Latest news with #Seanad
Agriland
3 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
‘Transparency' must be instilled in Agri-Food Regulator
Transparency and confidence must be instilled in the Agri-Food Regulator according to a senator who has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, to grant the regulator additional powers. Senator Victor Boyhan told the Seanad that Agri-Food Regulator 'should be in a position to produce the price and market reports' of the agri-food sector. 'The food regulator must carry out its functions. 'There must be reliable and verifiable sources of information it can stand over, so data is critical with regard to analysing the supply chain and the engagement and collaboration of all sides. The point about all sides is important,' the senator added. He also warned that if the regulator is to carry out its functions 'it must have the right to compel all information that is accurate and verifiable'. Agri-Food Regulator Responding in the Seanad, Minister Heydon said that the Bill that established the the regulator performs two key functions. The Minister added: 'It enforces the law on unfair trading practices, UTP, and it performs a price and market analysis and reporting function. 'Section 12 of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023 requires the regulator to publish analysis of information about price and market data relating to the agricultural and food supply chain. 'Currently, in respect of that function, the act provides that the regulator may seek from businesses … any data impacting upon price and margins considered necessary.' However Minister Heydon also highlighted that currently the act does not permit the Agri-Food Regulator to 'compel' businesses to provide financial information that is not in the public domain. But it does provide that the minister may make regulations on price and market information. The Programme for Government also commits to giving the Agri-Food Regulator 'enhanced powers to ensure transparency in the food supply chain with regard to providing market information'. Minister Heydon told the Seanad: 'I am fully committed to ensuring that the regulator is equipped with the necessary powers to fulfil its statutory function, subject to the legislative and consultative process. 'I need to ensure that the powers granted are proportionate. 'My department and I are in discussions with the Agri-Food Regulator and other key stakeholders to see how this can be achieved.'
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Committee chair wants OTB passed by 'summer recess'
The chair of the Oireachtas committee which will examine the Government version of the Occupied Territories Bill has said he wants to see it passed into law "by the summer recess". Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart also said he wants to see services from what the bill describes as the occupied territories included, but said both issues are dependent on the views of all committee members and whether they receive the necessary information in time. Speaking with RTÉ News, the chair of the Oireachtas committee on foreign affairs said the cross-party group will receive the heads of the bill of the potential legislation once it is drawn up by the Department of Foreign Affairs and signed off on by the Cabinet. Asked if he believes this will give the committee enough time to examine the bill in a process known as pre-legislative scrutiny, and for the Dáil and Seanad to pass the bill by the Oireachtas summer recess which begins on 18 July, Mr Lahart said he believes it does. "I think it's very possible [for the bill to pass through the committee in June before being sent to the Dail and Seanad]. I have begun a series of conversations with the members of the committee and I think everybody's very keen and very anxious to expedite the bill as quickly as possible. "If we can process it, it depends on how quickly we can get the information we need, but put it this way - the foreign affairs committee and me as chair will ensure we will do our best to ensure the bill is processed as quickly as possible and hopefully before the summer recess. "I want to see it passed by the summer recess," he said. Asked about whether services from the occupied territories should also be included in the bill alongside goods - an issue which is continuing to cause political and legal division over whether doing so would leave the potential law open to a legal challenge - Mr Lahart said it should and said "I support the inclusion of services in the bill". "Clearly I'm at the mercy of the members of the committee. But, again, I think there's support for this. "My sense is they're [the members] all supportive of services being in the bill as well," he said. The foreign affairs committee is made up of nine TDs and five senators. Of the nine TDs, three are from Fianna Fáil, John Lahart, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, and Shay Brennan, two from Fine Gael, Brian Brennan and Noel McCarthy, two from Sinn Féin, Cathy Bennett, and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, one from Labour, Duncan Smith, and one from Independent Ireland, Ken O Flynn. Of the five senators, two are from Fine Gael, Garret Ahearn and Joe O'Reilly, one from Fianna Fáil, Fiona O'Loughlin, one from the Social Democrats, Patricia Stephenson, and an independent senator Alice Mary Higgins.
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Case of Cork woman refused access to her dead husband's sperm raised in Seanad
'Highly sensitive and complex factors' would need to be fully resolved before a decision could be made on whether the State should fund the posthumous use of spouse's eggs or sperm in assisted human reproduction, according to a junior minister. Minister of state Marian Harkin was responding in the Seanad to a question posed in the case of Macroom woman Melanie Dineen, whose late husband Dylan Fleming had given written consent for her to use his frozen sperm to conceive their child after his death. However, Ms Dineen has been informed she cannot proceed with IVF through the public system using the frozen samples, because there is no protocol in place to cover such a scenario. Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan raised the case in the Seanad, describing it as 'heartbreaking and unjust'. Ms Harkin said she could not talk about individual cases. But she said: 'There are potentially highly sensitive and complex factors which arise here and these would need to be fully teased out, resolved and a firm decision agreed upon before it is decided whether, notwithstanding what is permitted in the relevant legislation, the State should fund this very distinct form of AHR treatment." Ms Harkin said health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was focused "through the full implementation of the model of care for fertility, on ensuring that patients receive care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention and then those requiring, and eligible for, advanced AHR treatment such as IVF will be able to access same through the public health system". She said Ms Carroll MacNeill was 'eager to see' how the scheme could be grown either through widening criteria or the range of services available. 'The minister hopes to be in a position to announce a clear plan of action in this regard in the coming weeks.' Read More Grieving Cork woman is being 'blocked' from having a child with dead husband
Irish Independent
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Palestine group slams Kerry senator for meeting controversial US congressman
Congressman Mast was in Ireland last month where he met with Senator Mark Daly – chair of the Seanad Éireann – to discuss trade, technology investment, defence, and other issues 'vital to America's relationship with Ireland'. The United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman signed the Seanad visitors' book during his visit. The Florida Republican is known for his controversial views on Palestinians which were the subject of a House of Representatives resolution that was referred to the Committee on Ethics in 2023. Mr Mast, who once volunteered to serve alongside the Israel Defence Forces in support of its defence of democracy in the Middle East, served in the US Army for more than 12 years, earning him the Army Commendation Medal for Valour and the Purple Heart. In 2023, the Congressman was censured for inflammatory statements he made regarding innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza suffering as a result of the horrific attacks conducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He said humanitarian aid to Palestinians should be slowed down and that terrorism is 'absolutely supported by the Palestinian people from elementary school all the way up into the elderly.' On November 1, 2023 – during a speech on the House Floor – Representative Mast compared innocent Palestinian civilians and children to 'Nazi' collaborators that perpetrated the Holocaust against the Jewish people. He also stated that 'there are very few innocent Palestinian civilians'. Congressman Mast is regularly accused of conflating innocent Palestinians with the actions of Hamas, which some fellow congressmen have said 'sends a message to the world' that violence against all Palestinians is legitimate. Kerry Friends of Palestine Group criticised Senator Daly for meeting Congressman Mast in the Seanad in late April, saying it was ill-judged and showed disregard for the lives of innocent Palestinians. 'It's vile to have someone like Mast sidling up to Irish politicians for photographs given his views. Senator Daly looked only too happy to accommodate him,' said a spokesperson for Kerry Friends of Palestine Group. ADVERTISEMENT "Mast has called for the destruction of innocent Palestinians. It's disgusting that he would be welcomed here and allowed such an opportunity to grandstand as a politician of repute when he is not,' he added.
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Senator claims suppliers in Co. Cavan will have to ‘slash' prices for new Tesco store
A senator has told the Seanad that suppliers based in Co. Cavan will have to 'slash their prices' if they want to provide produce to the supermarket group Tesco, which is taking over the lease of a former SuperValu store in Virginia. Sinn Féin Senator Pauline Tully detailed in the Seanad that she been 'informed that all local suppliers have been told they must be prepared to give a 40% margin immediately on their goods' if they want to supply the new Tesco store. Senator Tully said: 'This is just going to hammer local suppliers. 'They were supplying SuperValu and, if they want to continue to supply Tesco, they have to slash their prices. They cannot afford to do that. 'They are already barely keeping their head above water. They have families to support, transport costs, production costs and so on. They are providing fresh meat, some of which is organically produced, and fresh fruit and vegetables'. Senator Tully told Agriland that some Co. Cavan suppliers have contacted her and are 'very angry' that this is the approach that Tesco has taken, The senator said she is also concerned about the impact this could have on local farmers and businesses. According to Senator Tully it is vitally important to protect the people that 'grow produce' and who work on and invest in the land and she wants to ensure that farm families and producers who are supplying to supermarket groups such as Tesco are protected. 'What we are seeing is a decline in the number of people who are providing that sort of food in this country because of this practice. 'It is time the government introduced a ban on below cost-selling. 'What is happening is devaluing the goods farmers work so hard to produce,' the senator added. She has called on the Seanad to raise the issue with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon. Tesco A spokesperson for Tesco confirmed to Agriland that it had 'recently acquired a long-established store in Virginia, County Cavan which will soon re-launch as our third Tesco store in the county'. The spokesperson added: 'We are currently in the process of refreshing and refitting the store under the Tesco brand. 'As the world's biggest retail buyer of Irish food and drink, we are proud to partner with over 500 local Irish suppliers nationwide who provide the best quality products for our customers. 'We have already initiated conversations with a range of existing local Cavan suppliers to explore new opportunities for them with Tesco, both in the Virginia store and more broadly across all our stores'. The spokesperson also stated that 'contracts and supply agreements are negotiated in a fair and transparent way'. They added: 'We are proud to have been named the retailer of choice for nine years running by the Irish supply base in the Advantage Survey, which is testament to the strong relationships we build with our supplier partners'.
