Results 3,981-4,000 of 4,382 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Culls (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a challenging disease to control and eradicate due to several factors. Ireland's bovine TB Eradication Programme operates in line with best national and international scientific research and advice. A large body of peer-reviewed research has been conducted into the spread of TB in Ireland and the risks underlying its transmission. This research has found that the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 512 and 514 together. The Government’s afforestation target of 8,000 hectares per year is set out in the Climate Action Plan. The current Forestry Programme is the largest ever funded Programme to date, which provides attractive financial incentives and a broad range of planting options in order to achieve these ambitious targets. The comprehensive...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The table below outlines the number of forestry licences issued in Q1 over the last 7 years. Year Q1 Felling Private Felling Coillte Afforestation Roads 2019 328 1,885 210 203 2020 214 218 155 91 2021 198 333 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: GAEC 2 is a mandatory condition of the payment of the Basic Income Support for farmers (BISS). Its objective is to protect wetlands and peatlands – high carbon soils. The standard provides for a baseline protection for carbon rich soils, while allowing agricultural activity to continue. Parcels with areas of 50% or more peat soil are determined as applicable to GAEC 2. The Areas of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Areas of Natural Constraints scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated areas that face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems, and poor soil conditions. Support is provided based on the following categories of land: Category 1 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 1 is characterised by extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Areas of Natural Constraints scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated areas that face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems, and poor soil conditions. Support is provided based on the following categories of land: Category 1 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 1 is characterised by extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 to 521, inclusive, together. In 2022, the fourth National Forest Inventory (NFI) estimated the area of forest to be 808,848 hectares or 11.6% of the land area. The purpose of the NFI is to record and assess the extent and nature of Ireland’s forests, both public and private, in a timely, accurate and reproducible manner. Reliable, current and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (27 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: As of 26 May 2025, a total of almost €492 million has issued since ACRES payments commenced at the end of 2023. Balancing payments in respect of the 2024 scheme year commenced on 15 May 2025, with €34.3 million issuing to 45,112 participants to date. The remaining 2024 balancing payments will issue in parallel with remaining 2023 payments and 2024 advance payments. In the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: Populist.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Engagement with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: I will ensure the Deputy gets detailed responses.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department launched a new €1.3bn Forestry Programme in 2023 with an annual budget that can facilitate the planting of up to 8,000ha of new forests annually. The Afforestation Scheme, within the new Forestry Programme, offers landowners a choice of 12 Forest Types, covering a broad range of planting options. These include, for example, Native Woodland, Continuous Cover Forestry and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Burren Scheme, funded by my Department under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022, with additional support from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, was an agri-environmental results-based scheme devised to improve the condition of the natural and cultural heritage of the Burren. Farmers received payments to undertake actions focussed on habitat management for biodiversity, as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Biodiversity Regeneration In a Dairying Environment (BRIDE) Project, funded by my Department under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022, implemented a results-based approach on intensive farms in the River Bride valley of north County Cork aimed at conserving, enhancing and restoring habitats. Working in collaboration with farmers, the project identified priority actions to improve...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The objective of the Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 is to further increase the economic efficiency of and enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms. Payments in the amount of €19.98 million issued to some 23,132 Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 participants eligible for payment in early December 2024. Those not eligible for payment included participants who had not submitted a BISS...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 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 Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department provides significant support to the beef sector under the EU co-funded Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) which is complemented by the exchequer-funded 2025 Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS). In April, I announced that 2025 BWS will open for applications in early August. This new support scheme has a budget of €28m and will focus on practical measures to enhance...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Areas of Natural Constraints scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated areas that face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems, and poor soil conditions. Support is provided based on the following categories of land: Category 1 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 1 is characterised by extensive...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) was an emergency support Measure introduced following the war in the Ukraine. The aim of the scheme was to incentivise farmers to increase the eligible tillage crop area in order to assist in reducing the dependency on imported feed material. In 2024, a maintenance payment was available to those, who having converted area to tillage in 2023, and were...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector. To date €18.5 million has been paid to 16,714 herds under SIS 2024 (Year 2). These payments were paid at a rate of 85%. The balancing payments of 15% for 2024 will commence shortly to cleared cases. To date €15.20 million...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (28 May 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department provides significant support to the sheep sector under the EU co-funded Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and through the exchequer-funded 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme. The SIS is the principal dedicated support for the sector with an allocation of €100m over the duration of the current CAP Strategic Plan (CSP). This multi-annual scheme will operate until 2027 and...