Results 9,481-9,500 of 23,978 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I take the point he makes about wanting to ensure that all farmers who want to avail of the scheme can do so. This is a reflection of how well it has been received and the value of it to farmers as well as the value from an environmental and emissions perspective. It is a good initiative. I am glad to be able to put the funding back in for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Water Quality (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has overall responsibility for the implementation of the NEC Directive, which covers ammonia. The NEC Directive is focused on overall emissions levels at a national level, it does not cater for farm level emissions, similar to our climate targets. The issue of whether a farmer is in receipt of CAP payments is not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: There are a number of definitions of rewilding. The Department of  Agriculture Food & the Marine (DAFM) focus is biodiversity in agriculture and all projects/initiatives that promote this along with food production will be encouraged and supported. This Department has played a key role in relation to restoring and conserving biodiversity rich ecosystems.  Some of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland was notified of a Commission Implementing Decision revoking the approval of the Irish control plan submitted for the weighing of fishery products. The European Commission has deemed that Ireland’s obligations arising from Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 were not being met by the Irish control plan as the risk of non-compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy could...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In June 2018 in the context of preparation for Brexit, a fact sheet was published setting out the landings from the Irish Exclusive Zone for the years 2011 to 2015.  Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), official landing statistics are reported by Member States by ICES division, rather than by Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and most ICES divisions straddle more...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In 2020 agri-food exports to NI were valued at €1,049 million and imports were valued at €1,010 million. In the period to end of September 2021 exports have reached €1,139 million, while imports from NI are valued at €1,021 million.  The Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and UK provides for no additional requirements to be applied to trade between Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: EU Regulations governing the administration of Direct Payment schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks including, in some cases, remote sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named was selected for a 2021 remote sensing inspection.  A letter detailing the initial inspection findings...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 216 together. I established a Seafood Sector Task Force in March 2021 to examine the impacts on our fishing sector and coastal communities of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and to make recommendations to me on initiatives that could be taken to provide supports for development and restructuring so as to ensure a profitable and sustainable...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I established a Seafood Sector Task Force in March 2021 to examine the impacts on our fishing sector and coastal communities of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and to make recommendations to me on initiatives that could be taken to provide supports for development and restructuring so as to ensure a profitable and sustainable fishing fleet and to identify opportunities for jobs and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The security of supply of fish products to the retail sector is a commercial matter between fishing vessel owners, fishers' cooperatives and other first point of sale entities and their respective retail sector customers.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Membership of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef Quality Assurance Scheme is an eligibility condition of the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme and the Dairy Beef Calf Welfare Scheme as part of Ireland's draft CAP strategic plan.  The full details of the draft CAP strategic plan are available on the Department's website.  The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme is an environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has overall responsibility for the implementation of the NEC Directive, which covers ammonia. The NEC Directive is focused on overall emissions levels at a national level, it does not cater for farm level emissions, similar to our climate targets. The issue of whether a farmer is in receipt of CAP payments is not...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The rules governing undue payments, penalties and interest under Pillar 1 schemes are set down in a combination of EU Regulations and Statutory Instrument.  The details are given in Terms and Conditions of the Basic Payment Scheme. The 2021 Terms and Conditions state "Where farmers do not meet scheme rules, their payments can be reduced, and penalties applied. Where the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Currently persons are required to hold the minimum of a Level 6 award in agriculture, horticulture, forestry or equine in order to meet Young Trained Farmer (YTF) educational requirements. The approved qualifications are listed in Revenue Schedule 2B SCDA 1999. In addition to these qualifications, Teagasc may certify other qualifications as corresponding to a Schedule 2B qualification. When...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The quantity of seed potato certified by my Department’s inspectors since 2016 to 2020 is listed in Table 1 below.  The quantity of seed potato imported from Scotland for the same period is listed in Table 2.  Figures relating to 2021 are not currently available. Table 1 Year Certified Seed Potato (tonnes) 2016 3,308 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy may be aware the average area of seed potatoes certified in Ireland for the years 2016 - 2020 was 231 hectares, ranging from 203 hectares in 2019 to 253 in 2016. The area for certification in 2021 increased to 299 hectares giving a 29% increase over the mean of the previous five years. The Department has sufficient staff resources assigned to the inspection and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The amount of Pillar I funding paid to Young Farmers in respect of financial years 2016 to 2021 is as follows: Annual Account Period (Financial Year) Total 2016 Annual Account 16.10.15 – 15.10.16 €18,390,272 2017 Annual Account 16.10.16 – 15.10.17 €19,468,019 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Convergence is a feature of the current CAP and the new CAP proposals intend to continue with this policy. Ireland has supported this element of these proposals. Convergence aims to redistribute and flatten the value of CAP payment entitlements across Ireland and all Member States. Under the current CAP, some €93million was redistributed from farmers with payment entitlements...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: A financial support package of €4.25 million has been secured to offset the additional cost on farmers in the move to mandatory electronic identification of cattle from January 2022 onwards.  The intention is that the scheme will operate over three years (2022 to 2024 inclusive) with the first payments scheduled to take place in quarter four in 2022, expected to be in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (1 Dec 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The new CAP places a particular focus on promoting the participation of women in the socio-economic development of rural areas, with special attention to farming. Member States are required to strengthen their capacity in gender mainstreaming and in the collection of sex disaggregated data. The SWOT and Needs Analyses exercises prepared as part of the development of Ireland’s new CAP...