Results 5,141-5,160 of 23,964 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (9 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In Ireland, fishing quotas are a public resource and are managed to ensure that property rights are not granted to individual operators. This is seen as a critical policy to ensure that quotas are not concentrated into the hands of large fishing companies whose owners have the financial resources to buy up such rights. It is worth noting that within the EU, a significant number of quota...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Both I and the Government are fully committed to maintaining a viable sheep sector as an integral element of a balanced regional economy. Sheep farmers are hugely committed to producing a world-class, safe and sustainable product and the Government recognises that. Market prices are a commercial matter between suppliers and buyers and the Government has no role in determining commodity...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (9 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 379 together. The suckler sector is a vital component of Ireland’s rural economy and the provision of support for it is of crucial importance to the agri-food sector. The current range of supports provided by my Department to beef farmers represents a balance between direct income support and measures designed to improve their competitiveness...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (9 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In line with the provisions of the Animal Health Law (Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/429) and its supplementing legislation, my Department undertakes an annual sheep census, generally on 31st December. The total number of sheep recorded in the DAFM Sheep Census for each year from 2017 to 2021 is detailed in the Table below. The data shows minor fluctuations in total recorded sheep numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (9 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In line with the provisions of the Animal Health Law (Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/429) and its supplementing legislation, my Department undertakes an annual pig census, generally in October. The annual census records pig data in respect of all pig herds registered with my Department. The data recorded in the Annual Pig Census 2017 to 2021 is detailed in the Table below. The Annual Pig...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Both I and the Government are fully committed to maintaining a viable sheep sector as an integral element of a balanced regional economy. Sheep farmers are hugely committed to producing a world-class, safe and sustainable product and the Government recognises that. Market prices are a commercial matter between suppliers and buyers and the Government has no role in determining commodity...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for the Government, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs spanning production, slaughter, processing, feed manufacture and services. I am acutely aware of the challenges pig farmers have faced over the past year. Price volatility is a significant...

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

Charlie McConalogue: I remain confident that the outlook for the Irish dairy Industry remains positive. The Irish Dairy Industry is one of our largest and most profitable industries. In 2022, Irish farmers produced over 8.8 billion litres of milk, an increase of over 2 billion litres since the abolition of quotas in 2015. Total Irish milk production increased by 0.7% percent in 2022 year on year. Irish Dairy...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (9 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Bovine tuberculosis (TB), caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis, is a persistent problem in cattle herds in Ireland, resulting in hardship for affected farmers and substantial ongoing national exchequer expenditure. The TB eradication programme underpins the export of dairy and beef products to the value of €9.3 billion in 2022. The epidemiology of TB is complex and...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Consignments of food of plant and animal origin may only be imported into the European Union if they meet the requirements that apply to husbandry, processing methods and production within the European Union. To ensure compliance with these requirements, consignments of food of plant and animal origin must be presented for checks at the border control post (BCP) of first arrival in the...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Officials in my Department perform ongoing inspections on food and food products to ensure compliance with Irish & European Union legislation on food and feed. Official controls, such as food safety inspections, ensure compliance with these regulations. These controls are performed with the same level of care by my officials for food and food products goods which are placed on...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy may be aware that my Department has recently secured funding of €1.3 billion for the Forestry Programme 2023-2027. Subject to State Aid approval, this will support the biggest and best-funded Forestry Programme to date in Ireland. This funding provides unprecedented incentives to encourage the planting of trees that can provide a valuable addition to farm income and also to...

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

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world and ranks second of 113 countries assessed for food security, according to the latest Global Food Security Index released last September. The population of Ireland in Census 2022 was 5.1 million people, up by almost 362,000 (7%) since the census in 2016. The Irish agri-food sector is globally orientated, with approximately 90%...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The Irish tillage sector is a sector that I am a huge proponent of and is an important and integral component of the Agri-Food industry. The importance of the sector was recognised in the recently released Climate Action Plan 2023 in which there is a target to increase the area in tillage to 400,000 hectares. I am acutely aware of the current challenges being faced by the sector,...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The tillage sector is an important and integral component of the Agri-food industry. It is a sector that I have backed with new and innovative schemes in recent years. I am acutely aware of the current challenges being faced by the sector including high input costs and lower forward grain prices compared to last year. In response to the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I...

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

Charlie McConalogue: In the context of the poultry sector continuing to protect against disease, good biosecurity is the overarching key preventative measure. With regard to the risk from Avian Influenza, I have introduced Avian Influenza (Bio security Measures) Regulations and Avian Influenza (Precautionary Confinement of Birds) Regulations which remain in place. Wild birds continued to test positive for...

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

Charlie McConalogue: The CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027 provides funding of €9.8bn over the 5 years, of which €7.5bn is EU funding and €2.3bn is national funding to co-fund rural development measures. This EU funding is split between Pillar I (Direct Payments and Sectoral Interventions - €5.97 billion) and Pillar II (Rural Development - €1.56 billion). This plan...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Within the Agricultural Inspectorate of he Department, a wide range of technical expertise is available. Over 300 staff from this grade stream are assigned right across the organisation and their skills include various specialisations. The Department has a dedicated Climate Change Division which includes four Inspectorate Grade staff. In addition, the Department relies on the specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I inform the Deputy that staff in my Department engage with their colleagues in the National Parks and Wildlife Service on a range of matters including those that relate to rewilding. My Department has a dedicated Biodiversity Unit which includes three Agricultural Inspectors and two Assistant Agricultural Inspectors as well as associated administrative staff supporting their work....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Supports (8 Mar 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Brexit Voluntary Permanent Decommissioning Scheme was announced in July 2022 with a budget of €60 million and was subsequently published by BIM along with all terms and conditions. Appreciating the significance of the decision any individual fisher would make should they chose to participate in the scheme, the deadline for applications was extended to 18 November 2022. This was to...