Results 1-20 of 22,783 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have asked my Department to look at having the capacity to respond in a prompt manner when intervention is needed. It has been a long time since this happened before. The Inishowen floods in my own area in 2017 was the last time there was a need for an intervention such as this. I recognise that this is not on the same scale but on a localised basis it has been quite acute for the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It has been closely modelled on the previous time we did this during the Inishowen situation. I will not go into the finer detail of the scheme here today. Let me just say there will be engagement over the next few weeks in terms of having farmers apply for the scheme and actioning it. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The solar capital investment scheme under TAMS 3 is the main support provided by my Department for farmers wishing to invest in renewable energy.  I launched this scheme in February 2023 and it is proving to be a hugely attractive scheme for farmers. It is closely aligned to our climate and sustainability needs through continued and enhanced support for renewable...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is great potential in this area and there is great appetite among farmers as well. The scheme that is in place is really suitable for them to be able to meet their own needs and those of their farm. It can include the dwelling house as well. Battery storage is also grant aided at the rate of 60%. This means that farmers can store energy and be able to use it when needed. There is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Over the past couple of weeks we published the anaerobic digestion or biomethane strategy. This lays out how we can produce 10% of all of our annual gas requirements by 2030 from farms, with grass in particular being very much at the centre of this. I was glad to attend a conference yesterday in Croke Park, organised by the Renewable Gas Forum Ireland, RGFI, with some 350 people from the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Flood Relief Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this issue. As he knows, I am very much aware of the impact on agriculture of adverse weather during the winter of last year. I have taken action in a number of ways to support farmers, including direct supports for unharvested crops and other measures introduced through the national fodder and food security committee. I particularly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: A provisional figure of 3,403 tonnes for sprat landings in 2023 has previously been provided by the SFPA. That is what I have to have hand here. The figures over the years from 2018 to 2022 ranged from a minimum of approximately 3,500 tonnes of sprat landed in 2018, to a maximum of approximately 14,500 tonnes of sprat landed in 2021. Obviously, it is an important species and an important...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Each bag of fertiliser is required by law to state the fertiliser’s type - whether it is nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium - and the product and minimum content of nutrients, along with their forms and solubility. Indeed, the nutrient content of chemical fertiliser is the main determinant of its price and value to the farmer, with phosphorus being the most expensive nutrient of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is important to say that there has not been a change with regard to the regulations, apart from for some farmers above the nitrates application's 130 kg N/ha requirement for soil sampling. That was communicated in 2022 and 2023. I know that the Agricultural Consultants Association has raised this and the understanding among farmers about this in the last short period of time, and I take...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Industry (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a 1% inspection check on this. That is why it is important that everybody is managing themselves well and doing the right thing in not applying any more fertiliser to the soil than is needed. Of course, that saves money. In the event of a farmer being in the 1% that gets inspected, there is the prospect of a potential penalty. The penalties are small for small infringements by...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Teagasc has an important role to play and it is playing it. One of the key tools that will be very helpful to farmers is the launch of the AgNav online application which enables farmers to be clear on the numbers for their own farms, to see how that is evolving and to suggest steps to them which can reduce their emissions and measure that as they go. People have to know where they are at to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I agree that farmers respond. I agree that farmers' ability to have clarity in terms of where they are at with their own farms is important in empowering them to take steps which will further reduce emissions at farm level. I also agree it is important we incentivise this. Some of the steps we have taken, for example, the soil sampling scheme, have had a very significant uptake among...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In December 2018, a transition period to a ban on vessels over 18 m trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone was announced. A significant part of the objective of this measure was to manage the fishing effort on sprat stocks, which are primarily targeted in inshore waters. However, this measure was the subject of extended legal proceedings, the outcome of which, received...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Fisheries Protection (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I will not prejudice what I do by indicating what the outcome will be at this point. We have received 5,000 submissions and it is important they are fully considered as part of the process and that I fully consider those. It closed in mid-April, about six weeks ago. Five thousand submissions is a lot to work through and they all deserve to be fully considered and taken into account. My...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Ó Cathasaigh for raising the matter. The reason our food industry is so successful and is such a large part of our economy is because we have stayed at the cutting edge of research and added value. That is why we have the research funding in place through my Department. We are open to all applications on how we can progress and delve further into the scientific...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this matter. I know it is something to which both she and I have a strong commitment and it is something I ensured was subject to a commitment in the programme for Government as I had raised it significantly on the Opposition benches. It is important we recognised that and reflected it through a forgotten farmers scheme which would set that to rights, as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There was significant engagement with farm representative organisations on the issue and the challenge. At my request, the Department also carried out new analysis based on records available in 2021 to establish the most up-to-date position regarding the cohort of farmers who were affected. The analysis shows that approximately 3,500 farmers would meet the basic definition of forgotten...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, that is my objective. There has been significant engagement in the past two to three years with farm organisations on the definition of who would qualify and what they missed out on. The objective then is to work with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to secure a package that would reflect the fact that those farmers missed out during...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Bruton for the question and for the significant work and the path he carved out as a previous Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in climate and energy and making real progress in reducing emissions in the wider economy. The Teagasc marginal abatement cost curve, MACC, published in 2018, has undoubtedly been the foundation for what agricultural...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Control of Horses (13 Jun 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There have been significant actions in the past ten years to improve the traceability and identification of horses. In 2014, the central equine database was introduced. Prior to that, microchipping was introduced. More recently, since 2021 an annual horse census takes place and their places of residence must be registered with the Department too. There has been an online portal since last...