Results 4,361-4,380 of 4,382 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. In recent years, bovine TB (bTB) levels have continued to deteriorate. Herd incidence has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024, resulting in a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted between 2022 and 2024. As of 22nd June 2025, over a 12 month period we had a herd incidence of 6.43 % with over 43,455 reactors....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Investigations (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report was published in January 2025, the focus of which was to understand the extent to which Lady’s Island Lake is affected by over-enrichment of waters with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and to explain how this occurred. The EPA’s findings indicate the lake is in poor ecological condition which is directly related to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Coillte was established as a commercial state company with private limited status under the Forestry Act, 1988, to become custodian and manager of the national forest estate. Coillte’s mandate is set out in Section 12 of the Forestry Act 1988 and provides, inter alia, that a principal object of the company is to carry on the business of forestry and related activities on a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Culls (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department, along with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage established the Irish Deer Management Strategy group to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland. The Group comprised representatives from my Department, National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte. A report was published into “Developing a Sustainable Deer...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Pharmacy Services (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department is committed to supporting all dispensers, including pharmacists, to use the National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS). A number of measures have been taken to ensure pharmacies that dispense veterinary prescriptions are facilitated in the roll out of the NVPS. The NVPS provides farmers with an SMS text prescription ID, allowing farmers to purchase veterinary...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Environmental Protection Agency’s “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections Report 2024-2055” was published in May this year and it sets out the challenges that Ireland has on the road to meeting our 2030 climate target. The report projects in the With Existing Measures Scenario the Agricultural Sector will increases emissions by 1% by 2030 and in the With Additional...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Diseases (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Bovine TB is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. In recent years, bovine TB (bTB) levels have continued to deteriorate. Herd incidence has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024, resulting in a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted between 2022 and 2024. As of 22nd June 2025, over a 12 month period we had a herd incidence of 6.43 % with over 43,455 reactors....

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Nitrates Usage (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I would like to begin by restating my, and indeed the Government's commitment to the twin objectives of improving water quality and retaining Ireland's Nitrates Derogation post-2025. My colleague Minister Browne's Department is responsible for leading development of Ireland's Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). My Department is responsible for leading negotiations on, and implementation, of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: One of the key objectives of my Department is to deliver targeted support schemes for farmers. A wide range of schemes are operated to cater for the needs of the various sectors. These schemes are designed to: support farm income; protect the environment and our natural resources; facilitate structural and behavioural change, generational renewal and innovation; improve production...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fisheries Protection (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I thank the Deputy for her question. Sprat is a small pelagic schooling fish that occurs inshore. Sprat is a short-lived species and an important prey fish for many marine species thus vital to the ocean food chain as well as an important source of income for inshore fishermen. The International Council of the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) considers sprat to be a data limited stock which...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme or 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. There are currently just under 54,000 participants in ACRES. Payments in respect of ACRES continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases pass all required...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Veterinary Services (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The most recent figures from Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) in their recently published Workforce Report indicates 3,564 registered veterinary practitioners veterinarians and 1,265 registered veterinary nurses in Ireland. 68.2% of registered veterinary practitioners were employed in clinical practice of whom 35.5% were working in mixed practices with 12.5% working in Farm Animal only...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Supports (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Farm safety, health and wellbeing is a priority for this Government. The Programme for Government has a specific focus on farmer mental health and well-being, recognising the unique challenges faced by the sector. I secured dedicated funding of €2.5 million In Budget 2025 which enables my Department to continue to implement existing and new initiatives to improve farm safety, health...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The schemes operates in tranches where more than 45,000 applications have been received across the first eight tranches of TAMS 3. This compares to 15,144 applications received over the same number of tranches in...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. The Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme is one of eleven schemes within TAMS 3, designed specifically to provide an enhanced grant aid for qualified young farmers. An analysis of all payment claims received for...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) opened for new applications in October 2024. All applications from farmers who applied and were registered with either of the two Organic Control Bodies were accepted into the scheme provided they met the eligibility requirements. In the coming weeks, eligibility checks will commence on the new 630 applications following the submission of their 2025 BISS...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Meetings (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I met with both the Chairman and CEO of the Agri-Food Regulator on 2 April 2025 and again with the Chairman, CEO and Board of the Agri-Food Regulator in May 2025. At the meeting in April, the Chairman and the CEO reiterated the substance of the report communicated to my Department by the Agri-Food Regulator, recommending, in light of their experience in seeking information for the purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Regulatory Bodies (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The independent Agri-Food Regulator established under the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023 performs two key functions:It enforces the law on Unfair Trading Practices;It performs a price and market analysis and reporting function.The Regulator has since its establishment at the end of 2023, been very successful in delivering on these functions. On the price and market analysis...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The person named submitted an application under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) General stream and was approved into Tranche 1 of the scheme, with a commencement date of 1st January 2023. An ACRES interim payment of €4,000 issued to the herd owner in February 2024. My Department acknowledges the ongoing challenges faced by ACRES participants who have updated...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Tillage Sector (3 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The previous Programme for Government included a commitment to fully explore fibre crops such as hemp and consider whether these crops have a viable market. The report on this consultation was published in December 2022. As part of the consultation, stakeholders were invited to consider a number of questions including existing markets, the strengths and weaknesses of fibre crops and the...