Results 20,201-20,220 of 24,049 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: In December 2018, the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced that vessels over 18 metres would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18 metres targeting sprat was allowed to enable adjustment for these vessels, as the sprat fishery is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As Deputies may be aware the new and ambitious €1.3bn Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will replace the previous Programme which expired at the end of 2022. The new Programme will benefit farmers, rural communities and the overall climate and environment. Subject to State Aid approval from the European Commission and the completion of the ongoing Strategic Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has no function in terms of fertiliser prices. It does ensure that fertiliser products placed on the market are in keeping with the regulatory framework. However, I have continued to monitor the market situation given the negative impact that high fertiliser prices have had on farmers’ expenditure and profitability. The following CSO table sets out the relative change in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Carbon farming includes those farming practices that remove CO2from the atmosphere and contribute to the climate neutrality objective. A certification system should enable more effective rewards for carbon farming facilitated through either public or private initiatives. I am keen to see the implementation of a Carbon Farming Framework in Ireland. Some important groundwork needs to be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Citizens' Assembly (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Biodiversity is a keystone to our way of life and an important agenda item for my Department and I. My Department have considered the recommendations related to Agriculture within the report on Biodiversity from the Citizen’s Assembly. In many cases, actions are already in place to deliver on the report's recommendations. In some cases small changes are required, however in other...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Deputy will be aware that I announced the establishment of an independent review of my Department’s response to ash dieback in early June of this year. The group has a remit to review the existing and previous supports available to landowners with ash plantations funded under the National Forestry Programme, to engage with relevant stakeholders to seek their views on the current...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Passports (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/963, as transposed into national law via the European Union (Animal identification and Tracing) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 254 of 2023), sets out the rules on the identification and registration of equine animals. This legislation provides that all equines must be properly identified with a passport no later than 12 months from the date of birth of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is in constant and regular contact with other state agencies involved in on-farm inspections in particular the Local Authorities, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Environmental Protection Agency. Officials hold regular meetings, webinars and direct contact with other state agencies for example in relation to cross reporting breaches found...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Taking account of the requirement for all agricultural sectors to contribute to achieving the targets set out in the Climate Act process, I established the Food Vision Beef & Sheep Group as well as the Food Vision Dairy Group last year. The purpose of these groups is to advance the actions identified for the beef, sheep and dairy sectors in the Food Vision 2030 strategy. The first...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Commercial sea-fishing and aquaculture activities are long standing, pre-existing and traditional activities in the marine environment. Ireland's seafood resources are an important national economic asset generating an estimated €1.3bn GDP and sustaining over 15,000 jobs, most of which are in rural, coastal communities. So it is vitally important the Irish seafood sector continues on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Green Cert is an accredited education programme delivered by approved education providers including Teagasc, Employment and Training Boards (ETBs) and some private providers. Teagasc deliver the Green Cert on a fulltime, part-time and distance education basis through its network of agricultural colleges and regional education centres. It is committed to accommodating all farmers that...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Policy (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department is supporting the Marine Institute in carrying out important monitoring and research to improve understanding of impacts of climate change on marine activities and on the environment. It is doing this through the €258 million European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Seafood Development Programme which was approved by Government and adopted by the European...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Directives (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Nitrates directive set down strict scientific criteria in respect to the provision of a Nitrates derogation which include;long growing seasons, crops with high nitrogen uptake, high net precipitation in the vulnerable zone,soils with exceptionally high denitrification capacity.Ireland’s unique grass-based livestock production systems, our climate and our soils allow Ireland justify...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The €1.5m National Farm Safety Measure 2023, funded from the National Exchequer, incentivises the purchase and use of quad bike helmets and PTO shaft covers which will help protect farmers and everyone involved in operating PTO-powered equipment and quad bikes on farms from serious and fatal injuries. The Measure also increases awareness of the risks on farms due to unprotected or...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) "Water quality monitoring report on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Irish waters 2022" was submitted to the European Commission on 30 June in accordance with the conditionality set down in the Commission's Implementing Decision granting Ireland's current Nitrates Derogation. The report was subsequently published on both the EPA and my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Appointments (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The information requested by the Deputy is attached in tabular form, this information is limited to the number of staff from my Department, at Principal Officer level or above who, on retiring from that position, were subsequently appointed to a State Board under the remit of my Department. My Department does not keep data on the subsequent employment of retirees in other State Boards or any...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Coillte Teoranta (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Coillte is a private limited company established under the Forestry Act 1988 and is operationally independent from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have referred the matter to Coillte for direct follow-up with the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: EU Funding (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: European Innovation Partnership (EIP-agri) projects are a successful vehicle for interested parties – farmers, scientists, etc. – to collaborate on a particular issue, trialling solutions on the ground. Last December, my Department held an open call for proposals for a nationwide European Innovation Partnership (EIP-agri) project to deal with issues of losses of nutrients to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pension Provisions (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I understand that my officials are currently looking into this request. My officials will also liaise with the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) on this matter, as the NSSO has responsibility for the payment of pensions to former civil servants. I would like to assure the Deputy one of my staff will contact the person directly to assist with this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (13 Jul 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Seafood Task Force recommended a series of 16 mitigation measures that could be taken to provide supports for development and restructuring in order to ensure a profitable and sustainable fishing fleet and to identify opportunities for jobs and economic activity in coastal communities dependent on fishing. Recognising the volume of these recommendations, the Task Force acknowledged that...