Results 23,001-23,020 of 24,065 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Horse Racing Industry (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The preparation and adoption of a strategic plan is the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Equal Opportunities Employment (10 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In compliance with Section 47(4) of the Disability Act, my Department surveys all employees annually to establish the number of employees who have a disability. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has exceeded the 3% minimum target for persons with disabilities in each of the last ten years. It should be noted that disclosure by individuals of their disability status is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I acknowledge your request for myself or officials from my Department to meet with the newly established community of stakeholders group - Dogs in Society. The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Rural and Community Development (DCRD) has policy responsibility for Dog Control and Dog Breeding Establishments. I would be most grateful if the Deputy could provide my office with more...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Investigations (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The deputy will be aware that in response to the July 4th Dail motion on this issue I outlined the very significant resources invested by the State to get to the bottom of the matter, with scientific studies carried out by the Inter-agency group, comprising experts from my Department’s Veterinary laboratories, Teagasc, the South-Eastern Health Board (as it then was), and Kilkenny...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Grant Payments (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Simplification is a key focus of my Department. The Department has taken full advantage of all the digitisation in recent years. All area-based interventions under the CAP or National Schemes are now applied for on the single platform, agfood.ie. This is a major change and simplification for farmers, who previously had to manually enter information in a number of different places,...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Inspections (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has examined the relevant records and has confirmed that the herd owner submitted a Basic Payment Scheme application on the 30th of March 2022. The applicant was subject to a 2022 cross reported inspection. A 5% penalty was applied following a non-compliance with Statutory Management Requirement 1 – EU Nitrates Directive. The applicant was notified of the inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Farm payments are a critical component of farm income. I'm fully aware of the importance of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) schemes as for many farmers these form a significant proportion of their annual payments. The planned 2024 payment dates for the ANC scheme and the BISS scheme, are set out in the BISS terms and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Scheme year 2024 advance payments are scheduled to commence in November 2024. Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments for scheme year 2023 commenced over the period December 2023 to January 2024, when €88.35 million was issued in advance payments to 19,719 ACRES General participants. In recognition of the complexity of the scheme and the time required to fully...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department published a Forestry Licensing Plan in December 2023 which outlines our strong commitment to issuing licences in 2024. The Plan estimates that we will issue 4,200 new forestry licences of all types in 2024, which includes 1,000 afforestation licences. This is however contingent on receiving enough applications to achieve this goal. We are working towards the priorities outlined...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has introduced a comprehensive Action Plan on Ash Dieback which provides comprehensive supports to landowners who planted ash plantations under a grant-aided scheme overseen by my Department. While I am aware all landowners with ash trees are impacted by ash dieback, my Department does not have responsibility for the removal or reconstitution of Ash trees for private...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am satisfied with the current system of controls at meat plants which is reinforced by a permanent presence of staff at slaughter plants. All plants are subject to inspections and audits by resident staff, and verification audits by regional supervisory staff who must confirm whether the establishment is in general compliance with the conditions of approval under SI 22/2020. All inspection...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (11 Jul 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. Ireland’s Programme for Government includes a commitment to improve animal welfare standards and promote responsible pet ownership. The welfare of animals is protected by legislation and appropriate enforcement action is taken where breaches or shortcomings are identified. All reports of welfare issues received by my...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As a result of a difficult harvest in 2023 and a prolonged housing period, very little straw was carried over from 2023 into 2024. The early part of the summer saw continued difficult weather, and also with fodder supplies already low, fears of an impending fodder shortage in the coming winter were very real. Against this backdrop of depleted fodder reserves and poor growth rates I wanted to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Planning Issues (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland is a member of the EU. The EU single market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods (one of the ‘four freedoms’). This is achieved through common rules and standards that all participating Member States are legally obliged to follow. One such set of rules are the rules on plant health which seek to protect the Union’s territory and its plants together with...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As a result of a difficult harvest in 2023 and a prolonged housing period, very little straw was carried over from 2023 into 2024. The early part of the summer saw continued difficult weather, and also with fodder supplies already low, fears of an impending fodder shortage in the coming winter were very real. Against this backdrop of depleted fodder reserves and poor growth rates I wanted to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Native Tree Area Scheme was introduced to facilitate small-scale native tree planting on farms without the requirement for an afforestation licence. This planting will contribute to Ireland’s targets in relation to a wide range of environmental priorities, particularly climate change, biodiversity and water quality. Individual landowners that have successfully made an application...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Industry (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I understand the Deputy is referring to a particular licence application and further to PQ 55696/23, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department considers applications for aquaculture licences in accordance with the provisions of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, the Foreshore Act 1933 (as amended) and applicable national and EU legislation. The licensing process involves consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I can confirm that my Department, in conjunction with the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, is carrying out a coordinated investigation into these matters.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Measures (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In preparing the Regulations, there has been extensive stakeholder engagement over the last four years and all stakeholder views have been considered to find the appropriate balance of routes of supply, medicine availability and cost while meeting our obligations in EU and national legislation. On 14th December 2023, I met with Veterinary Ireland to discuss their concerns on the draft...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Programme for Government (9 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Since publication of the “Programme for Government: Our Shared Future” in 2020, my Department has identified and examined 161 actions in the Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Chapter. My Department is the lead organisation in 148 of these actions, and reports that 76% of those are either “target achieved” or “substantial action undertaken &...