem is that for children under adult age, there does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister and Mr. Massey and Mr. Callanan for coming before the committee. A few things need to be put on record. There has been a lot of commentary over the past week. Being honest, if the Minister had gone out to Europe and on the beer with Commissioner Sinkeviius for a week, it was not going to change the decision; that is being straight up. The simple reason is that we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: A 13-month-old or 14-month-old heifer weanling is 55 kg N/ha. That is what they go down as. I ask the officials to look at that. There is an opportunity and the guys who came out to Brussels with us, namely, the Cathaoirleach and Senators Paul Daly and Lombard, think there is an opportunity under animal welfare to make a case to be able to work with the Commission on that, though I might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Water Quality Monitoring Report: Discussion (19 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I have one final question. If we are looking at 179 high-priority rivers rather than at 800 rivers, which is a third of the 2,400, how can we say anything with certainty? It is like looking at a herd of cattle and saying 16 of them are bad. How can the EPA say these things when it does not analyse all of the different places and when some are analysed only every three years? I know the...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: At least the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is well familiar with the area. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring this motion on the nature restoration law to the Dáil. At the outset I want to make it clear that those of us who signed this motion are not against nature. Every one of us lives in nature; we promote nature; we were brought up with nature. We come from the land...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter. There are some positives, including that the population has increased in rural Ireland. The Department has the town and village renewal scheme and all the different things that have helped many communities; there is no denying that. The local improvement schemes have been a huge help as well and that has to be recognised. I live in rural...