Results 11,221-11,240 of 23,978 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputies Carthy and Clarke for tabling the question. With sheep meat, it is good to see weekly prices since the start of 2021 are running consistently higher than the same period in both 2019 and 2020, with prices in early May at €7.45 per kg, a 38% increase on the same week in 2020. The year-to-date national average price is almost 30% up on the same period in 2020. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The funding of €100,000 is there for research to develop opportunities and potential for domestic use and income from wool. We will be very much guided by the submissions we receive and we will reflect on the suggestions coming out of that to see how we can best utilise that funding to try to ensure there are new opportunities. If any opportunities present, we will look to develop...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's written question was dealing with the task force as well but I will first respond to his point about blockchain. It certainly is exciting technology and the potential of it is very strong indeed. It is something we have had discussions on previously in great detail. We certainly have a premium product in Ireland. Farmers put in tremendous effort to produce quality, healthy...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Transparency and traceability are key with all the food we produce. Farmers and all in the food supply chain go to great efforts to show where it coming from at a farm level, from both a quality and a safety point of view. Ultimately, that is also very important in trying to ensure we get the maximum price for it when we go to sell it. The potential of any new technologies around this must...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: As I said, I am certainly open to considering this and looking at its potential to benefit farmers. On the point I referred to about the task force, at its most recent meeting, the third report it produced on price composition along the supply chain was presented to task force members. They are considering it and commenting on it and will meet again in early June to take that work forward.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Funding (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his question. In keeping with the programme for Government, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is committed to working with local authorities, charities and community stakeholders in supporting urban horse welfare programmes, in particular in the context of facilities and education programmes. Funding provided to South Dublin County Council in support...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: It will not be a matter of what I or my officials do whenever it comes to our national CAP plan. It will be a matter of engaging fully with farmers throughout the country on what our plan should look like, and fully consulting everyone before I, as Minister, make any calls on that. My approach in Europe has been to ensure we have as much national discretion as possible to set our own...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thought I had been clear but maybe not. My position at European level has been to try to ensure, in terms of the CAP, that we have as much discretion as possible to make our own decisions domestically coming out of that. I have outlined the situation at European level in terms of the Council position of 75% and the Parliament position of 100%. It remains to be seen where that will land...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I will not be setting any level on this without-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I will not be setting any level on this without first consulting farmers. I am surprised to hear that the Deputy is suggesting I should do otherwise. I am also looking forward to hearing her policy and everyone else's policy on this. Coming out of that, I will make a decision and make a call on it.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I have been consistent on this at all times. I am disappointed to see the Deputy trying to portray it as otherwise.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I outlined that in my previous response, if the Deputy wishes to go back over it and listen to exactly what the position is during the transition period.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Common Agricultural Policy (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: At present, the trilogue negotiations are ongoing on all aspects of the CAP programme at European level. As the Deputy knows, in Ireland, convergence has been a central part of direct payments throughout the current CAP programme. In 2019, the goal of all payment entitlements reaching a minimum value of 60% of the national average was completed. In that time, Ireland also set a maximum...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Harkin for her question. The exact shape of the various provisions under the next CAP are still under negotiation. Until all of those are complete there is not final certainty with regard to the exact level of convergence that will be applied, or the proportion of the direct payments ceiling allocated to eco-schemes. The general approach agreed by Council last November...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: My position at the Council of Ministers has been to maintain a 20% minimum threshold in terms of the eco-schemes. The Parliament is pushing for 30%. It is important that we try to ensure we maintain the basic payment scheme farmers get to support them to produce top quality, healthy and safe food, and also to do that in a way that is consistent with good environmental practice. Within the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Funding (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Harkin. That piece of research was to establish what the value of the entitlement would be. That is what the figures that were set out showed. The value of the entitlement is going to exclude the eco-scheme payment, which will be extracted from the entitlement value in the first place. That is what the research showed. I agree with Deputy Harkin that it all must be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I secured an additional €79 million, including €23 million from the carbon tax fund, in budget 2021 to support actions in the area of biodiversity, climate, environment and farm health and safety, while also supporting farm incomes. Part of this is the results-based environment agri pilot, REAP. While it is small, it is innovative, ambitious and farmer friendly. It is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: Overall, there is €79 million for new agri-environmental measures this year. Out of that, €23 million is from the carbon tax fund. There is a key programme for Government commitment to introduce a new flagship agri-environmental scheme in the next CAP which will start in January 2023. In funding that scheme, there will be €1.5 billion from the carbon tax between now...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Agriculture Schemes (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: In terms of our rural development programme and our measures within that, we have to engage with the European Commission in terms of getting approval for schemes that are part of that. State aid, which is important with this, comes within the rural development programme. That is why I am engaging with Europe and seeking permission to be able to accommodate additional farmers within the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2021)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Smith for her comments. As I said, meat plants are a high-risk environment because of the nature of the work and, in particular, in the boning halls with the recirculation of air and the fact the air has to stay chilled, which is something we have seen both nationally and internationally over the past period of time throughout the pandemic. That is why we have taken a very...