Results 4,181-4,200 of 23,957 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (30 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides a modern framework for applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare and replaced a number of enactments dating back over a century. The Act was passed, after a lengthy and constructive debate in both Houses of the Oireachtas and came into operation on 6 March 2014. Prosecutions under the Act have been pursued following...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (30 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: This is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Impact Assessments (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As part of the programme for Government, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has committed to conducting a review of the EIA agriculture regulations. I am happy to announce that this review process formally launches today, with the opening of a six-week consultation period seeking views from all stakeholders to inform the review...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Live Exports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It is important to clarify at the outset that my Department only permits animals to be transported in compliance with the EU's animal welfare legislation, which is among the most progressive legal frameworks in the world. Furthermore, Ireland has national rules to protect the welfare of livestock being exported to third countries on ships, which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Live Exports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I absolutely agree with the Deputy. The welfare of animals must be paramount, and the comfort and welfare of those animals must be assured on any journeys undertaken. The conditions of travel, etc., must be appropriate for the animals. It is an important market outlet. In the past, nearly all our animals were exported live without much processing. It is now a small part of our overall...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Live Exports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I respect the Deputy’s position; I have a different view. However, we all agree on the imperative of animal welfare, maintaining their well-being and making sure they are in comfortable circumstances at all times and especially when they are travelling. I believe the rules and regulations we have in place are robust and strong. We are providing additional oversight through the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bord Bia and the dairy companies working with it have been making significant efforts to build on the significant reputation we have as a quality, sustainable, safe and nutritious dairy exporter and increase various other strands of product into China. Infant formula is obviously a very important product that has to be produced to the highest of standards. Everyone takes very seriously what...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bord Bia works on that on an ongoing basis with the companies concerned. There has been a change in dynamic, that is, a significant increase in domestic supply and a preference in China for domestically produced infant formula in recent years. As the Deputy pointed out, a few years ago, the preference was for imported infant formula. That has been a change in dynamic. The level of market...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Both the Department and I are fully committed to supporting sustainable One Health, One Welfare initiatives in line with the programme for Government and Working Together for Animal Welfare, our animal welfare strategy for the period up to 2025. We continue to support a number of urban horse projects nationwide as a result of our approach. These projects foster community leadership on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Gould is right in that it is an important issue and there are many challenges throughout the country. We all need to work to try to address this issue and provide support. The local authorities play an important role in that and the support, work and engagement with my Department is very important in that regard. We welcome ongoing engagement and further proposals. We continue to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Welfare (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is a role for everyone. Leadership is required from my Department in this regard, which we are determined to provide and have been providing. The animal welfare division in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has commenced communications with local authorities with a view to arranging a conference to encourage greater participation in urban horse projects nationwide....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this matter. As he knows, I have recently returned from leading a successful trade mission to China in co-operation with Bord Bia. The trade mission showcased, as we would expect, the very best of Irish food and drink to key existing and potential trade customers in China. As a country, we have a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as a supplier...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Connolly. I checked with my Department to see if there has been any engagement on the issue of seaweed in that location. I will ask the Department to revert to the Deputy directly. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue today. Our aquaculture sector does not get enough recognition or discussion in the Chamber, or indeed recognition in wider society around its potential....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have a massive commitment to the tillage sector. It is a very important one that has been shrinking in recent years, but that we need to see expand and for the trend to be reversed. Some of the measures I have introduced have been unprecedented in terms of the support level. I talked about the tillage incentive scheme last year.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I also referred to the straw incorporation measure, which is very important. I introduced it for the first time and it is now plugged into the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Some €10 million was paid last year for that. There was also a doubling of the protein aid in terms of the coupling under pillar 1. Those are supports that were never there before and are there again. It did...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am hungry for ideas in this regard. I put a big effort into trying to grow the sector and support the sector. Under the straw incorporation measure, an individual tillage farmer can get up to €10,000. That was a significant injection into it. We are in a new TAMS this year, so even if farmers have maximised their investments last time around, they now have a new €90,000...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Tillage Sector (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Government has sought to support tillage in a way that has never happened before, through a range of measures. We had made progress. This year has different types of pressures, ones which there are not necessarily obvious answers to address. I want to pool all the ideas together to see how we can support this sector. I certainly welcome any ideas Deputy Cairns or any other Deputies...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In December 2022, I approved the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development following a public consultation process and subsequent refinement. The plan establishes a vision for Irish aquaculture up to 2030, which reflects the common direction set out in the EU's strategic guidelines for more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period. It visualises a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I take Deputy Connolly's point. There is a sense of urgency in terms of finalising the publication of the report. As I say, it is going to be published by the end of this quarter. In the meantime, we have seen significant supports and work for the development of the aquaculture sector. In July of last year I announced a €20 million sustainable aquaculture growth scheme, which is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Supports (25 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As she knows, I have long supported the cohort of farmers known as the forgotten farmers and I have committed to supporting those farmers who find themselves in this situation, through no fault of their own in many cases, and I have committed to addressing this issue. We are working on a tailored support package for these farmers and I want to...