Results 17,821-17,840 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: -----according to current projections of €4 million-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: It is not a myth to quote back to the Minister the Government's own promises as to how many participants will be in the scheme and how much will be spent on it. He chooses to regard-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The Minister talks about myths. I am quoting back to him his predecessor’s commitments in respect of this programme and in respect of GLAS. They may have become myths at this stage but they certainly were not myths when the commitments were made. I will move on to the question of expenditure on the GLAS programme. GLAS III has reopened and 14,000 farmers have applied to it. This...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: It is very disappointing to hear that. Our experience of GLAS payments for 2016 was that commitments were made that the farmers would be paid in December but this has not happened. That has rolled into this year. There are many farmers - up to 5,000 at the moment - in a very difficult position because of this. Regarding the Department's operation of the scheme and the learning of lessons...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Each of the 14,000 farmers who applied to participate GLAS III made the choice to apply and signed up to a plan, much of which they will carry out from 1 January this year until December in the expectation that they will be paid. If the Minister's choices mean that they will not receive the full payment this year, perhaps he might confirm what his choices were for the 14,000 who signed up in...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Does the Minister plan to communicate that information to them?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I do not think we are. The Minister has made apologies and excuses in the past few months for the mess which has resulted in many farmers not being paid and it is clear that preparations were not made to ensure this would not happen. There is an expectation that if they are committing to a plan that will take up 12 months, they will be paid. If there is confusion about this, the onus is on...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I am not suggesting that at all.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The scheme will be of great benefit to the 14,000 farmers who have been accepted, but the Minister is saying he cannot be sure whether or how much they will be paid during the year. The budget is underfunded for the purposes of paying all of them this year. Can the Department do the figures and provide clarity on how much and when farmers will be paid? Can it then communicate this...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The Minister has said he made a choice to pay more than he had budgeted for.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: No, certainly not, but there should be sufficient funds to pay them this year.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: The Minister should communicate with farmers to tell them how much they will be paid in order that they will know where they stand.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I welcome the animal welfare scheme for sheep. I think the Department has done a good job in terms of structuring the scheme and in the context of the measures that have been put in place. I think I am right in saying that it is now closed for applications. The total annual budget allocated for the scheme is €25 million. How much of that €25 million has been applied for?...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: So, will €20 million be approximately-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: So €5 million of that €25 million would be spare.
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I have a very quick question. I see that €202 million has been allocated in respect of areas of natural constraint, ANC, payments. That is expected to increase by €25 million for next year. As it is relevant to the actual scheme, can the Minister provide an update on the mapping? I know that the structure for payment is going to be changed for 2018. What is the position...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: On areas of specific constraint, in which up to 10% of the eligible landmass is to be included, will these be the subject of consultation with farmers in advance of the Department actually publishing any proposals?
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Obviously, the classification will be based on biophysical criteria. That will be done in terms of testing, etc. The part in which there is more flexibility is the 10% specific constraint. Any proposals the Minister might have for the specific constraint would not have to be published alongside the maps outlining the results of the biophysical criteria outcomes and assessments. Is that...
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: I have one final question on that. There are three categories within the standard ANC payment. Then there are the islands. What is the capacity for bands within any new system? Would it be a flat-rate payment or is there capacity for bands-----
- Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 30 - Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (21 Mar 2017) Charlie McConalogue: Is there flexibility whereby there could be more bands or would it have to stick to the existing three tiers?