Results 13,001-13,020 of 23,989 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: European Union legislation provides for a set of harmonised rules to ensure that food and feed are safe, and to ensure a high level of human, animal and plant health as well as animal welfare along the agri-food chain. Primary responsibility for ensuring that the obligations set out in Union agri-food chain legislation are met rests with operators. The Official Controls Regulation is clear...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy knows, the EU-UK Trade negotiations are ongoing at present and it is therefore not possible to say what, if any, impacts the outcome may have for our seafood industry.  When we know the outcome of those discussions, I will examine the implications, if any, for Ireland's seafood sector and indeed the wider agri-food sector, and discuss Ireland's views with the European...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Brexit poses very significant challenges for the Irish beef sector in particular because of its exposure to the UK market.  In value terms, Ireland exported €2.4 billion worth of beef last year, of which Great Britain accounted for €909 million (39%). If there is no agreement in the EU-UK negotiations, tariffs will apply on exports to and imports from...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tuberculosis Eradication Programme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish farmers, there has been a concerning incremental increase in the disease since 2016. This has continued in 2020 with further increases in herd incidence and reactor numbers observed. Herd incidence (on a 12-month rolling basis) has breached 4% for the first time since 2012 and reactor numbers have exceeded...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tuberculosis Eradication Programme (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The table at the link details the number of herds experiencing a new restriction, due to bovine TB, since 1st January each year, by county. While TB disease is low relative to historical levels, the number of new restrictions and reactor numbers have been gradually increasing since 2016. The pace of deterioration has accelerated in 2020. The reasons for the increased TB incidence...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Brexit poses challenges for the Irish sheep meat sector in because of its exposure to the UK market.  In value terms, Ireland exported €318 million worth of sheep meat ear, of which Great Britain accounted for €62 million (around 20%). 71% of export value was accounted for by EU markets, reflecting a lower degree of exposure to the British market than is the case...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Imports (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy’s office as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Exports (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Markets for Irish dairy produce, despite significant challenges faced in recent years, in particular the impact of Brexit uncertainty and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, continue to perform strongly.  My Department remains extremely vigilant in monitoring the current market and emerging trends, and engaging with the industry to ensure a continued strong...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am of course very aware of both the challenges and opportunities that may present themselves to the potato industry post-Brexit. The restrictions around importation of potatoes presents a very significant opportunity to our potato industry to displace imported potatoes with high quality produce from our own farmers. To ensure that the sector is well placed to exploit such opportunities,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The total area of potatoes sown in Ireland has remained relatively stable over the recent period. In 2016 the area sown was 8,945Ha; in 2017 it was 9,067Ha; in 2018 the area reduced to 8,233Ha; in 2019 saw an increase to 8,634Ha and this continued in 2020 with plantings of 8,873Ha. I am firmly of the view that opportunities to increase the national acreage of potatoes will emerge...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Under EU legislation, Ireland is one of a small number of areas within the EU officially recognized as a High-Grade Seed Area to produce seed potatoes. This is because the country is free from a number of significant potato diseases that occur in other member states. My Department continues to support the Irish Seed potato sector by providing significant funding to Teagasc who carry out a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The data requested by the Deputy is currently being compiled and will be forwarded as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Poultry Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As a value-for-money source of protein-rich food, poultrymeat has seen an increase in demand in recent years. The past decade has seen ever increasing levels of poultry meat production, with the annual slaughter figure rising by 20% to reach 106 million head and the tonnage of production rising by 20% to reach 160,800 tonnes in 2019.  Ireland exports poultry to over 30 countries...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pigmeat Sector (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The pigmeat sector has shown remarkable growth in recent years. Last year the total value of pig meat exports was €891 million; an increase from €828 million in 2018.  Over 103,000 tonnes of pigmeat exports valued at over €463 million was exported to the UK in 2019. This represents almost 52% of total export value for the sector.  However,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am committed to promoting good practices that respect the welfare of all animals - this is underpinned by the programme for Government and a dedicated team of officials in my Department. My Department devotes considerable resources to protecting animal welfare and in dealing with breaches of animal welfare legislation when found. My Department has recently...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Equine Industry (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department dedicates a substantial level of resources and funding to animal welfare and I am fully committed to delivering on the Programme for Government undertaking to prioritise equine welfare. In December 2019, my Department delivered the largest ever allocation of funding of €2.906m to 106 animal welfare organisations, many...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: In accordance with Section 47(4) of the Disability Act 2005, my Department surveys all employees annually to establish the number of employees who have a disability.  Disclosure by individuals of their disability status is voluntary, as is the disclosure of the nature of any disability disclosed. As required under Section 5 of the Disability Act 2005, my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Data Protection (3 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has contacted my Department eight times since 2016 and sought clarification regarding Data Protection cases raised by individual DAFM clients. Two of these contacts were notified as formal investigations (one in 2016 and one in 2018). The other contacts were requests for information and/or clarifications on cases. The nature of these cases raised has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Beef Finisher Payment (BFP) scheme is a one off, exchequer funded grant aid scheme under the Covid 19 State Aid Temporary Framework. The objective of the BFP has been to provide support for beef finishing farms in Ireland which have been severely impacted by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme was open to all beef farmers who presented animals for slaughter in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Regulation (3 Dec 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The use of wrasse on salmon farms is regulated under the provisions of EU Directive 2006/88 on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals. Statutory Instrument 261 of 2008 – European Communities (Health of Aquaculture Animals and Products) Regulations 2008 gives effect to the EU...