Results 3,561-3,580 of 3,729 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on the farm. The On Farm Market Valuation Scheme is the principal compensation measure available to herd-owners whose herds are affected by a bovine TB breakdown in their herd. The Scheme aims to compensate farmers up to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: The person named submitted an application under the ACRES General stream and was approved into Tranche 1 of the scheme, with a commencement date of 1st January 2023. An interim payment of €4,000 issued to the herd owner in March 2024 in respect of their participation in Scheme Year 2023. To date this case has not passed the 2023 balance payment validations. My Department is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme is an income support paid directly to farmers, which is 100% funded under EU Regulation. Applicants are paid per hectare of eligible land farmed and for which they hold payment entitlements. Historic iterations of this scheme would also have governed the criteria applicable at the time as to whether land was eligible or not under the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd. ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: Wool is a natural and renewable fibre produced by sheep reared in both lowland or upland settings. It is natural product, produced sustainably. The determination of the sustainability of wool value chains is undertaken using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and this type of analysis distributes the emissions of sheep farming among its different products to reflect their contributions as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Slaughtering (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 784 together. There is EU and National legislation in place to protect the welfare of animals during slaughter for human consumption. The legislation is clear that animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs must be spared any avoidable pain or suffering during the slaughtering process and that they must only slaughtered by persons who are properly...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Legal Cases (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am aware of the legal challenge brought by the named organisation against the European Commission, relating to the registration of the Irish Grass Fed Beef PGI, before the Court of Justice of the European Union. At the request of my Department, Ireland has through the Office of the Attorney General intervened in the case. My officials and the Office of the Attorney General are fully...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Properties (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department has no vacant or derelict buildings in Dublin-Rathdown.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Communications (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has not been in communication with the Department for Social Protection in relation to this particular group and is not currently a member of this interdepartmental group.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (8 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Programme for Government provides a commitment to ensure that all legislation and policy in relation to the control of dogs, dog welfare and dog breeding establishments, will transfer to my Department. Discussions involving the relevant Government Departments, including my Department, on the approach to implementation of the above have commenced. These discussions will continue over the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Nitrates Usage (1 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I recognise how important the dairy industry is to west Cork and to the wider rural community. As Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am committed to doing everything in my power to develop the sectors for which I am responsible and to communicate a fresh understanding of what it is. Our farmers, fishers, foresters and the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Nitrates Usage (1 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Senator for raising a vital issue. It is important it be discussed in the Seanad today. I accept his invitation to west Cork. I look forward to going down and meeting many of those farmers with him and seeing the great work happening in that space. This is all about trends and all about the science backing up our argument. We know the economic argument for this. I am clear...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (30 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is committed, through our People Strategy, to build an agile future-ready workforce through enhancing employee experience, prioritising inclusivity and well-being, and fostering a supportive and high-performing environment. Occasionally, the Department engages services from external HR specialists when further expertise is required to optimise service delivery to employees in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (30 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (30 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: In July 2021, Jim Power Economics produced a report on The Economic & Financial Significance of the Irish Greyhound Industry which was commissioned by RCÉ. This report follows earlier similar reports produced by Jim Power for RCÉ in 2010 and 2017. I am not aware of any related updated analysis currently being conducted by RCÉ.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Budgets (30 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: Year Allocation January-April Spend Percentage 2025* €334,583,000 €111,517,372* 33.33% 2024 €363,900,000 €80,281,127 22.06% 2023 €490,450,000 €92,394,632 18.84% Please note that the 2025 figure is made up of the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (30 Apr 2025)

Martin Heydon: The amount of food products which were seized by my Department in Dublin Port and Dublin Airport to date in 2025 is:79.21 tonnes of commercial consignment6.02 tonnes of personal consignments including products seized at Temporary Storage Facilities (TSFs) and passenger baggage Commercial consignments undergo documentary, identity, physical, sampling and, if necessary, laboratory inspections...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Inquiries (1 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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 question raised by the Deputy is an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (1 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department recognises that the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn, have caused varying degrees of damage around the country, including significant damage to trees and in some cases electricity infrastructure and that this presents challenges to all stakeholders in forestry. My Department is in regular contact with the ESB, particularly in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. The...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (1 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Following the latest payment run on 25 April 2025, 43,368 ACRES participants, or just under 97%, are fully paid in respect of the 2023 scheme year. This means that 1,492 participants have not yet had their 2023 contract finalised, of which 1,198 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000, respectively. In relation to the 2024 scheme year, 47,477...