Results 41-60 of 4,778 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The collection of sheep wool is a commercial arrangement between the sheep farmer and the merchant. My Department does not have a role in collecting wool, or the usage of wool once collected. The Programme for Government commits to supporting the work of the Irish Grown Wool Council under the remit of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. In 2023, following a review of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme, or ACRES, is the flagship environmental scheme provided under the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan, with €1.5 billion in Exchequer and EU funding allocated over the course of the scheme. There are currently just under 54,000 participants in ACRES. A total of €97,809,072.66 has been paid to ACRES participants to date in the 2025...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is an ongoing challenging for Irish farmers. In recent years we have seen a significant increase in bTB levels nationally. Over 6,000 farm families were affected by a bTB outbreak in 2024 and herd incidence was at 6.04%. As at 28th September 2025, over a 12-month period, herd incidence was 6.08%, with over 40,000 reactors. I published the Bovine TB Action Plan, "Addressing Bovine...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (2 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for me, as Minister, and for the Government. The Animal Welfare Grants Programme provides considerable support for animal welfare charities to assist them in their vital work in rescuing and re-homing animals. In November 2024, funding of almost €6 million was provided to 101 animal welfare charities nationwide including an award of €6,175 to...

Seanad: Agricultural Sector: Motion (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh agus a Sheanadóirí. I am pleased to be in the Upper House to contribute to this important debate. I thank all Members of the Seanad who tabled this Private Members' motion on agriculture and have given us this opportunity to air a really important topic for our whole country, not just our rural economy, though it is the bedrock of that. I...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: There is EU and Irish legislation in place for the protection of animals at the time of slaughter. The relevant EU legislation is Regulation No. 1099 of 2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing and the Irish legislation is S.I. 292 of 2013, as amended. The legislation requires animals to be stunned (rendered unconscious) before they are slaughtered. However, slaughter of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The information requested is not readily available and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: EU labelling regulations do not require meat labels to indicate the method of slaughter. There are no current moves in the EU or in Ireland to change this position.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department does not collect data on the market destination of meat from animals slaughtered without pre-stunning. There is no EU regulatory requirement to collect such data.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: There is EU and Irish legislation in place for the protection of animals at the time of slaughter. The relevant EU legislation is Regulation No. 1099 of 2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing and the Irish legislation is S.I. 292 of 2013, as amended. The legislation requires animals to be stunned (rendered unconscious) before they are slaughtered. However, slaughter of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: Currently there is EU and Irish legislation in place for the protection of animals at the time of slaughter. The legislation requires animals to be stunned before they are slaughtered. However, slaughter of animals without prior stunning, as prescribed by religious rites, is also permitted under the EU legislation, under derogation. My Department is responsible for implementation of the above...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The person named submitted an application under the ACRES Co-operation stream and was approved into Tranche 1 of the scheme, with a commencement date of 1st January 2023. I have made enquiries and can confirm that payments are up to date for this herd. Balance payment in respect of scheme year 2024 issued on 16 May 2025, in the sum of €959.20. Payments in respect of scheme year...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Feedstuffs (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The focus of feed legislation is to ensure that feedingstuffs do not endanger food safety, do not pose a risk to animal health or the environment, meet the minimum standards prescribed, are accurately labelled, and are fully traceable. Feedingstuffs controls are implemented through inspections and sampling at all stages of the feed chain, including importation, storage, manufacture, transport...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department carries out sampling and analysis on fertilising products to ensure that they are in compliance with EU and domestic legislation. Testing of protected urea is carried out using a quantitative method for determination of the urease inhibitors N-(n-Butyl) thiophosphoric acid triamide (NBPT) and N-(n-Propyl)thiophosphoric acid triamide (NPPT) content in urea-based fertilisers...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: In relation to bovine TB, herd depopulation is not routinely practised. However, full or partial depopulation is considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity of the situation. In certain cases where large numbers of reactors in more than one cohort group are disclosed at the breakdown test or subsequent clearance tests, immediate depopulation may be considered. A decision...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 1st September 2025 there were 6,620,314 cattle in the national herd. The number of moves per animal was counted and a breakdown is set out in the table below. Number of moves Number of animals 0 3,471,532 1 1,913,339 2 880,405 3 243,583 4 76,356 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Slaughter of Animals Act 1935 has been repealed by The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Animal welfare at slaughter in the European Union is governed by Regulation 1099/2009 which is enforced under SI 292/2013 in Ireland. This Regulation has a similar requirement to minimise pain and suffering, while at the same time having a derogation for slaughter under religious rites. This...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department takes samples of fertiliser products placed on the market to verify compliance with Irish and EU legislation on labelling of products and minimum nutrient requirements. The fertiliser products are tested for a range of parameters specified in the legislation, including Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. To date in 2025, 162 fertiliser samples have been taken. Of these,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Budget 2026 (1 Oct 2025)

Martin Heydon: In advance of the Budget I have engaged extensively with agri-food stakeholders, including the organisation to which the Deputy refers. All the submissions made to me are taken into consideration in developing proposals for the Minister for Public Expenditure on expenditure and the Minister for Finance on taxation. Beyond that, it would not be appropriate for me to comment in advance of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (30 Sep 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Department's allocation under the National Development Plan for the period 2026 to 2030 are currently being finalised. Further information on the National Development Plan will be announced on Budget Day.