Results 3,701-3,720 of 3,729 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (7 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: This felling licence application was received on the 12th February 2025. It is currently going through my Department's forestry licensing process. Registered foresters can see the progress of the application on my Department's Licence Tracker through the iNET facility and applicants can access it through their Agfood account. If an applicant does not have an account for Agfood, they can...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to provide an update on an important issue. The Deputy is right; there is a lot of concern among farmers around GAEC 2. I am happy to have the opportunity to reassure people that the concerns that are there are misplaced for a variety of reasons. I can give the background to GAEC 2. It is a mandatory condition for the payment of BISS. That is a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for raising these points. On providing more time, the deadline for BISS applications is clearly 15 May. If I were to push that deadline back or try to extend it in any way, it would have a knock-on impact on the whole system of getting payments in place. We had delays in payments previously and are back on track in terms of making sure we can get the areas of natural...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: No, the patch where they are cutting turf would never qualify for BISS anyway. The farmers will not be applying-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: That is no problem.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising a really important issue and giving me the opportunity to put on the record of the House a reassurance to farmers in her area and all over the country who are concerned about GAEC 2. The Senator has outlined those concerns, and I know from my colleagues here in Donegal and Kerry as well that those concerns are shared by farmers. Much of this is down to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Agriculture Industry (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Apologies. I did not answer two of the Senator's earlier questions. One was on appeals and the other was on splitting the parcel. Farmers can split the parcel if there is a natural boundary like a wall or hedge in an existing land parcel. They can just do that on the application. There will be an appeals mechanism. Most farmers will not need to appeal this. It will not change their...

Common Agricultural Policy and Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan: Statements (15 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am grateful to the Whip's office for making time in the Dáil schedule to discuss what is a really important topic, namely Ireland's national plan under the CAP. The CAP is one of the EU's longest-standing policies, firmly embedded in the Treaty of the European Union. The agrifood sector remains one of our most important indigenous industries, employing 169,000 people and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Procurement's for the acquisition of IT equipment undertaken by my Department are conducted within the Office of Government Procurement guidelines.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Germany in January and in Hungary and Slovakia more recently have highlighted the ongoing threat this disease poses to Irish livestock. Within my Department, preparations are ongoing to heighten our preparedness for all eventualities and to ensure a prompt and effective response to any suspect FMD case. My Department also carries out...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department maintains an ongoing information campaign in relation to foot and mouth disease (FMD). This includes posters and pull up displays at ports, airports and ferry terminals advising travellers of the risk of inadvertently carrying FMD back to Ireland. My Department also has continuous engagement with livestock owners, hauliers and other industry stakeholders, highlighting the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Farm Partnerships (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Applications for a Registered Farm Partnership (RFP) are accepted and processed by the Department all year round. However, if an applicant wished to have their RFP number in time for the 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability deadline, applications with all accompanying documentation must have been received by the Department on or before Monday, 10 February 2025. There was an issue...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 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. A dedicated team has...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The table below details the total payments made under the Ash Dieback schemes and associated Climate Action Performance Payment 2013 to 9th May 2025. Reconstitution Ash Dieback Scheme (RAD) Reconstitution & Underplanting (Ash Dieback) Scheme (RUS) Climate Action Performance Payment Scheme (CAPP) Year € €...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The below table presents the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payment details for the 954 farmers participating in the scheme in County Monaghan. Of these 954 participants, 689 joined Tranche 1 while the remaining 265 are in Tranche 2. 2023 Scheme Year - Applications fully processed 673 2023 Total Amount paid €3,144,151.51 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Programme for Government clearly sets out this Governments ambition to present the best case possible for continuance of Ireland's current Nitrates Derogation whilst working with farmers to deliver improved water quality. Ireland's current Nitrates Action Programme and Derogation remain in place until the end of 2025. A Cabinet Committee on water quality chaired by the Taoiseach to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. I am committed to making real progress in eradicating TB as I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial trauma associated with a TB breakdown for farmers. The table attached outlines the overall cost to the Exchequer of the TB Programme, excluding staff costs, between 2019 and 2024. Expenditure has increased...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (14 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: GAEC 2 is a mandatory condition of the payment of the Basic Income Support for Farmers (BISS). It is intended to protect peatlands and wetlands. The EU Regulation governing the CAP Strategic Plans requires all Member States to have a standard in place this year at the latest. The proposal was submitted by my Department and approved by the European Commission on 30th April 2025 and is now...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (15 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the flagship environmental scheme provided under the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan, with €1.5 billion in Exchequer and EU funding allocated over the course of the scheme. Following the payment run of the 9th of May 2025, a total of just under €455.8 million has been paid to participants in respect of their participation in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Agreements (15 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: On 8th May, the UK Government and US Administration set out the general terms for a US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal. This does not constitute a legally binding agreement, rather it sets out the general terms for further negotiations which is intended to formalise the proposals outlined in last week’s announcement. As part of these general terms, the UK have agreed to remove a 20%...