Results 341-360 of 4,808 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department does not maintain a record of procurement competitions that did not result in a contract award due to insufficient submissions, legal challenges, disqualification of bidders, or internal cancellation nor has it calculated costs associated with collapsed or rerun procurement competitions.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Private Partnerships (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has had no Public-Private Partnership projects since 2010.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am aware, that as of the 22nd of July 2024 the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 of the United Kingdom has banned the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses for fattening and slaughter from Great Britain. The ban does not prevent the export of livestock and horses for breeding or competitions, and it does not apply in Northern Ireland. The ban applies to journeys...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Measures (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together. The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2023. The BISS is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability. While BISS replaced BPS in 2023 as part of the new CAP, some Pillar 1 funding was allocated to the Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) as well...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department’s Rural Innovation and Development Fund (RIDF) provides funding for initiatives that promote the reduction of food waste generated by food businesses, retailer/wholesalers or suppliers in rural areas. As the programme does not allocate funding on a county basis, the details as requested are not available. Rather my Department issues calls for funding for initiatives...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Knowledge Transfer programme 2024 -2026 builds on the previous KT Programme in the previous CAP and its objectives are to provide support for high quality and targeted advice, while also delivering knowledge and targeted skills to farmers. The programme operates over three years 2024 - 2026 inclusive. KT participant who successfully complete each year of the programme will receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Farm Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: [Attachment omitted]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme is an annual grants scheme for the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures. My Department co-funds the scheme under the Rural Development Programme and it is administered by the Heritage Council. The principal objective of this scheme is to ensure that traditional farm buildings and other related structures...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Animal Welfare and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Young Farmer...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: A call for proposals under the ‘Shared Island Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Scheme', was first announced in 2024, offering total funding of €9 million. Applications under this call were then subject to a rigorous and detailed evaluation by DAFM and DAERA. Contract negotiations with the successful projects are almost concluded and a public announcement is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has not procured any services from the company referred to. As regards the thirteen 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 response should issue within 10 days.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: In respect of using artificial intelligence to analyse content to produce IT documentation, my Department conducted a short-term research project to investigate the viability and effectiveness of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interrogate software code of legacy IT systems to ascertain the rules and logic held within those systems. This research project was carried out in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Correspondence (16 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I can confirm that my office received and responded to correspondence in relation to the persons named and a follow-up inspection was carried out. Whilst my Department cannot comment on individual cases, it is worth highlighting that legitimate late evening animal sales take place at some marts across the country with animals transported subsequently. This activity is in compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Wildlife Regulations (16 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Wild birds such as gulls are the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. My Department monitors the avian influenza disease situation in wild birds to inform the risks posed to poultry and captive birds. My Department's advice is that people should not pick up or touch sick, dead or dying wild birds and should keep their pets away from them. Dogs should be kept on a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Health and Safety (16 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Human health matters in regard to avian influenza are the responsibility of the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has primary responsibility with regard to issues relating to wild birds. My Department's primary function in relation to Avian Influenza is to help protect and to control outbreaks of the disease in poultry and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weather Events (16 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The unpredictable nature of extreme weather/flooding events, and the resulting impact on agriculture, does not lend itself to a ready-made scheme template, given that local effects vary with each event. My Department in recent years has provided a number of schemes to support farmers who have been badly affected by extreme weather/flooding. These include the Shass Landslide, the Shannon...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Investigations (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am fully aware of the conservation status of forested areas, and my Department's Forestry Programme contains a number of well-funded provisions aimed at addressing the restoration and expansion of native woodlands in Ireland. Three forest types that may be selected by interested landowners, under the Afforestation Scheme, relate specifically to the creation of new native woodland on...