Results 241-260 of 4,808 for speaker:Martin Heydon

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

Martin Heydon: In March 2024, the Minister for Rural and Community Development established a high level stakeholder group to review the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act.  The stakeholder group's remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This required in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure any suggested amendments or recommendations would not just be...

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

Martin Heydon: Some 80% of animal feed in Ireland is derived from grazed grass/preserved forage and about 4.8 million tonnes of feed in the form of cereals, oilseeds, minerals, vegetable oils, fats, citrus pulp and beet pulp is also consumed as feed for animals. Approximately 1.7 million tonnes of this is home-grown cereals – barley, wheat and oats, while approximately 6.5 million tonnes is...

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

Martin Heydon: In 2006, the EU introduced a restructuring mechanism intended to reduce overall production of sugar, acknowledging the then global over supply and resultant low prices. Ireland secured €353 million as part of the reform package with some €220 million being distributed to beet growers and a further €6 million to machinery contractors in the sector. Since 2006, a number...

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

Martin Heydon: At present Ireland does not produce any inorganic fertiliser products. All Nitrogen (including Ammonia) and Potassium inorganic fertiliser products are imported into the State. The question regarding estimated annual phosphate recovery from wastewater and rendering is a matter for Uisce Éireann. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have advised my department that...

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

Martin Heydon: Ireland is actively involved in the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food and agriculture. My Department maintains a seedbank at Backweston, Co Kildare consisting of 573 accessions of cereals and crop wild relatives. My Department also maintais the potato seedbank at Tops Potato Centre in Raphoe, Co Donegal consisting of 735 varieties of potatoes and 46 varieties of...

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

Martin Heydon: My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on the farm. The On Farm Market Valuation scheme provides compensation to affected herdowners up to the market value that each individual animal would have attained on the open market had it...

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

Martin Heydon: I am fully committed to ensuring that An Rialálaí Agraibhia is equipped with the necessary powers to adequately fulfil its function in providing more transparency to all stakeholders along the agrifood supply chain. The additional powers recommended in the Regulator’s statutory report are novel powers which exceed those of our European partners. As such, it was...

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

Martin Heydon: The Programme for Government is clear, whereby it includes a commitment to “work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal”. Irish and EU farmers are subject to complex regulations requiring them to farm in a sustainable manner, which is why it is difficult to explain to them why...

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

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1835 and 1836 together. The Programme for Government prioritises “supporting inter-generational farm succession”. Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agri-food sector, states that generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector and of...

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

Martin Heydon: Following recent outbreaks of lumpy skin disease in France and Italy, my Department has engaged in a targeted communication campaign to highlight the risk of lumpy skin disease and raise awareness among farmers, veterinary practitioners and other stakeholders of its clinical signs in cattle.  This was done by providing updates on the disease at meetings with cattle industry...

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

Martin Heydon: I wish to advise the Deputy that as Parliamentary Question No. 2209 of 29 July 2025 related to operational matters, my Department requested that the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department reply to the Deputy directly. My Department has verified that each of the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department have issued a response to the Deputy.

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

Martin Heydon: I wish to advise the Deputy that as Parliamentary Question No. 2210 of 29 July 2025 related to operational matters, my Department requested that the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department reply to the Deputy directly. My Department has verified that each of the State Bodies under the aegis of my Department have issued a response to the Deputy.

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

Martin Heydon: Currently in Ireland, tail docking is permitted in certain breeds of working dogs under specific circumstances. The Prohibition on Tail Docking (Dogs) Regulations 2014, S.I. No. 125/2014, provides for the tail docking, or part of the tail, of a pointer, spaniel or terrier used in connection with lawful pest control, hunting or shooting of animals, subject to certain conditions, including that...

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

Martin Heydon: The named applicant received an on-farm Nitrates Derogation inspection in 2024. Arising from that inspection, and in line with the scheme Terms and Conditions for 2024, their application was subsequently rejected due to an exceedance of their chemical phosphorus allowance in 2024. My officials have received an application for a review in relation to this rejection. This is currently...

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

Martin Heydon: My Department conducts on-farm inspections on Nitrates Derogation farms annually from the closing date of the scheme to year-end. This is in line with the European Commission Implementing Decision granting Ireland's Nitrates Derogation and the Nitrates Derogation Terms and Conditions for the year in question. After the on-farm element of the inspection, an Interim Notice is issued to the...

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

Martin Heydon: My Department deals with requests from scheme applicants for internal reviews of the Department's decisions.  The Agriculture Appeals Office (AAO) deals with appeals requests.  After an internal Department review,  the scheme applicant is notified of their option to appeal to the AAO if the original Department decision has been upheld. If a scheme applicant...

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

Martin Heydon: Ireland's outdoor grass-based livestock production systems, which rely on manure recycling within the holding, necessitate and justify a continuation of the provision allowing application of a higher level of livestock manure nitrogen to our grassland. As outlined previously, at the Nitrates Committee meeting last December, my officials advised that in accordance with the Nitrates...

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

Martin Heydon: On 16 July 2025, the EU Commission launched its proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the period 2028 to 2034.  The CAP is central to the EU’s success in ensuring food security, supporting farm incomes and developing rural areas; and it  remains critical to the Irish agri-food...

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

Martin Heydon: The awards from the Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative, supporting two bioeconomy projects with €4.5m funding each, were announced on 3rd September 2025. These feature collaboration across the island of Ireland, and will support innovation for the Agri-Bioeconomy in Northern Ireland and for the Blue Bioeconomy in Ireland. A North/South collaborative approach will be...