Results 13,381-13,400 of 23,991 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Veterinary Medicines (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. The scientific testing on the antiparasitics will be done at national level and will be verifiable and done in accordance with prescribed specifications. I have met many licensed merchants for whom this is a significant part of their business. Many of them have trained and responsible persons on their premises who oversee the sale of these products. I know how...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Veterinary Medicines (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I will be guided by the work of the stakeholder forum in examining what options are available to try to ensure the business of licensed merchants is not affected while at the same time ensuring we are compliant with the EU regulations to which we are legally bound to adhere. My understanding is that at present Ireland, apart from the UK, is the only EU country that does not have veterinary...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Beef Industry (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy and I know this is something that received much attention during the beef protests last year and has also received much attention since then with regard to the beef task force. The Deputy knows there is not a rule as such limiting the age of cattle or the number of movements for beef production, but meat processors do make in-spec bonus payments in respect of cattle that...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Regulations (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I assure Deputy Carthy that I am certainly the one who is responsible and in charge here. I am very clearly of the view that I should have been informed on 16 October, or whenever the recall notice was issued to the company. Recalls are not unusual. They tend to be operational in nature so they would not always be escalated within the Department. This one should have been, given the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Livestock Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will be aware, on 19 October the Taoiseach announced that the whole country would move to level 5 of the framework for living with Covid-19 for a period of six weeks, starting at midnight on Wednesday, 21 October. This decision was made on foot of strong evidence presented to the Government of a potentially grave situation arising in the weeks ahead. For marts this meant a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Livestock Issues (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I have been monitoring the situation very closely and talking to farmers and mart operators up and down the country. As I have outlined, there was a difficulty with one online platform provider last Saturday week which led to four marts out of 30 not being able to complete their sales. However, overall there has been a lot of success with the sales operating online. Very important from my...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Regulations (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: It is certainly good to see so many in the Chamber this late in the evening. I have no doubt that by the time we finish these questions, we will know a little more about what is in store across the Atlantic than we do now. Biocidal products, including hand sanitisers, may only be marketed and used in Ireland once they have been registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: EU Regulations (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As I outlined, it is a paper-based application process for a licence from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Once that is approved by the Department and the composition of any sanitiser is made clear in respect of the licences provided, the legal responsibility is then on the company to ensure it actually meets the requirements of the licence which was provided. There is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Fishing Industry (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. As she will be aware, in December 2018, following a public consultation process, the then Minister announced that vessels over 18 m would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the 6 nautical miles zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18 m targeting sprat was allowed to enable adjustment for these...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Beef Industry (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Naughten. At the most recent meeting of the beef task force which took place on 22 October, stakeholders agreed in principle to support an application by Bord Bia for protected geographical indication, PGI, status for Irish grass-fed beef. The beef task force also agreed in principle that a PGI monitoring group with a majority of farmer representation would be established to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Beef Industry (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Unfortunately, the application for European funding has not been successful. The Deputy knows well from previous debates in this House the absolute commitment I have to suckler beef and to ensuring it is promoted. Working with the beef task force on this agreement, I have committed to ensuring that €6 million of Government funding will go towards developing a suckler brand for the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Beef Industry (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: This is something we have discussed before and I am certainly willing to explore all avenues to add value to Irish beef and add income to the farmers who produce it. I am sure the Deputy will recognise this is the first time that we have seen funding specifically put towards the suckler brand and it is to the tune of €6 million. That is something I am committed to and I am glad the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: That €1.5 billion commitment is over the ten years until 2030. I note the Deputy's support for the €79 million which we brought forward in the budget as new funding for environmental schemes. I also note that the Sinn Féin did not have any such funding commitment in its pre-budget submission so I am sure the Deputy is particularly glad to see we have delivered €79...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department does not have a estimate of the impact of Covid-19 on agricultural emissions in 2020. Responsibility for maintaining the national inventory for greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland rests with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, operating under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The EPA reports on emissions from all sectors of our economy on an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy's point is important and well made. It will be interesting to see the 2020 figures showing the impact of the pandemic across many aspects of the economy from an emissions point of view. I am not so sure that the impact on agriculture will be as significant when compared with other sectors of the economy because agricultural activity has not been affected as much as many other...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: We will be closely assessing these matters. I take the Deputy's point that the agricultural sector deserves recognition in this House for the tremendous work it continues to carry out to ensure the security of supply chains. The sector continues to prove its resilience and farmers never fail to step up to the mark in that regard. Farmers have shown themselves willing to take a partnership...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Sales (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputies Cairns and Crowe for raising this issue. We should acknowledge that being able to bid online in the safety of their home and not having to go out has been welcome for some farmers. There is no doubt there have been challenges for those who do not have Internet access. Compared with the situation in March and April where online transactions were not available and we had a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy for his question. I take this opportunity to emphasise my commitment to the provision of agri-environment schemes which will continue to support the farming sector in these uncertain times, along with continuing the environmental benefits that such schemes have delivered. This commitment was demonstrated by a number of key provisions in my Department’s budget...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Environmental Schemes (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy will know, 35,000 farmers were due to leave GLAS at the end of this year. Importantly, the recent budget provides funding to ensure that GLAS can roll over for those farmers to enable them to continue in it next year. Obviously, a number of farmers are outside GLAS and are not in any scheme. The intention is to put in place a pilot scheme for a number of those farmers, which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Animal Sales (3 Nov 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 36 together. I wish Deputy Cairns a happy birthday. I hope she finds a way to celebrate it in later years other than the way we are celebrating it tonight. I hope the day ahead finishes better than the way it is starting, that is, here in the Chamber. I thank the staff for being here with us. I take the Deputy's point on the late hour at which we...