Results 181-200 of 2,325 for speaker:Tim Lombard
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: I appreciate that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Some of this will come down to the member state as well and how it implements the regulation. Have the officials thought about who will be taking the samples and what body will be responsible for the taking of samples? Are they looking at Teagasc, the EPA, the Department of the environment or their own Department? What entity do they believe will be making that report to the Commission?...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Deputy Fitzmaurice and I, as well as two other members, were with the European Commissioner last September. One of the criticisms he had was that there were multiple reports coming back regarding the water framework directive. The Commissioner said it was unclear what the Government was looking for because there were two Departments, Teagasc and the EPA all rowing in with their view. We...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: I take it the sampling regime being proposed will take in the entire land mass of Ireland, so we will be looking at all the agricultural land, our islands to some degree and also our urban centres.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Can the officials give me an indication of what has been proposed in our urban centres regarding quality of soil? If we look at where we are with our issues regarding our urban settings at times, trying to ensure we reach the standard could be an issue. We could put a plan in place for agricultural settings but with urban centres, I would be concerned about the contamination in that soil...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Are the officials worried we could sign up for the directive and our urban centres could be the sting in the tail when it comes to trying to ensure we qualify as having good soil quality? Have there been any negotiations at a European level regarding the officials' engagement so far? Our urban centres are quite moderate in size in a European context. I am sure other countries will have...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Mr. Ryan said we are at the starting point of this negotiation. There is a European election happening and in the next four or five months a new Commission President and definitely new Commissioners. If they have it, will the officials outline the pathway for this proposal going forward, taking into consideration the changes to the political landscape that could change in the next few months?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: That is kind of where I am going and it is probably my ignorance of the actual process. If it is not completed by May, does it go back to the start of the process again or where does it go? Do the conversations and negotiations Mr. Medlycott is talking about begin again in September at the same level?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: From our point of view, when the Dáil is dissolved whenever it is going to be dissolved in the next few months, whatever legislation and committee hearings are set will just fall and it is up to the new Dáil to start proceedings at the start again. It does not matter what level we are at regarding negotiations, we go back to the start and the clock starts again. That is my point....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Okay. I just was not aware. Deputy Fitzmaurice wants to come back in again.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Is the Deputy proposing to make up the parliament for Europe?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: I apologise, gentlemen.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Just before we finish up, because I realise we will be running over time, can I ask a few questions? In the fourth paragraph of the opening statement, it is mentioned that the EU Commission estimate that more than 60% of European soils are unhealthy. Where did it come up with that data from? Has it started a process of testing soils and if so, where does Ireland fit into that? Are we...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Where is Ireland so?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Of the 60% of unhealthy soils, could we say Ireland is 30% unhealthy soils?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: Is there any way we can get our national figure regarding what has been stated by the Commission about that 60%? Is that information gathered at some stage?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: It could be very helpful because I think-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: When it comes to the soils we are talking about here, such as the breakdown between forestry, agriculture, urban, they will all be part of the criteria of testing. Would I be right in saying that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: It would be a concern-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (24 Jan 2024)
Tim Lombard: -----and how to actually deal with that then because I am not sure what practices could be changed on the forestry part of the island regarding what we are doing at the moment.