Results 11,161-11,180 of 23,978 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department is in the process of developing the criteria to accept applications from suitably qualified persons to form a register of “Forest Road Professionals”. Officials are working closely with the COFORD Forest Industry Transport Group in this regard. When the criteria are finalised, the Department will invite applications from suitably qualified persons who wish...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Relations (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland was very pleased to gain access to the Chinese market for beef in April 2018. Department officials worked closely with Chinese Customs to achieve that access and it is a market of significant interest to our industry. According to CSO trade data, the overall value of beef exports to China increased from €65 million in 2018 to €95 million in 2019 but declined markedly...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: State Bodies (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together. The establishment of the new Office of a National Food Ombudsman or Regulator, is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and a key priority of mine as Minister to bring much-needed transparency to the sector. The new Office will have a role in analysing and reporting on price and market data in Ireland and will incorporate the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 233 and 234 together. As part of our TB eradication programme, beef finishing herds, if they meet the necessary criteria, are allowed to avail of a special status, termed “Controlled Finishing Unit (CFU)”. A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals. It is a non-breeding herd...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Controlled Finishing Units as part of the TB Eradication Programme are subject to enhanced biosecurity measures and can only sell direct to slaughter. Kill numbers (rounded) at EU approved slaughter plants originating in Controlled Finishing Units by month and year 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 January 20,000 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: All livestock are required to be identified in accordance with the applicable legislation that is within the remit of the Department. Any instances of untagged livestock should be reported to the relevant Regional Veterinary Office of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The matter of livestock grazing on land without the owners permission is primarily a civil matter between the two parties involved. Under Section 8 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, for the purpose of disease control and prevention, a person who has in his or her possession or under his or her control a farm animal shall take all reasonable measures to ensure the animal is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Teagasc recently reported that blackgrass weed was found in a commercial wildflower mixture that was grown in an experimental plot at its research centre in Oakpark, Carlow. I understand that Teagasc has taken appropriate action to deal with the specific issue. There are no EU regulations governing the importation and certification of wildflower seeds. While the EU seed regulations cover...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to IT security for DAFM and agencies that it carries out services for. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest levels and are closely engaged with experts in the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure that we...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Cybersecurity Policy (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to IT security for DAFM and agencies that it carries out services for. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest levels and are closely engaged with experts in the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure that we...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (26 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In June 2020, the Department launched the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash dieback). The objectives of the scheme are to encourage the active management of ash plantations, to promote the vigorous growth of ash through thinning and, where appropriate in young plantations and in cases of high disease infection, to support the removal of the affected ash crop and replacement...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Common Agricultural Policy (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Senator Ahearn for raising this issue. His timing is important, as I am flying to Brussels this evening and I will be there until Friday for three days of a trilogue meeting between the Council of Ministers, the European Commission and the Parliament to try to get final agreement, as the Senator indicated in his contribution, to the European CAP plan. The CAP negotiations have been...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Common Agricultural Policy (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It is complex at European level because we have the three institutions – the Council of Ministers, which is made up of the various agriculture Ministers from the 27 member states, the EU Commission, which tries to co-ordinate policy and the European Parliament. It is not necessarily that the Commission is pushing for one thing, it is more a case of the moving parts between all three...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: During 2020, the European Commission carried out a series of audits on Ireland and the other Member States in the North Western Waters region in relation to the control, enforcement and inspection of activities relevant to the landing obligation. The Commission forwarded its draft audit report to Ireland for comment last month. The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 515 and 516 together. Council Regulation 1224/2009, known as the Control Regulation, establishes a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and establishing a level-playing field across the EU on fisheries control. In 2018, the Commission published a proposal to amend the Control Regulation. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 517 to 519, inclusive, together. While there was a decrease in Coillte licences issued in the period mentioned by the Deputy, work continued on a batch of 1,864 applications received from Coillte on 15 March 2021. There is a significant amount of background work involved in the licensing process long before a licence issues and this work is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The numbers of forestry licences issued each month from June 2020 to 21st May 2021, with ecology input, are outlined in the table below: Licences Issued Jun-20 42 Jul-20 71 Aug-20 107 Sep-20 66 Oct-20 233 Nov-20 181 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Statutory Instruments (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Between 2002 and 2008, pursuant the Planning and Development Act 2000, the construction, maintenance, and improvement of non-public roads serving forests and woodlands and works ancillary to that development was classed as “exempted development” for the purposes of planning permission. The requirement to obtain a statutory consent from the Department for forest road works...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s geographic position places it along an important migratory route – the East Atlantic Flyway – with birds travelling from northern breeding grounds to Ireland and to other important wintering areas farther south. Ireland’s relatively mild climate, moderated by the influences of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream, together with its diversity and abundance...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The natural habitat of the Hen Harrier is open bog and heather moorland, with rough grassland also favoured. Hen Harriers find young forest plantations attractive to breed in, and the population is thought to have increased in the 1960s and 1970s in Ireland due to new afforestation. However, breeding success is compromised by the loss of open space as forest canopies close. After 10...