Results 21,981-22,000 of 24,065 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I can assure the Deputy that my Department constantly monitors the needs of the fisheries sector. Along with regularly meeting with representatives of the sector, holding formal consultations and attending public forums, we monitor developments in key economic indicators. My Department prepares and publishes an Annual Review and Outlook (ARO), which provides up-to-date information and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Brexit Issues (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continues to closely monitor the impacts of Brexit for the Irish agri-food sector. This includes reviewing the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement which sets out the basis for the post Brexit relationship between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). The outworking of Brexit is continuing to have impacts on the trading environment...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This Government has prioritised farm safety, health and wellbeing. Dedicated funding of €2.5m was allocated in Budget 2024 for a range of initiatives including initiatives to support increased awareness of the importance of mental health among farmers. My Department, along with the HSE and the Department of Health, has co-funded a farmers physical and mental health awareness programme...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Sheepmeat Sector (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Irish sheepmeat was exported to more than 30 markets last year, which is testament to the world-class product produced on our farms. Sheep production is a vital source of income for many farmers, particularly in upland areas, and provided the raw material for the export of over 65,000 tonnes of sheepmeat worth €420m last year. The value of sheepmeat exports held relatively stable...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department continually monitors the levels of employment in the agriculture and wider agri-food sector. Employment figures are primarily sourced from the Central Statistics Office's (CSO) quarterly Labour Force Survey, for which full-year data is currently available up to 2022 (full-year 2023 figures are expected shortly). Looking at trends over the period 2019 to 2022, employment in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Safety (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Farm safety is a major issue and farming continues to be the most dangerous occupation in terms of fatalities in the workplace. There has been an average of 19 fatal incidents per year on Irish farms over the last ten years. There were 16 farm fatalities in 2023, and unfortunately this year to date, there have been two confirmed fatalities on farms. All of these fatalities are tragic...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (22 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department constantly monitors key economic indicators in the agri-food sector, with a particular focus on changes in farm input costs, as well as developments in farm incomes, viability, structures, key commodities and food industry trends. The CSO has just released its Agricultural Price Indices for December and the Year 2023. The indices track trends in prices paid to farmers for their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for promptly putting this on the agenda of the committee and dealing with the pre-legislative work on the proposed Bill. As the Cathaoirleach stated, it has been on the agenda for some time and we are very keen to progress it through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Key to that is this initial engagement with the committee and the thoughts and feedback of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The reason is that an error in fact of law would be obvious quicker whereas a change in circumstances might happen a few months after and might not be as obvious at the start. That is the reason for the difference between the three months and the six months being proposed here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Bill proposes to introduce a time limit of six months for the seeking of a review of the decision of an appeals officer in the event of new evidence or facts or a change in circumstances since the decision was made. Where a review is sought, that would go to another appeals officer on the 12-person appeals board for consideration. That is where there has been a change of circumstance or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: A fact of law is where someone believes the law was not applied properly, or believes the facts were not properly reflected and the decision does not stack up in the face of the facts that the person presented or does not stack up in regard to the application of the law to the decision. In that case, at present, people can appeal it to the director of the appeals office. Under this new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I take the point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank Senator Daly and acknowledge that this is something he has supported over the last number of years too. On the Senator's point about the independence of the chair, the 2018 report indicated that the system was independent and robust but that this legislation could strengthen and add to this by changing the role that is currently done by the director of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I believe that we do. It must go through the various Stages, including in the Seanad, but this piece we are doing here now with the pre-legislative scrutiny is important. Generally there is broad acceptance of the Bill and that it will have broad support. I am certainly open to the committee members' views on how we can be sure the legislation will do the job as effectively as it should....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: If we can. I would see that as entirely possible. Obviously it will depend on what the other priorities are in the legislative schedule. I will certainly be making the point to the Seanad and Dáil Whips that I do not believe it will take a big chunk of time because I would be hoping there is broad acceptance and therefore we should be able to move it on and get it scheduled on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It is a unique one as far as I know but it is the only one that has been brought to my attention. If there are any other instances I would be quite happy to amend it and make sure we address it here. I do not see any role for it. If we were to apply that rule to Oireachtas committees there could be a good few across the Houses of the Oireachtas who would not be able to attend the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The appeals office uses the Chief State Solicitor's office and the Attorney General's office only for legal advice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Bill, as drafted, is what is presented, but obviously it is at pre-legislative scrutiny stage and the final Bill is something we can reflect on further. One of the key objectives here is to ensure that as part of the review panel there is representation of people with practical experience of farming. That will certainly be the way I proceed to set the board up. As to how we reflect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: General Scheme of the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Is that the number with practical-----