Results 161-180 of 753 for speaker:Pippa Hackett

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (28 Sep 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I fully acknowledge the Senator's positivity and commitment to the sector and welcome the fact he plans to attend some of the workshops. We see the promotion of forestry as something that enough people are already involved in. In the case of the forestry promotion project, as I indicated, a lot of private sector individuals are getting involved, which is very good given it is diverse, it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I thank both Deputies. The council has been established to look at a number of issues. There are more recommendations in the feasibility study, with which we also need to push on. I have been at events where they show farmers how to manage their wool, and how to keep it dag free and increase the value of the wool from that point. We are dealing with research through the wool research and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I thank the Deputy for her continued interest in this. The wool sector is an important aspect of the wider agrifood sector. The Irish-grown wool council was officially formed on 5 April 2023. It is an independent stakeholder-led council. Members of the council represent a wide range of different industries and interests from within the wool sector including: farmers, wool merchants, sheep...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Pippa Hackett: The recommendation from the feasibility study was that the wool council be established by the sector itself. It was not that the Department or a Minister should guide the work in that regard. That was strongly stated in the recommendation in the feasibility study. That is what has happened. There is wide representation on the council. I understand the council has met. I do not have a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Jul 2023)

Pippa Hackett: There have been two worrying developments in the past few days that merit discussion and a moment for us to pause and reflect. The first was a public meeting in Ballinasloe over the weekend on the nature restoration law. Many of us have spoken previously on the importance and value of restoring nature and the potential opportunities this can offer both urban and rural Ireland. Restoring...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (4 Jul 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I welcome Senator Boyhan's interest in forestry and I am glad he shares my commitment to forestry. We both appreciate it is an extremely valuable sector to our country and will be very important for our climate ambitions. A strong funding commitment is imperative in realising the Government ambitions for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. As such the referenced €1.3 billion package...

Seanad: Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Jun 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I thank all the Senators. I was watching some of the debate on the screen in my office, as I had another meeting. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, had to leave, but I thank Members on his behalf for contributing to today's debate. It is clear there is widespread welcome for this legislation. Clearly, the impassioned speeches we heard in the Housefor the agrifood sector and primary...

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: Before I start, I want to call out Deputy Danny Healy-Rae's nasty attack. I was elected to the Seanad and appointed to Cabinet under the Irish Constitution which he should go and read. How dare he cast aspersions on my right to be here. I find his constant tirades at me in this Chamber quite awful. Anyway, I return to the debate at hand. As my colleague the Minister, Deputy...

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I brought this up previously as well.

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: The Deputy and I have had conversations.

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: How dare the Deputy say that.

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: The Deputy and I have had our own conversations about organic farming.

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I have asked him many times how his organic farm is going.

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: You might want to read the Constitution.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I heard an interesting phrase at our church service in Geashill on Sunday morning, namely, "to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often". Who does not aspire to be perfect? The climate and biodiversity crises have plunged us into a significant time of change for every aspect of our lives. Some of us want to embrace this challenge and see the value in making changes in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (25 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I thank the Deputy. Quite frankly, the state aid rules were not available to us until January. We could not have made a submission on 1 January because we did not know what the rules were and could not engage with them. Unfortunately, we could not do anything about that. The last programme was extended by two years. In terms of afforestation over the past couple of years there was a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (25 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: In other European countries, they do forestry differently. We are an outlier because have a massive ambition to increase afforestation. A lot of European countries are not in that boat; they are maintaining what they have and managing it differently. I understand some forestry support across Europe comes through the CAP which is a different process and was negotiated at a different time....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (25 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: We are diversifying the model. I encourage the Deputy to look at the new forestry programme. It is far more diverse than previous models. As the Deputy knows, forestry is a long-term project. It takes decades for forests to grow and thrive. We are not only diversifying the options available for farmers but also the tree species in commercial plantations. We cannot be all about saying,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (25 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I know, but the point the Deputy is making is that he is critical of the model. What we are also doing is diversifying how we manage trees. This is also about management. We are seeing supports provided for continuous cover models, where there are trees of mixed age and species. Farmers are engaging with this initiative. It is a process. We are seeing Coillte transforming some of its...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Forestry Sector (25 May 2023)

Pippa Hackett: I suppose the Deputy's question did not specifically relate to roadside trees but it is an essential element of this context. As I said earlier, I think about one quarter of our trees, whether in hedges or out in the countryside, are ash. Ash dieback, therefore, is having a significant impact not only on plantation owners but in the wider countryside as well. We are, therefore, going to...