Results 4,441-4,460 of 4,472 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am aware, that as of the 22nd of July 2024 the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024 of the United Kingdom has banned the export of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses for fattening and slaughter from Great Britain. The ban does not prevent the export of livestock and horses for breeding or competitions, and it does not apply in Northern Ireland. The ban applies to journeys...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Measures (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together. The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) announced in April 2024 that it had updated its Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Practitioners to prohibit veterinarians from carrying out surgical artificial insemination in dogs due to ethical and welfare considerations. However, this new prohibition does not apply to greyhounds, as...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2023. The BISS is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability. While BISS replaced BPS in 2023 as part of the new CAP, some Pillar 1 funding was allocated to the Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) as well...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department’s Rural Innovation and Development Fund (RIDF) provides funding for initiatives that promote the reduction of food waste generated by food businesses, retailer/wholesalers or suppliers in rural areas. As the programme does not allocate funding on a county basis, the details as requested are not available. Rather my Department issues calls for funding for initiatives...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Knowledge Transfer programme 2024 -2026 builds on the previous KT Programme in the previous CAP and its objectives are to provide support for high quality and targeted advice, while also delivering knowledge and targeted skills to farmers. The programme operates over three years 2024 - 2026 inclusive. KT participant who successfully complete each year of the programme will receive a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Farm Safety...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: [Attachment omitted]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme is an annual grants scheme for the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures. My Department co-funds the scheme under the Rural Development Programme and it is administered by the Heritage Council. The principal objective of this scheme is to ensure that traditional farm buildings and other related structures...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Animal Welfare and...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Following the success of TAMS II, I increased the number of investment items available in TAMS 3. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received. The Young Farmer...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: A call for proposals under the ‘Shared Island Fund Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Scheme', was first announced in 2024, offering total funding of €9 million. Applications under this call were then subject to a rigorous and detailed evaluation by DAFM and DAERA. Contract negotiations with the successful projects are almost concluded and a public announcement is...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Contracts (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: My Department has not procured any services from the company referred to. As regards the thirteen State Bodies under the aegis of my Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. I have referred the Deputy’s question to the Agencies and have requested that a response should issue within 10 days.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Artificial Intelligence (17 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: In respect of using artificial intelligence to analyse content to produce IT documentation, my Department conducted a short-term research project to investigate the viability and effectiveness of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to interrogate software code of legacy IT systems to ascertain the rules and logic held within those systems. This research project was carried out in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Environmental Investigations (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: I am fully aware of the conservation status of forested areas, and my Department's Forestry Programme contains a number of well-funded provisions aimed at addressing the restoration and expansion of native woodlands in Ireland. Three forest types that may be selected by interested landowners, under the Afforestation Scheme, relate specifically to the creation of new native woodland on...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: As an independent body, this is an operational matter for the Agri-Food Regulator and officials of my Department have forwarded your query directly to the Agri-Food Regulator for response. If the Deputy wishes to follow up with the Regulator directly, the Regulator has a dedicated inbox for Oireachtas queries: oireachtas@agrifoodregulator.ie

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is a tenant in buildings provided to it through the Office of Public Works (OPW), which manages the State's property portfolio on behalf of Government Departments. These buildings are either state-owned, or leased from private landlords by the OPW. This Department does not own or maintain the CCTV infrastructure in these buildings. The OPW...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Some of the key policy achievements since January, include: Continued support to farmers under the €9.8 billion CAP Strategic Plan and via specific sectoral supports. It is positive to see the Teagasc National Farm Survey preliminary results estimate that the average farm income in 2024 rose by 87%, and that 2025 income forecasts are also positive. Preparations for a new round of CAP...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Staff (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: The table below provides details on the numbers of officers who are serving in Shannon Airport within the Department as of 7th July 2025. Work Schedule Job Title Std Hrs/Wk FTE STANDARD Clerical Officer 43.25 1.00 STANDARD Executive Officer 43.25 1.00 ...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Animal welfare is a key priority for my Department and considerable funding is provided to support eligible animal welfare charities nationwide, through the annual Animal Welfare Grant Programme, which is administered by my Department. The purpose of animal welfare grants are to support operational activities of such registered animal welfare charities that meet certain criteria. In...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Funding (15 Jul 2025)

Martin Heydon: Under the Control of Horses Act 1996, Local Authorities may take a range of actions in relation to equines. My Department provides financial support to help Local Authorities to, among other activities, facilitate equine seizures. Please see the below table which sets out details of funding provided to Cork City Council as supports towards the Control of Horses in each of the first six...