Results 23,341-23,360 of 24,065 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Change Policy (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As the Deputy is aware, climate change is a global issue. Any assessment on impacts on agriculture requires modelling at the global scale, in the context of both climate processes and the economic impacts of climate change, to include global production and prices. To date, such international work has not progressed sufficiently to meaningfully inform an Irish perspective and as a result, no...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department has been notified of the escape of farmed fish from one cage at a site in Killary Harbour. The Marine Institute and Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) were also informed, in accordance with the applicable aquaculture licence conditions. As the Deputy will be aware, my Department’s Marine Engineers carried out an inspection of the site on 15th August and a report was...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme is an EU co-funded scheme provided for under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027. The budget set out in the CAP Strategic Plan for the ANC scheme is €250 million per year, which is co-funded by the national exchequer and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It should be noted that any change...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In May of this year, together with Minister O'Brien, under whose Department the Nitrates Regulations sit, I brought a Memo to Cabinet on the topic of renewal of Ireland's Nitrates Derogation and my intention to publish a planned approach to building a case for that renewal. I sought a whole of Government approach in support of this aim and was pleased that this support was unequivocally...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Costs (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am acutely conscious of the difficulties facing family farms as a result of the numerous challenges the sector has faced in recent years. Following the record income levels reached in 2021 and 2022, last year was a challenging year, with increased input prices and decreases in output prices resulting in incomes falling for the first time in five years. It is positive to see that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am very aware of the challenges that weather conditions have placed on farmers this year. It was on this basis that I reconvened the National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) in early July to ensure advisory and support services were available to farmers to ensure they have the necessary information and advice to maximise fodder production for the coming Winter. I also...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The tillage sector is an integral component of the Agri-food industry and is a sector that I want to see grow and develop. However, I am also acutely aware of the challenges that tillage farmers have experienced over the last two years. In response to these challenges, I ensured that more direct support was provided for tillage farmers by this Government than any other Government in the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Control of Horses (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: My Department and I take the matters of equine welfare and traceability most seriously. There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to prioritise equine welfare and to build on existing inspectorate supports across the country, ensuring a consistent approach to dealing with horse welfare. The Control of Horses Act 1996 was introduced to provide for the control of horses and to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 87 together. Political agreement was reached with Mercosur countries in June 2019. Due to additional concerns raised by a number of EU member states, including Ireland, on the strength of the environmental and sustainability provisions in the original agreement, the Commission and Mercosur recommenced negotiations in 2023 on a joint instrument aimed...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Following ongoing discussions between the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, an Agreement in Principle was reached on the future of the food safety controls currently carried out by the Local Authority Veterinary Service (LAVS). A memo for government...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: While there were suggestions of potential changes to the Common Agricultural Policy included in the report of the 'Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture', it must be noted that the Strategic Dialogue is only one input to the development of the future CAP Proposals, and the proposals for CAP post 2027 are not due to be published by the European Commission until mid-2025. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Succession Farm Partnership Scheme run my Department provides a structure through which farmers and their successors can enter into a partnership with an appropriate profit-sharing agreement, on the understanding that the farm would eventually be transferred to the successor at the end of a specified period, not exceeding ten years. This scheme was introduced on the back of a new...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The €258m European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027, co-funded by the Irish government and the EU, is the primary funding package for the seafood sector, including aquaculture. EMFAF is managed by my Department. In July I announced the opening of a new scheme under our EMFAF Operational Programme to support capital investment in aquaculture - the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Common Agricultural Policy (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In recent years the conditionality and regulation associated with farming has become increasingly complex. For this reason, I have been and continue to be an advocate for simplification at the Council of Agriculture Ministers. This is both to ensure that the rules associated with farm payments can be applied in a practical way that recognises the realities of farming life and also the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulatory Bodies (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I was pleased that An Rialálaí Agraibhia was established on 13th of December last year. The establishment of this body is an initiative that I spearheaded from inception and I was delighted to secure, as a key commitment in the Programme for Government, the provision of an independent regulator for farmers, fishers, growers and other small and medium enterprises in our agri-food...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This Government secured flexibilities in the legal text of the Nature Restoration Law to both support farmers and to recognise specific Irish circumstances. The Government is clear that all restoration measures will be voluntary. The legislation is explicit on this in relation to rewetting, but participation in relation to wider restoration measures is a national competency. The legal...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I am supporting the horticulture industry, including vegetable production in Ireland through a range of initiatives. The Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector provides grant aid towards capital investments in specialised plant and equipment including renewable energy, as well as technology adoption specific to commercial horticulture...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The Environmental Protection Agency’s report of July 2024 “Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990 - 2023” sets out that Agriculture emissions decreased by 4.6% in 2023. It is very encouraging to see the positive progress that Agriculture has made in reducing emissions. This result reflects the work that farmers are putting in on the ground and the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: In May of this year, picking up on a commitment made during Commissioner Sinkevicius’ visit to Ireland in November 2023, I invited DG Environment’s Commission Services to visit Ireland to witness at first hand the actions the Government and stakeholders right across our agri-food industry are currently engaging in to reduce agriculture’s impact on water quality. Last...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 Sep 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Ireland’s agri-food sector is our most important indigenous exporting sector, playing a vital role in Ireland’s economy, especially in rural and coastal areas. My aim is to ensure its ongoing economic, environmental and social sustainability for the benefit of all the sector's stakeholders, particularly our farm families, who are the backbone of the sector and rural communities....