Results 181-200 of 4,778 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Control of Horses Act, 1996 was introduced to provide for the control of horses and to make provision for the licencing of horses in urban and other areas where horses cause a danger or nuisance to people or property.  Enforcement of the act is a matter for the local authorities.  The Act is currently under review within my Department, with work progressing on this primary,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1781 and 1782 together. The application window for the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers, more commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, has closed. The scheme was widely flagged in the farming media, and was open for just over 3 weeks from July to receive applications. During that period, my Department issued text message reminders to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Expenditure (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department publishes schemes payments to farmers in the statistical annex of its Annual Review and Outlook, publications of which are available at: Annual Review and Outlook for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (). The table below details payments (National and EU) to farmers in Louth for full years 2023 and 2024. Payment details for the full year 2025 will be available in 2026. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Department approved beef plants are subject to regular inspection to ensure compliance with Beef Carcass Classification Regulations. Such inspections are unannounced and include checks to ensure the accuracy of the scales that are used to determine payment to the farmer, as well as verifying that a daily weight check is completed and recorded by the plant.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Act 2024 was signed into law on 29th October 2024.  This Act provides for the establishment of an independent Agriculture Appeals Review Panel. The main purpose of this Review Panel will be to conduct reviews of decisions of Appeals Officers based on errors of fact and/or law, a function currently carried out by...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to inform the Deputy that in accordance with Section 10 of the Agriculture Appeals Act, 2001 Act, a review of a decision of an Appeals Officer may be sought by either the Department or the appellant in the following circumstances:  (a) based on new evidence or facts brought to his/her attention, or a relevant change in circumstances, since the decision was made, (these reviews...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Commercial Rates (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by my Department and a response will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available. As regards the 13 State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1788 and 1789 together. There are currently no approved equine slaughter plants within the State. Approval to operate as an equine slaughter premises, similar to all meat food business operator applications, is a two-stage process. The first step is the submission of a Notification of Intent to my Department. If all of the documentation is correct, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: Horses traded from Ireland to other EU Member States for Slaughter** YEAR Country of Destination Number of Horses 2025* Belgium  79 2025* France 316 2024 France 165 TOTAL 560 *Year to 30/08/25 **Based on information from the TRACES...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The trade in equine animals for slaughter is regulated by European and Irish legislation on animal health, welfare and traceability, which my Department enforces.  Equine animals traded for slaughter to other EU Member States require veterinary certification, and are subject to inspection by my Department’s official veterinarians with regard to their health, traceability and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage established the Irish Deer Management Strategy group to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland. The Group comprised representatives from my Department, National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte.  A report was published into “Developing a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The application window for the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers, more commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, has closed and there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria or to provide for another scheme in future years.  Since the time my Department was first approached in 2015 with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The introduction by my Department of two-step verification for AgFood portal accounts will not prevent an agricultural consultant from logging in on behalf of a client farmer.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Organic Capital Investment Scheme is one of eleven schemes under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).  The Organic Capital Investment scheme is only open to organic farmers who hold a current organic licence and are registered with one of the two Organic Control Bodies that operate in Ireland.  Non-organic farmers are not eligible to apply for the Organic...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: In order to draw down area-based payments, such as the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), farmers are required annually to submit an application form.  In 2025 a total of 276 farmers have declared land within the Cork City Council administrative boundary, of which 71 had all their farmland within the city administrative boundary.  Twenty-three of these farmers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Missions (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has already undertaken trade promotion activities in Canada this year. My colleague Minster of State Timmy Dooley TD, visited Montreal, Ottowa and Toronto as part of the St. Patrick’s Day festival. During his visit, Minister Dooley had a number of engagements with Canadian Government Ministers, including with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department engages in workforce planning to assess its current and future recruitment needs. The educational qualifications required and the relevant selection criteria are reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis to ensure that they meet these needs. Tailored to specific grades, my Departments recruitment campaigns may invite candidates who hold qualifications in a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department does not conduct bovine genetic evaluations. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was established to drive genetic improvement and efficiency across Ireland's cattle industry, ensuring better productivity, sustainability and profitability for farmers. ICBF is an independent body owned by its shareholders and operates under the governance and oversight of its board.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department does not conduct the bovine genetic evaluations. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was established to drive genetic improvement and efficiency across Ireland's cattle industry, ensuring better productivity, sustainability and profitability for farmers. ICBF is an independent body owned by its shareholders and operates within the governance and oversight of its board.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (8 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department does not conduct the bovine genetic evaluations. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) was established to drive genetic improvement and efficiency across Ireland's cattle industry, ensuring better productivity, sustainability and profitability for farmers. ICBF is an independent body owned by its shareholders and operates within the governance and oversight of its board. ...