Results 5,321-5,340 of 23,964 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by the Department and a reply will be forwarded within 10 working days. As regards the 12 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...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Renewable Energy Generation (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Under the new CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), the Eligible Hectare is the basis of payment for area-based schemes such as the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS). Within the CSP an eligible hectare is an agricultural area, that is used for an agricultural activity or, where the area is also used for a non-agricultural activity, is predominantly used for such activities. An area...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The EU regulations (Article 17 of EU Regulation 1305/2013) that provide for the TAMS scheme under the RDP 2014 – 2020, specify that TAMS 3 beneficiaries must be farmers or groups of farmers. The regulatory transitional provisions for support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) does not alter this definition. Therefore, the Department is precluded from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Hen Harrier Project is operationally independent of my Department and is run by the Hen Harrier Project Team. The Project team are responsible for the administration of the project and associated payments. Any queries relating to payments due should be addressed directly to the Project team.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Public Procurement Contracts (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested is set out in the attached table. As regards the 12 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: Public Procurement Contracts (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: During the period 2018 – 2022 inclusive, there were five contracts awarded to Microsoft by my Department. The details of which are contained in the table below. Contract No Purpose/Description and outcome Period Contract Value ex VAT Amount Spent incl VAT 4600001582 Provision of Maint & Premier Support on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulatory Impact Assessments (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 708 and 709 together. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has committed to completing a full review of the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations (S.I. 456 of 2011, as amended) along with a review of procedures for dealing with screening applications. To progress this review, my officials will commence a consultation process with all relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (28 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The separation of prescribing and dispensing of veterinary medical products (VMPs) has been a point of discussion for the Joint Oireachtas Committee of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, my Department and the various farming, retail and veterinary professional representative and regulatory groups who attend the Antiparasitic Resistance Stakeholder Group which my Department initiated in June...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Infrastructure (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator for raising this Commencement matter. It is a topic both us of are excited about. We are at the precipice of seeking huge transformation and it will be driven largely by the farm families of Ireland. Anaerobic digestion and the indigenous production of biomethane is a clear commitment within the climate action plan 2023. This plan sets a target of up to 5.7 TWh of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Infrastructure (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I will come back to the Senator with specific written updates on the two points she has raised. Overall, we want to step this out promptly and get our national strategy together by quarter 3 of this year. That is kicking off and the consultants are being appointed who will put it together. The industry is looking for national direction and policy clarity on stepping it forward. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Historically afforestation premia were provided for under European Council regulation 2080/92 and were available to both farmers and non-farmers. Lower maximum rates applied in the case of non-farmers. Within this regulation, non-farmers were defined as any other private, natural or legal person. I would draw your attention to the landmark 2003 ECJ judgement for case No. 339-00 where it was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 292 together. The Deputy will be aware that Forestry in Ireland has undergone several significant changes in focus in recent decades and that the Shared National Vision for Forests and Trees launched by my Department early last year is built on the principle of the right trees in the right places for the right reasons with the right management. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: A significant amount of organic soils in Ireland were afforested during the second half of the 20thcentury. These areas were initially planted to create rural employment at a time when the importance of other functions, such as carbon storage, was not well understood. When assessing the benefits of growing forests on organic soils, it is very important to consider the losses of carbon from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies requires that Government Departments should ensure that they have written oversight agreements with State bodies under their aegis which clearly define the terms of the State body’s relationship with the relevant Minister/parent Department. For commercial State bodies the oversight agreement between the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Forests and wood products provide significant climate change mitigation benefits, including the carbon storage in harvested wood products and substitution benefits associated with the use of wood instead of more fossil fuel intensive materials such as concrete and steel. In August 2022, Coillte published Forests for Climate - Report on Carbon Modelling of the Coillte Estate. This report...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware of the Global Peatland Assessment undertaken by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the reference to the introduction of a 10cm peat depth threshold. The work makes the point that from a climate policy point of view, in tropical areas, peatlands of this depth are already approaching or surpassing the minimum carbon threshold of a high carbon stock forest. As part of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I assure the Deputy that my Department recognises wetlands and peat soils as an important carbon pool in the Irish landscape. Reducing emissions by water table manipulation has the potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions from these soils and is a means to positively contribute to our climate change mitigation ambitions. This is an important part of Agriculture's overall contribution...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Forest Strategy Implementation Plan is subject to an ongoing Strategic Environmental Assessment/Appropriate Assessment (SEA/AA) process. As part of this process, the draft Plan containing the proposed Forestry Programme 2023-2027 was published on the 18th October 2022 for a six-week period of public consultation. Forestry stakeholders and the public were encouraged to take part in this...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department does not set a national allowable harvest and I am aware this was commented on in the report, Forest Products and People, a renewed visionpublished in 2014. However, my Department does provide funding to COFORD to provide detailed production forecasts which outlines projected timber harvest volumes each year out to 2040. This forecast is based on a number of assumptions and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (23 Feb 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department has recently published results from the fourth National Forest Inventory which includes comprehensive information on the current extent, state and composition of the Ireland’s national forest estate. Information is included on all forest types, both public and private. The NFI is the only systematic national assessment of forest damage in Irish forests. Information...