Results 1-20 of 666 for at speaker:Martin Heydon

Road Safety and Maintenance: Motion [Private Members] (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and all the Deputies for their contributions to the debate on road safety, the maintenance of transport infrastructure and other issues. I thank the Labour Party for tabling the motion. I welcome the opportunity to debate this important topic on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Chambers, who addressed the House earlier. In...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Air Traffic Control Services (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Clonan for raising this matter. I answer this on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, who is unable to attend the Seanad today. As the Senator stated, the Department of Transport, has long exempted certain classes of airspace uses for the payment of en route air navigation charges. This arrangement derives from the exclusion of state aircraft from the scope of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Air Traffic Control Services (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Clonan again for raising this important point. The exemption of certain classes of flights from en route air navigation charges is a long-standing pratice, notwithstanding the specific points the Senator has made, which I will come back to. It is a long-standing practice set down in the Eurocontrol multilateral agreement, of which Ireland is a party. Ireland, in common with...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teacher Training (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for raising this important issue. Under section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. There are two standard routes recognised by the Teaching Council to become a primary teacher. These are a four-year undergraduate bachelor of education programme and a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Teacher Training (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy. In answering on behalf of the Minister for Education, I apologise for not specifically referring to Cork, which was mentioned in the Deputy's question. In fairness, the answer outlined the rationale for the situation as it has existed to date. It sets out what will inform future plans for provision at primary level, as the Deputy highlighted. The key point is that the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Industry (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising a very important topic. At any meeting with farmers the length and breadth of the country, they raise over-regulation, red tape, bureaucracy and all of the other work that takes them out of their fields and sheds and into their offices and kitchens, and all of the paperwork that goes with that. As a farmer, with my neighbours in Kildare, I know this is a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Industry (15 May 2024)

Martin Heydon: Deputy O'Sullivan raises valid points. The thing that strikes me when he is talking is that farmers are no different from any other business people. Anybody in business will tell us they can take difficult conditions once they have certainty. If they have certainty, they know where they are at. When things change it is a source of great frustration. It is important when we talk about...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Martin Heydon: I too would like to welcome our friends from Estonia. It is great to have them here. I hope they learn a bit about the challenges and opportunities we face in our agriculture sector, which is so important to the Irish economy. This spring has been unlike many others. There is a saying that farmers need to be optimists or they would not still be farmers, but the optimistic streak in our...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vaccination Programme (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator Horkan for raising this important issue. I too know people close to me who have suffered from shingles. It can have a debilitating impact. As is outlined in the response I have, which I will deliver on behalf of the Minister for Health who is unable to make it today, it can have serious implications, particularly for older people. Varicella is a common, highly...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Vaccination Programme (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator. As already stated, I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Health. Unfortunately, the funding details Senator Horkan requested have not been provided. However, I am led to believe that funding is not the key consideration here. We obviously have a national immunisation programme that is well funded. If the strong opinion NIAC comes to at the end of its review...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Kyne for raising this important issue. It is important to put the first-hand story of his constituent's experience on the record of House. What he outlined is not good enough. I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Health, who, unfortunately, cannot be here. The Minister and his officials have visited the University Hospital Galway campus on a number of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Facilities (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I again thank the Senator for raising this. The response I was given by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, does not have clear timelines in it. It does have a process. In fairness, it can be hard to predict specific timelines in each stage of the process. That has potential for delays. I will outline further in the supplementary reply I have that the proposals are...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Inshore Fisheries (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising what is a really important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minster, who is unable to be here. As the Senator will be aware, Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, is the State body with responsibility for the protection, management, conservation, promotion, marketing and development of the inland fisheries resource. Officials in the Department of the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Inshore Fisheries (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Ahearn again for raising this really important issue. I regret IFI was not in a position, from the time that elapsed since the Senator tabled this important topic, to provide that requested information on the number of calls. However, we will follow up on that and get back to the Senator. Also, I have a detailed breakdown of the number of prosecutions, penalty notices and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Pension Provisions (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue. I understand the question relates to the standard fund threshold regime and how it applies to different types of pensions and, in particular, the defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes. As Senator Davitt is aware, Ireland operates an exempt tax system for the taxation of pension funds. This means the contributions to pensions...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Tourist Accommodation (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Chambers for raising what is an important issue and I offer this response on behalf of the Minister for tourism, Deputy Martin, who is unable to be here today. I will, first, attest to the many fine qualities of Mayo as a tourism destination, having holidayed there myself with my family on a number of occasions and always found it a brilliant place to holiday in. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I can imagine how frustrating this process has been for the people of Clogh and Moneenroe, as well as for the Deputy, as a public representative for the area. Obviously, the Minister is unable to be here and I am offering this response in his place. As the Deputy will understand, the supply of public water and the provision of water...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Heritage Sites (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Durkan for raising these pertinent points which are hugely important to the constituents he represents in Kildare North. He and I agree that growing the numbers of visitors to Castletown House and estate is in everyone’s interest. It is a fantastic facility. We want more people to enjoy it and learn about it. The move to active travel for visitors will result in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue on national secondary routes and, in particular, the Mallow relief road. As he outlined, I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who is unable to be here. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding with regard to the national roads programme. Once funding...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Heritage Sites (28 Feb 2024)

Martin Heydon: I offer this response on behalf of the Minister, who is unable to attend this morning. I thank Deputy Durkan for his ongoing interest in Castletown House. As a fellow Kildare man, I know of the huge emotion and upset there is around developments in the area around Castletown House and estate. In recent months, Deputy Durkan has made continuous representations through parliamentary...