Results 6,721-6,740 of 23,975 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Senator should have known with a Kerryman in the Chair.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Acting Chairperson and Senators Lombard and Carrigy. I welcome the opportunity to address this issue in the Seanad. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, is otherwise engaged and could not be here. I am happy to address the matter. We want to be in a position to ensure people have clarity about the new rates before the start of January in order that they can plan and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Forestry Sector (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: We will be giving this certainty. The situation now is that the strategy has been published.A public consultation is ongoing and will be completed by the end of November. We have not yet published information on the grant aids and premiums that will be in place from January 2023. We are finalising those with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. What is clear is that they will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. There is a fuel challenge at the moment. I put in place an extra one-month tie-up scheme at the request of the sector to support the fuel challenge that is there as a result of the illegal invasion of Ukraine. That scheme has been in place since June and will run until the end of November. I monitored fuel prices closely during the summer and there has been a lot of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Excuse me.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Food Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: A significant part of the Common Fisheries Policy focuses on quota species whereas much of the inshore sector is concerned with non-quota species. The Common Fisheries Policy itself deals in large part with quota management.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fur Farming (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. I will try to be brief to allow for another question. The Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022 will provide for the statutory prohibition of fur farming. A commencement order is being drafted, which will include the commencement date for the prohibition on fur farming. We are working in close collaboration with the farms affected...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fur Farming (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I accept it is a programme for Government commitment. It has also been a strong commitment of the Deputy and the Green Party. We will bring the matter to a conclusion as soon as possible.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. As part of the climate action plan process, I am in regular contact with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with regard to establishing pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture and land use sector. Measures to reduce emissions from our organic soils form part of the sectoral commitment and a target of 80,000 ha for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Change Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's point is well made. It is important that we have balance in the steps we are taking. We must bring down our emissions and reduce our carbon footprint because we have to deal with the climate challenges. Alongside that, we must ensure food security because there are challenges in respect of food production. Food is becoming more difficult to produce in many parts of the world,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Impact Assessments (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: There are measures in the new ACRE scheme for encouraging and rewarding the improvement of existing hedges and how they are managed, and keeping them at a higher height to encourage wildlife and bird life, in particular, to use them. There has been a whole step change in farmers' understanding of hedges and what they contribute. That is really important. Certainly, it is a long time since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As I am sure the Deputy will agree, the people of Ireland have shown great support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people following the illegal invasion by Russia. The Government remains resolute in its solidarity and support and will continue to co-ordinate a humanitarian, economic and diplomatic response to the crisis. Significant implications are being seen across all sectors, including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Our assessment is that there are sufficient supplies of animal feed at present and importers are actively competing on the global market to ensure supply continues uninterrupted. However, prices are high. I meet with stakeholders on an ongoing basis to discuss the impact of the crisis on supply chains. As the Deputy knows, I established a rapid response team in my Department, along with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Regarding energy and solar panel supports under TAMS, there is a requirement and conditionality where we are using EU funding that any energy produced be for on-farm use as opposed to export onto the grid. We are establishing a separate funding stream for energy production to the grid to ensure there is no impact on other TAMS applications. This scheme will allow for battery storage...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Impact Assessments (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The EIA agriculture regulations cover three different types of on-farm activities, including the restructuring of rural landholdings, which relates to the removal of hedgerows. The thresholds for proposed hedgerow removal where screening applications are required under the regulations are any length of field boundary above 500 m proposed to be removed or any proposed removal of field...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Impact Assessments (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I take the Deputy's point that the thresholds are high. Across our agricultural policy and under the new CAP strategic plan, the whole thrust of what we are doing is about trying to increase the number of hedgerows on farms and incentivise and recognise their good maintenance and protection. Therefore, the various schemes, including CAP, the eco-schemes and the environmental schemes, are...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic and I acknowledge his ongoing interest in the area. To help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided through TAMS to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms. TAMS grant...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Atypical Working Scheme for non-EEA fishers is administered by the Department of Justice with support at the application stage by my Department in the form of a central depository. No changes to the operation of this existing scheme are proposed. What has recently been recommended to and approved by Government is that the fishing industry should apply to the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy may be aware, I received Government approval in early October for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023 to 2027. The Plan will support and improve the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the agriculture sector, for the benefit of farm families and rural communities. The Plan has an indicative budget of €9.8 billion. There is a strong...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (25 Oct 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for raising this important topic. The next decade is going to be the most exciting in the space on on-farm energy generation. As part of the 13% increase in funding for agriculture announced as part of Budget 2023, I committed to allocating €3 million for each of the next four years, a total of €12 million, to kick-start a farm-based Anaerobic Digestion...