Results 261-280 of 753 for speaker:Pippa Hackett

Forestry Sector: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jan 2023)

Pippa Hackett: The fund will not seek to purchase any public lands and any land purchased by the fund, whether it is an existing forest or bare land, will already be in private ownership. Despite Deputy Boyd Barrett again repeating inaccurately that the fund could plant up to 100,000 ha of new forests, I want to clarify that this fund will plant roughly 3,500 ha over a five-year period, meaning an...

Forestry Sector: Motion [Private Members] (24 Jan 2023)

Pippa Hackett: Genuine concerns about forestry have been raised in recent weeks, particularly in relation to the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund. It is because of those concerns that I am happy to have this opportunity to speak about the upcoming forestry programme, the forest strategy, and the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund. Government policy is to increase our forest estate from 11.6%, to 18% by 2050....

Seanad: Animal Health and Welfare (Dogs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (14 Dec 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senator Boylan for bringing forward this legislation. At the outset I should say that the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, intended to take this item. I offered to replace him because the bell has been ringing non-stop in the Dáil and I wanted to facilitate the smooth passage of the debate and look after the welfare of my fellow Senators. That is why he is not here. It is worth...

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

Pippa Hackett: As a female farmer, I can say that there is not equality. That is the problem. There is not equality on the ground. Female farmers own 13% of the farms. There are cultural elements there and farms are not being left to girls, daughters and nieces, but it is difficult. There are amazing female farmers out there but it is difficult to be a female farmer. When one goes to the mart, it is...

Seanad: Wood for Construction: Motion (30 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senators for their contributions. It is clear that there is support across the House for this Green Party motion. I thank the Seanad for the opportunity to welcome this Private Members' motion on the use of wood in construction. As the Minister of State with responsibility for land use, biodiversity and forestry, I recognise the important link between our forest resource and the...

Forestry: Statements (24 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Deputies for their contributions. It is clear that across the House, while there are different views on where we are headed, everyone wants the forestry sector to be successful. That is important to acknowledge. We need it to be a success in the context of the climate, nature, water quality, wood production, our people, the wider economy and rural areas. I welcome Deputy...

Forestry: Statements (24 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I am grateful for the invitation to address the House. I welcome the opportunity to speak to Members about forestry at a time governments across the globe are seeking to implement policy solutions to tackle the climate crisis. In recent years we have had our own crisis in the forestry sector, with particularly low planting rates. Today I will outline the Government's plans to reverse that...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: Tomorrow, we will shop. In fact, such is the pull of black Friday for Irish consumers that AIB recently suggested that over the next few days, we will shop at the rate of €18,000 per minute. I am planning to speak here for three minutes, and I will let you do the calculations yourselves. What is this draw to shopping? One theory is that our new purchase lifts our mood because it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Road Tolls (22 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this matter. In Ireland more than 80% of animal feed for ruminants is provided by grass, hay and silage, complemented where appropriate by compound feeds. From an animal feed perspective, the pig, poultry and dairy sectors in particular rely on high-protein feed rations that are primarily made up of soya bean and maize by-products. Ireland has a limited...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Road Tolls (22 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senator Boyhan and I take his points on board. We have limited capacity to grow our own and more growing of our own is something that the Department has tried to support in the past year, as we cannot grow GM food in Ireland. In this regard the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, recently announced a second tillage incentive scheme which has as its focus the purpose of increasing the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Agriculture Industry (22 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank Senator McGreehan for raising this issue, which is as close to her heart as it is to mine. The sheep sector is extremely important to the Cooley Peninsula and to County Louth as a whole. I agree wholeheartedly with all the positive benefits she has outlined in the context of wool. The production of wool is an important aspect of the agriculture industry. According to data from the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters (Resumed): Agriculture Industry (22 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I agree there is a great opportunity here. I recently saw some photos of what could have been an organic horticultural grower that was using wool in its polytunnels as the mulch and insulator, which it had bought from a neighbouring farmer, with nice symbiosis. That is just one example, and there are plenty of others throughout the country. I often get correspondence asking why we do not...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I too extend the sympathies of my Green Party colleagues to the friends and family of Vicky Phelan. She was a once-in-a-generation advocate for change. May she rest in peace. Here in Ireland, the vast majority of homes and buildings are made from concrete and steel. We have yet to embrace timber construction in the way many of our near neighbours and European partners have. This is a...

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I am delighted to have the opportunity to address fellow Senators on the important topic of forestry. I thank them for the invitation. It is timely that I bring forestry matters to the House, especially in light of the current focus on climate change, with COP27 now into its second week, and the urgent need for climate action. It is well recognised that planting trees is one of the most...

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: We have.

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I thank the Acting Chairperson and the Senators for the invitation to speak and their passionate input into their questions and statements. This issue has been discussed at length since I took office and continues to be discussed. After a little over two years, we are getting to a stage where the sector is in a much healthier position and state. We are about to embark on a new strategy for...

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: All of that will be part of the LULUCF calculations, which are separate from agricultural emissions. This will come into play in the next year or year and a half when we complete the land use review. That involves how we use our land. Forestry will be included in that but we certainly need to get moving in terms of planting trees.

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: Perhaps that is something we can look at further down the line. We are not overly keen on burning anything but energy. There might be something for heat.

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: I know there are some other issues relating to-----

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Pippa Hackett: We are cognisant of that and need to look into it. We have made mistakes in the past in terms of what we have done with our peatlands and forestry. There are also some good examples. It is not good to be negative all the time about it. Our engagement with the public and stakeholders this year has been like nothing before. I welcome the general warm welcome for the programme. I know the...