Results 4,401-4,420 of 23,957 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Let us say that in a supermarket in Ireland Irish meat could not be sold below a certain price. If I read it right, the Deputy's amendment is also saying that it cannot be bought below a certain price to be sold in Ireland. I think that is what the Deputy is saying although it is not quite clear. It also seems to be saying that a supermarket in Ireland or anybody in the contract chain in a...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will begin with Deputy Carthy's point as it speaks to an issue I did not address when we discussed amendment No. 10 and Deputy McNamara's point on mandating the regulator to gather information about the cost of production and so on. The Bill provides for that. The Bill has been thought about for a long time and given lots of consideration. Section 80(2)(g), for example, provides the...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: On the Deputy's final comment, we have a great responsibility in this Chamber to be fair to everyone.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: However, the Deputy's comments are very unfair in relation to the bona fides of everyone who is working in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, from here in Kildare Street right throughout the country. Their job day in, day out is to work on behalf of the agriculture sector and farmers in particular. We have one of the best records in this country of serving farmers, of...

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----bring transparency to the food supply chain. I do not believe this amendment is necessary at all. I believe the legislation is exceptionally strong.

Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Deputy Kerrane’s final point has been considered in great detail right throughout the process. We started with the consultation, then pre-legislative scrutiny and Committee Stage, which many Deputies participated in. I met with key stakeholders who made a submission to me which was fully considered. It made 20 recommendations, 18 of which were either wholly or substantially accepted...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator for raising this issue as a Commencement matter. He is always a very strong advocate on agricultural issues and I see that today he has brought backup as well with Terry and Patrick from Ballymahon Secondary School so I know he has a good team with him this morning. We are both very much focused on delivering an excellent forestry sector that will benefit farmers, rural...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator. I have laid out the regulations and rules that apply where licences are required and where there are exemptions, and the onus and responsibilities on landowners in terms of any decision they make and making sure they comply with the law. In this particular instance, I am happy for the Senator to correspond further with me and, having considered the regulatory framework...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved to GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1stJanuary 2017. GLAS payments have issued to this Herd for scheme years 2017 to 2021 inclusive. Processing of the 2022 Advance payment for the person named is currently at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The licensing of horse drawn carriages comes under the remit of the local authority concerned. Regulations for horse-drawn carriages for commercial purposes should be regulated by these local authorities. I am aware that this is the intention of the current draft primary legislation, the draft Horse-Drawn Carriages Bill, which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Transport....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: A vibrant sheep sector is an integral element of a balanced regional economy and I know that sheep farmers are committed to producing a world-class, safe and sustainable product. Although there has been a solid and sustained increase in average sheep prices since the end of February, I recognise that sheep farmers are experiencing more difficult market conditions in 2023 compared to recent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There has been a phenomenal level of demand for the National Liming Programme with 4.5 million tonnes sought by almost 41,000 applicants. To put this in context, the annual tonnage of lime applied nationally in recent years has ranged from 700,000 tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes. This includes applications of lime on those farms ineligible for support under the Programme. The level of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry. Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (10 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector grant aids capital investments in specialised plant and equipment in the horticulture sector. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector is subject to EU Guidelines for State Aid in the Agricultural and Forestry Sector and in Rural Areas (Agricultural...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Since 2018, the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board ( IHRB) is the regulatory body for all horseracing in Ireland. The IHRB is a company limited by guarantee set up by the Turf Club and the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee for the regulatory and licensing functions for Irish horseracing. The role of the IHRB is provided for under the Horse Racing Ireland Act 2016 and subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Information and Communications Technology (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has not used ChatGPT to conduct business and there have been no official meetings held regarding the use of this application. When ChatGPT was initially released, the tool was briefly explored for answering technical or software related questions. It was determined that the tool was of little benefit and was not subsequently used. No data or information was uploaded or shared...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Impact Assessments (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As part of the Programme for Government, my Department has committed to conducting a full review of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations. I anticipate that this review will begin very shortly. A Press Release will issue when the review formally begins and the Deputy will also be notified directly.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In the case provided, the application for a road licence has not been refused by my Department. However, a Further Information Request (FIR) has been issued by my Department to the applicants, requesting information on alternative access to their forest holding in the interest of water quality. Having considered the proposed new forest access route and the requirement to provide crossing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 473 and 474 together. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has provided guidance documents on the construction of forest roads. These include the Forest Road Manual (2006), Technical Standard for Design of Forest Entrances onto Public road (2019), Forest Entrance – Requirement for Mandatory Consultation (2020) and Forest Road Entrance...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (9 May 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: EU regulations governing the Direct Payment Schemes and Rural Development measures require my Department to conduct inspections to ensure compliance with scheme eligibility. The person named applied for the Young Farmer Scheme and was selected for inspection to check for compliance with the scheme. The inspection was carried out on 16th March 2023 and the inspection findings, detailing the...