Results 13,761-13,780 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is contributing to the whole-of-Government response to managing outbreaks of Covid -19 in food plants.  In the context of Covid-19, human health must be the absolute priority for all of us, and therefore it is vitally important that all our decisions and actions led by public health advice. My Department’s statutory responsibility in relation to meat processing...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Both Brexit and Covid-19 have had a significant impact on the agri-food and fisheries sectors.  My Department's Brexit preparedness work has resulted in various supports being introduced over successive budgets to help the agri-food and fisheries sectors mitigate the impact of Brexit.   These include supports in the form of direct aid, as well as the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The data requested by the Deputy is held by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and I have referred the query to them for direct written response to the Deputy. However, it should be noted that Ireland does not have a national quota for Bluefin tuna. A small Bluefin by-catch quota is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important Northern Albacore Tuna...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Budget Process (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The IFA’s pre-Budget 2021 submission was received and acknowledged by my Department. My Department engages with stakeholders, including IFA, on an ongoing basis. I met with IFA earlier this month and my colleague Minister Heydon met with them last week to specificallty discuss their pre-budget submission. The issues raised will be considered in the context of Budget...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Seafood Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department considers all applications for aquaculture licences in accordance with the provisions of the 1997 Fisheries (Amendment) Act, the 1933 Foreshore Act and applicable EU legislation. The licensing process involves consultation with a wide range of scientific and technical advisers as well as various Statutory Consultees. The legislation also provides for a period of public...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has not had meetings with Bord Bia or any farming organisations regarding the PGI application made by the organisation named.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I can inform the Deputy that no correspondence has been received or entered into by my Department with the organisation named regarding the second organisation named.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The current Forestry Programme supports opportunities for habitat linkage by providing grants and premiums for afforestation, including native woodland extablishment and conservation schemes. This includes the establishment of 12 different forest types including  native woodlands that can be planted in areas as small as 0.1ha. This programme is due to end in 2020 but delays in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1184 of 20 April 2017 governs the monitoring of carcase classification, carcase presentation and weighing. To date, in 2020, officers from the Carcase Classification Division of my Department have conducted over 335 inspections across 32 factories (mechanical and manual grading plants) and over 29,963 carcasses were inspected.  The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware of the current dependance of the mushroom industry on peat as a growing medium. Following on from the publication of a report on the review of the use of peat moss in the horticulture industry by the Department of Heritage, Culture and the Gaeltacht,, Minister Noonan set up a working group to consider impacts on the sector. It is proposed that this working group will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horticulture Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am aware of the current dependance of the mushroom industry on peat as a growing medium.  Following on from the publication of a report on the review of the use of peat moss in the horticulture industry by the Department of Heritage, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Minister Noonan set up a working group to consider impacts on the sector. It is proposed that this working...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Covid-19 Pandemic (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department engages independent private veterinary practitioners to provide services in meat plants to support DAFM staff in 49 meat plants by providing meat inspection services. The total numbers of such Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs) on panels at each relevant plant and the number of those over 70 years of age or otherwise extremely medically vulnerable to Covid-19 provided...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheep Welfare Scheme (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is currently engaged in negotiations at EU level in relation to the development of regulations for the new CAP and also for the transition period between the two CAP programming periods.  Options for any future iterations of the sheep welfare scheme, as well as all other schemes, are currently being examined in the context of these ongoing negotiations.  I am committed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: An application to register "Irish Grass Fed Beef" as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was submitted to my Department by Bord Bia on behalf of producers.   One of the legal requirements for a PGI application is that a 'National Opposition" procedure must be undertaken  prior to submission of an application to the EU Commission.  The draft...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely aware of the difficulties encountered by the tillage sector primarily because of poor weather conditions over the last twelve months. As a result of these conditions it is expected that levels of both grain and straw will be less than the 2019 output but I welcome the recent predictions that the harvest will not be as bad as earlier anticipated. There...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Exports (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: The Beef Finisher Payment (BFP) scheme was launched on the 10th August 2020.The aim of the scheme is to provide income support for farmers finishing beef who have been impacted by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Payments are made based on the data contained on my Department’s Animal Identification and Movements (AIM) system.  The Terms and Conditions of the BFP...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: I am very conscious of the potentially very serious impact of a No Deal Brexit on the competitiveness of Irish beef exports to the UK, with tariff costs estimated by my Department at €724m, or 72%, based on 2019 beef exports of €1 billion to the UK market. In addition to the Government’s and my Department’s wider Brexit preparedness strategy, there have been a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Issues (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: In relation to the arrangements for 2021, my Department is pressing for the earliest adoption of EU regulations to facilitate the operation of schemes in the period between the current CAP and the CAP Strategic Plan post-2020.  Once the regulatory framework has been determined, we will be in a position to make decisions about the next period. This will...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Food Labelling (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is the Competent Authority in Ireland for Ireland's three spirit drink Geographic Indications (GIs)  - Irish Whiskey, Irish Cream and Irish Poitín.  My Department, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Health Service Executive share responsibility for verifying compliance with the legal requirements related to GI spirit drinks, including...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Ireland (29 Sep 2020)

Charlie McConalogue: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) is a commercial state body established under the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001, and is responsible for the overall administration, promotion and development of the horse racing industry.  A breakdown of fees and expenses from 2019 is outlined below: The chairman of the board of HRI received €22,000. Members of the board of HRI...