Results 9,021-9,040 of 23,978 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine does not provide poles or products to any utility company. However, I can confirm that, in the past, Coillte did provide poles for utilities and transmission purposes. As you are aware, Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and as such is operationally independent from my Department. I have therefore...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and, as such, is operationally independent from my Department. I have, therefore, referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Project Woodland is currently developing a shared national vision for the next forest strategy for Ireland. Over the next three months, extensive public consultation will take place where the views of a wide range of stakeholders will be sought. Any future Forest Strategy will examine the range of forest types found in Ireland and provide a number of strategic actions which will take...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware of and appreciate the valuable research conducted by Dr Augustenburg in relation to forestry. A national, shared vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests and a new Forestry Strategy are currently being developed as part of the work carried out in Project Woodland. This new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027. An extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am advised that my Department is not aware of any records of meetings referred to by the Deputy on the dates in question. The Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) is operationally independent of my Department and, as such, is subject of AIE requests separate from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The functioning of the appeals system has greatly improved since the introduction of Forestry (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act in October 2020 and there are currently just 11 cases awaiting hearing. As regards the transmission of Statements of Facts, these are sent by my Department to the Forestry Appeals Committee within, on average, 30 days of request.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department Inspectors carry out harvesting, post harvesting and reforestation inspections. With regard to harvesting and post harvesting inspections the focus is primarily on water quality related issues that may be caused by breaches of the licence resulting mainly by machine traffic when harvesting and extracting timber from the site. To date most inspections carried out during...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: On 12 January, I was delighted to announce a support scheme for the inshore fisheries sector to assist inshore fishers in adjusting to the impacts of Brexit on their businesses. The Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Schemedelivers on a recommendation of the Report of the Seafood Task Force - Navigating Change(October 2021). The scheme is proposed for funding under the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Sales (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 222 and 223 together. My Department uses the TRACES system to record sheep movements in terms of both imports and exports for the purposes of slaughter, breeding and fattening. Traditionally, most live sheep imported into Ireland have come from the UK, including Northern Ireland. In 2021, a total of 367,936 sheep were imported. The below table provides both...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The afforestation licence application to which the Deputy refers was originally decided in October, 2021. The decision was appealed to the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) and, upon their notification of the appeal to the Department, the licence was suspended, in accordance with the relevant process. When the licence decision was examined, following the appeal, it was discovered that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: The person named was approved to GLAS 2 with a contract commencement date of 1stJanuary 2016. Processing of the 2021 advance payment in respect of the application of the person named is at an advanced stage. Administrative checks involving a number of sections within the Department take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue. GLAS payments...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (26 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has implemented various workplace controls to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace by complying with the Government’s public Health guidelines. In line with prevailing and broader provisions applyinig to all Government Departments, my Department continously ensures that there is an appropriate focus on good practice with respect to procurement and...

Seanad: Climate and Agriculture: Statements (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I am delighted to be here today in the Seanad to speak about the climate challenge from an agriculture perspective. While the Covid-19 pandemic lingers in Ireland and around the world, we cannot lose sight of other challenges. The climate challenge is certainly one that remains in firm focus both for me personally and for this Government. The agrifood sector is Ireland's most important...

Seanad: Climate and Agriculture: Statements (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his kind remarks. I thank all the Members for this very constructive debate. It has been very informative. I have enjoyed the engagement and it has been very productive. The tone of this debate is important and it is the tone we need to adopt to ensure we make the real progress that must be made in reducing emissions, ensuring the sustainability of the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Housing costs went up 12% under a Sinn Féin Minister in the North.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: That is what happened under a Sinn Féin Minister in Northern Ireland.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: In 2021, my Department received 310 applications under the scheme for 1,341ha. It is not true to say that no decisions were issued for this Scheme in 2021, as 165 applicants received approval to manage 488ha of ash plantations. An issue that has arisen with the scheme is that many applications where the applicant has proposed to replace the ash crop with conifer species require Planning...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department issued 4,050 forestry licences this year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2021. In terms of afforestation, licences issue remained static with 502 afforestation licences issued for 4,245 hectares. We must improve on this, and we will shortly publish licence projections for 2022 which will prioritise increasing the number of afforestation licences issued. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Work Permits (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: Arising from ongoing engagement with sector stakeholders, my Department is in regular contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) regarding the labour shortages that exist in certain sub-sectors of agri-food. The Deputy will be aware that DETE has lead responsibility for this issue and late last year announced the outcome of the most recent review of the lists...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 Jan 2022)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department issued 4,050 forestry licences this year, which is an increase of 56% on the number issued in 2021, and met our revised target of 4,000 licences. It is our intention to build on this momentum in 2022 and we will shortly publish projections for the year in a new licencing plan.