Results 20,281-20,300 of 24,049 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: First of all, this is not something that has happened in just the past couple of weeks. We know-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have known since 30 June-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The position since 30 June, when that map and those data would have been returned to the Commission, as was an obligation under our derogation, has been that those areas in red were facing 220 kg N/ha. That has been the position since the end of June. Also, we have known since the derogation was renegotiated that one of its requirements was that there would have to be an assessment of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: As Senator Lombard will know, the information he has and had was the same as the information we had all along.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: The Senator had access to the same information we had and faced the same situation and challenges that were coming down the tracks. From the point at which the derogation was renegotiated, the start of 2022, from any reading of the media or in terms of actions and steps farmers were taking and the consequences of that in terms of land prices, that has very much been a feature throughout the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Let me finish. Under the derogation and assessment, it was not possible to know before the end of June where we would stand on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Now we know there is. We have known that since our meetings with the Commissioner.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: We have said that since our meeting with the Commissioner. I would have informed the farm organisations of that as well. From 30 June, the red map was the data which the Commission required. The meeting I had with the Commissioner indicated that there could potentially be some small changes to that, but they would have to be very small and based on data. We are now engaging with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is what we are bringing clarity to and assessing. That is what we will finalise by the end of September. I will work with the water quality working group on this detail.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Has Senator Lombard any other proposal in relation to-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: Farmers need that information. All the new CAP programmes and data have to feed into providing that information. This is the first year of a new CAP programme. That new system has been designed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That new system has been designed over the last period of time. Farmers absolutely need that information. As I said in my statement in the start, we will get that to them over the next number of days. I have the team prioritising this because the Senator is right that farmers need information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I have the team working to get that information to farmers as quickly as possible. They will have it in the next few days. It is important that farmers have that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: -----so that they can plan for the rest of the year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Senator. I will ask Mr. Callanan to come in on the scientific and calculation points regarding the measuring of slurry. The Senator is correct in his account of where we are at with regard to the fact we now have clarity that there will not be a change to the derogation. Many parts of the country will have to drop to 220 kg N/ha. That is the situation we are in. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: That is perfect and I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank Deputy Fitzmaurice. As he said, the committee visited and got first-hand feedback on the backdrop to the negotiations on the derogation and on the challenge whereby we have to make sure we are working collectively to ensure we hold the 220 kg N/ha. We are one of only three member states that has a derogation. Every other member state...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: There is no doubt about the trend we have seen in recent CAPs, with Pillar 2 becoming more important and eco-schemes entering Pillar 1. This is something on which I have already been making my position clear at national level with regard to the importance of both these pillars and support for farmers. I will come back to the other points at the end of the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. The EPA is the national scientific body that gathers the data, as the Deputy knows. It gathers that data in a robust and scientific fashion. It is important we support it to do that and ensure data is comprehensive as well. We will seek to continue to ensure there is funding in place to make sure the data we have best equips us to provide the best outcome for farmers....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Charlie McConalogue: It is complex. Many factors have an impact on water quality. Land type and soil type are important, as is how nutrients and nutrient load are managed. Soil type can vary from field to field. It is challenging. What is done in one field, even with a high nutrient load, could have a minimal impact whereas what is done in another field with a lower nutrient load could have more of an...